ARD Germany trend extra
Would you like a little more? No, say four out of ten Germans – and would like the EU states to act more independently. A ARD Germany trend extra shows: Germans’ view of the EU has become more critical.
“We as Europeans…”: Almost 20 years ago, the opinion research institute Infratest dimap asked who feels addressed by this heading. At that time, the population eligible to vote in Germany was divided into two equal camps: a good half (52 percent) felt less strongly or not at all addressed. Almost every second person (48 percent), on the other hand, did it strongly or even very strongly. That was the opinion in June 2004, shortly before the European elections.
If today, a year before the next European elections, a text begins with “We as Europeans…”, then only four out of ten (41 percent) feel strongly or even very strongly addressed, but a majority (56 percent) do less strong or not at all. That shows a ARD Germany trend extra on the occasion of WDR Europaforumat which Chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others, will be asking questions about the role of Europe on June 6th.
The representative survey of 1,302 eligible voters shows how Germans view Europe. This view has become more skeptical in recent years. Only one in four (26 percent) says that Germany has more advantages from membership in the European Union – that is 14 percentage points less than in July 2020. About the same number (27 percent) say today that Germany has more from EU membership Disadvantages (+12). On the other hand, a relative majority (41 percent) continues to say that the advantages and disadvantages are balanced.
14 percent think Germany should leave the EU
The desire for the member states to take back more responsibilities from the EU and act more independently has also grown within three years. A relative majority of 38 percent would like that at the moment – that’s 16 percentage points more than in July 2020.
On the other hand, only a third (34 percent, a drop of 20 percentage points) would like the European countries to intensify their cooperation and hand over further responsibilities to the EU. Almost three years ago it was more than every second person. For one in five (20 percent, +1), nothing significant should change.
On the other hand, only a minority would go so far as to say that Germany should leave the EU – as Great Britain did a few years ago. 14 percent of those eligible to vote agree that Germany should leave the EU. Four out of five citizens (79 percent) reject this.
Fewer Germans say than a few years ago that EU membership has a positive effect on our security and economic development. However, there is still a majority that recognizes such advantages. Two-thirds of Germans (68 percent) say that the EU makes life safer in Europe; that is 10 percentage points less than in the run-up to the most recent European elections in May 2019. A narrow majority of 56 percent believe that membership in the EU ensures that we are better off economically (-22 compared to May 2019) ; slightly more than one in three (35 percent) currently sees things differently.
An army of EU countries? Every second person supports it
War, the energy crisis, high inflation – in the past there have rarely been so many crises to be overcome in such a short time. The defense of Europe has also come into focus as a result of the Ukraine war – in a European Union that has a commissioner for promoting the European lifestyle but no commissioner for defence.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for a common European army a few years ago, well before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Germans are quite open to such an idea. 53 percent would like it if the EU states had a common army. A third of Germans (32 percent) reject this idea. 15 percent do not dare to judge.
In the run-up to the European elections in May 2019, 62 percent were still in favor of a joint army for the EU states. At that time, however, more citizens felt capable of making a judgment on this question.
Among the supporters of the idea, only one in three (34 percent) thinks that a joint army should completely replace the national armies – including the Bundeswehr. Significantly more people find that the national armies should also continue to exist. 62 percent of supporters share this view.
Incidentally, this also applies to the FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. The 65-year-old, who will be running as her party’s top candidate in the European elections next year, recently renewed the call for such an army alongside the army in the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”. On the other hand, since February 24, 2022, the French President has hardly said anything about his former project.
Half of Germans support Ukraine’s EU accession
The Russian war of aggression changed the European Union. He also asked her whether she would include Ukraine in her midst. Half of Germans (52 percent) believe that the EU should do this in the long term. This means that German support for this question has recently fallen slightly (-6 compared to February). 37 percent of Germans are against long-term EU accession for Ukraine.
Since last summer, the country has held the title of an official accession candidate. However, during her recent visit to Kiev, EU Commission President von der Leyen pointed out that further reform efforts are necessary.
A year before the next European elections, four out of ten Germans (38 percent) are very satisfied or satisfied with the work of Ursula von der Leyen (+15 compared to April 2021). Every second German (53 percent) is less or not at all satisfied with their work (-17).
This puts von der Leyen in a slightly better position with the Germans than she did in the late stages of her time as Federal Defense Minister in 2019. Before that, however, she usually achieved significantly higher approval ratings in various offices. When she took office as labor minister at the end of 2009, two-thirds were satisfied with her job.
The role that Chancellor Scholz is currently playing for cohesion in the EU is viewed critically by the majority. Almost every fourth German (23 percent) is of the opinion that the Federal Chancellor will promote cohesion in the EU; six out of ten (60 percent) disagree with this statement.
Cooperation with China is viewed more critically than with the USA
And which partners should the EU turn to? EU cooperation with the US is largely supported. A relative majority of 42 percent is of the opinion that this should be continued on the current scale. Three out of ten Germans (29 percent) think it should even be expanded. One in five (22 percent) say cooperation with the US should be reduced.
Germans have a different view of cooperation between the EU and China: almost every second person (47 percent) thinks it should be reduced. Three out of ten (28 percent) would continue at the current level. 14 percent think it is right for the EU to expand its cooperation with China.
However, the Germans are skeptical about what role the EU can play internationally. Every second person (53 percent) agrees that the EU is not taken seriously on the international stage (+5 compared to April 2014). Four out of ten Germans disagree with this statement.