ipsos european pulse august 2015 - views on the eu

To replace the image: Delete existing image below, click picture icon, select new image & “send to back”

1 © 2015 Ipsos.

Ipsos European Pulse August 2015 Views on the EU

2 © 2015 Ipsos.

ARE THINGS GOING IN RIGHT DIRECTION OR WRONG TRACK ACROSS THE EU? Large - and increasing - majorities in most countries think the EU is going in the wrong direction. Indeed, a majority of EU citizens in all nine countries agree that things across the EU are heading off on the wrong track. The proportion thinking things are headed in the wrong direction has increased in eight of nine countries since 2014.

3 © 2015 Ipsos.

Are things across the European Union going in the right direction or are they on the wrong track?

IPSOS EUROPEAN PULSE: AUGUST 2015

Generally speaking, would you say things across the European Union are heading in the right direction or are they off on the wrong track?

Base: 7,096 respondents from nine countries (Belgium: 505, France, 1,016, Germany, 1,015, Great Britain: 1,019, Hungary: 500, Italy: 1,015, Poland: 505, Spain: 1,016, Sweden: 505), July 24th - AUGUST 7TH, 2015.

Country average: 27%

30% OR MORE

20% TO 29%

19% OR LESS

15%

32% 16%

29% 34%

32%

27%

36%

% saying ‘heading in right direction’

36%

25%

4 © 2015 Ipsos.


Country average: 73%

80% OR MORE

71% TO 79%

70% OR LESS

% saying ‘off on the wrong track’

GENERALLY SPEAKING, WOULD YOU SAY THINGS ACROSS THE EUROPEAN UNION ARE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OR ARE THEY OFF ON THE WRONG TRACK?

BASE: 7,096 RESPONDENTS FROM NINE COUNTRIES (BELGIUM: 505, FRANCE, 1,016, GERMANY, 1,015, GREAT BRITAIN: 1,019, HUNGARY: 500, ITALY: 1,015, POLAND: 505, SPAIN: 1,016, SWEDEN: 505), JULY 24TH - AUGUST 7TH, 2015.

85%

68%

84%

71% 66%

68%

73%

75%

64%

Are things across the European Union going in the right direction or are they on the wrong track?

5 © 2015 Ipsos.


Are things going in the right direction or are they on the wrong track? TREND FROM 2014

GENERALLY SPEAKING, WOULD YOU SAY THINGS ACROSS THE EUROPEAN UNION ARE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OR ARE THEY OFF ON THE WRONG TRACK?


INCREASE OF 7 POINTS OR MORE

INCREASE OF 4 – 6 POINTS

INCREASE OF 1 – 3 POINTS

NO CHANGE

DECREASE OF 1 – 3 POINTS

DECREASE OF 4 – 6 POINTS

DECREASE OF 7 POINTS OR MORE

% point change saying ‘heading in right direction’ since March 2014

Country average: 27% (-5 from March 2014)

-8

-4 -5

-6

+8 -8

-7

-3

-9

6 © 2015 Ipsos.

HAS EU MEMBERSHIP SUPPORTED MEMBER STATES’ LIVING STANDARDS? Six in ten in disagree that their personal standard of living is higher now than if their country had not joined the EU. However, this is a slight improvement in views of the living standard benefits of EU membership since 2014.

7 © 2015 Ipsos.

8%

27%

40%

25%


PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: THE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR ME AND MY FAMILY IS HIGHER NOW THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF MY COUNTRY HAD NOT JOINED THE EUROPEAN UNION


10%

31%

37%

22% AGREE VERY MUCH

AGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE VERY MUCH

March 2014 August 2015

35%

65%

41%

59%

Has EU membership helped support living standards?

8 © 2015 Ipsos.

11 7

13 13 14

8 10 7 11 8 8 10 9 9 9 8

3 4

39 32

36 31 30

29 31

26 30

24 30 28

28 26 27

21 29

24

37 46

39 29 29

34 38

46 37

41 40 41

38 42

27 34

49 50

12 15

13 27 27

29 21 22

22 27

23 21

26 23

36 37

18 21

Has EU membership helped support living standards? COUNTRY TREND


PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: THE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR ME AND MY FAMILY IS HIGHER NOW THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF MY COUNTRY HAD NOT JOINED THE EUROPEAN UNION


AGREE VERY MUCH

AGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE VERY MUCH

2015

2014 2015

2014

2015

2014 2015

2014 2015

2014 2015

2014 2015 2014 2015 2014

Great Britain

Poland

Hungary

Germany

Spain

Belgium

France

Italy

Sweden

2015

2014

9 © 2015 Ipsos.

DOES THE EU UNFAIRLY ADVANTAGE MORE DEVELOPED MEMBER STATES? Large majorities of citizens in more economically challenged EU countries feel that the EU gives an advantage to their more economically developed neighbours. Three quarters of Italian citizens agree, as do a similar proportion of Spaniards. However, the majority disagree in Germany and Sweden.

10 © 2015 Ipsos.

Does the EU unfairly advantage the Union’s more developed members?


PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: THE EUROPEAN UNION GIVES AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE TO MORE ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES


18%

39%

32%

11% 19%

40%

31%

11% AGREE VERY MUCH

AGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE VERY MUCH


57%

43%

59%

41%

11 © 2015 Ipsos.

Does the EU unfairly advantage the Union’s more developed members? COUNTRY TREND


PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: THE EUROPEAN UNION GIVES AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE TO MORE ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES


AGREE VERY MUCH

AGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE VERY MUCH

31 27

34 33

22 18

15 10

23 24

15 15

13 17

12 7 8 9

46 44

42 40

41 46

46 42

34 31

42 43

39 39

33 31

33 36

18 23

19 22

33 25 33

40 24 29

29 32

36 33

40 44

44 42

6 6 6 6 4

11 6

8 18

16 14

10 11 11

15 17

15 12

2015

2014 2015

2014

2015

2014 2015

2014 2015

2014 2015

2014 2015 2014 2015 2014

Italy

Spain

Poland

Great Britain

Hungary

France

Belgium

Germany

Sweden

2015

2014

12 © 2015 Ipsos.

HAS EU PRESSURE TO CUT SPENDING DAMAGED MEMBER STATES’ ECONOMIES?

Two thirds say that their country’s economy has been damaged by EU pressure on their governments to cut spending. Eight in ten Italians say their country’s economy has been damaged by EU pressure to implement spending cuts.

13 © 2015 Ipsos.

21%

42%

29%

8%


PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: MY COUNTRY’S ECONOMY HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY EU PRESSURE ON EUROZONE MEMBER GOVERNMENTS TO CUT THEIR SPENDING


24%

39%

29%

9% AGREE VERY MUCH

AGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE VERY MUCH


62%

38%

63%

38%

Has EU pressure to cut spending damaged member states’ economies?

14 © 2015 Ipsos.

42 30

34 27

37 39

28 25

17 13 15

11 19

17 14 17

7 9

39 40

44 48

40 36

48 43

42 51

38 40

32 37

33 38

36 40

14 22

17 20 17 22 20

27 34

30 38 41

31 31

43 29

42 43

5 8 5 5

5 4 4 5

7 6

10 9

17 16

10 16 14

8

Has EU pressure to cut spending damaged member states’ economies? COUNTRY TREND


PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: MY COUNTRY’S ECONOMY HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY EU PRESSURE ON EUROZONE MEMBER GOVERNMENTS TO CUT THEIR SPENDING


AGREE VERY MUCH

AGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE SOMEWHAT

DISAGREE VERY MUCH

2015

2014 2015

2014

2015

2014 2015

2014 2015

2014 2015

2014 2015 2014 2015 2014

Italy

France

Spain

Belgium

Great Britain

Germany

Hungary

Poland

Sweden

2015

2014

15 © 2015 Ipsos.

MORE OR LESS POWER FOR THE EU?

Despite the concerns seen, there has been no increase in support for leaving the EU since 2014 – and in Britain the proportion who want to leave has slightly fallen. France is more in favour of greater integration than in 2014, although both Italy and Spain are now less in favour.

16 © 2015 Ipsos.

19%

19%

11%

32%

18% 19%

21%

15%

29%

17%

More or less power for the EU? IPSOS EUROPEAN PULSE: AUGUST 2015

WORK FOR THE FORMATION OF A SINGLE EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT

STAY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND TRY TO INCREASE THE EUROPEAN UNION’S POWERS

LEAVE THINGS AS THEY ARE

STAY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND TRY TO REDUCE THE EUROPEAN UNION’S POWERS

LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION


PLEASE INDICATE WHAT YOU THINK THE LONG-TERM POLICY OF YOUR COUNTRY SHOULD BE:


17 © 2015 Ipsos.

More or less power for the EU? COUNTRY TREND IPSOS EUROPEAN PULSE: AUGUST 2015



WORK FOR THE FORMATION OF A SINGLE EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT

STAY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND TRY TO INCREASE THE EUROPEAN UNION’S POWERS

LEAVE THINGS AS THEY ARE

STAY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND TRY TO REDUCE THE EUROPEAN UNION’S POWERS

LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION

27 23 24

21 31

27 19

25 24

28 21 22

11 17

9 5

3 5

37 31 30

17 18

13 23

23 17

21 20

26 21

24 13

12 8

8

7 4 7

7 16

16 17

11 6

4 12

7 20

15 25

14 21 18

18 25

17 36

22 29 25 27

30 25

35 33 38

34 30

43 45

40

11 17

22 19

14 16

15 14

23 21

11 12 10 11

23 26

24 28

2015

2014 2015

2014

2015

2014 2015

2014 2015

2014 2015

2014 2015 2014 2015 2014

Hungary

France

Belgium

Germany

Italy

Spain

Poland

Sweden

Great Britain

2015

2014

18 © 2015 Ipsos.

Support for integration stable on average, but shifts at country-level, with big increase in France




40

64

54 49

42 41 41

32 22

11 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Average HU FR BE DE IT ES PL SE GB

Mar-14

Aug-15

% of those saying ‘work towards the formation of a single European government’ or ‘stay in the European Union and increase the European Union’s powers’

19 © 2015 Ipsos.

Technical note IPSOS EUROPEAN PULSE: AUGUST 2015

THESE ARE FINDINGS OF RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY THE GLOBAL RESEARCH COMPANY IPSOS.

RESPONDENTS AGED 16-64 WERE INTERVIEWED VIA THE IPSOS GLOBAL @DVISOR ONLINE PANEL IN BELGIUM, FRANCE, GREAT BRITAIN, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ITALY, POLAND, SPAIN AND SWEDEN BETWEEN JULY 24 - AUGUST 7, 2015. APPROXIMATELY 1000+ INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED ON A COUNTRY BY COUNTRY BASIS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BELGIUM, HUNGARY, POLAND AND SWEDEN WHERE EACH HAVE A SAMPLE APPROXIMATELY 500+.

20 © 2015 Ipsos.

Contacts

Bobby Duffy Managing Director, Ipsos Social Research Instititue [email protected]

Michael Clemence Senior Research Executive, Ipsos Social Research Institute [email protected]

+44 20 3473 3484

Mike Wheeler Senior Research Executive, Ipsos Social Research Institute [email protected]

+44 20 3473 3125

21 © 2015 Ipsos.

ABOUT IPSOS Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry. With a

strong presence in 87 countries, Ipsos employs more

than 16,000 people and has the ability to conduct

research programs in more than 100 countries. Founded

in France in 1975, Ipsos is controlled and managed by

research professionals. They have built a solid Group

around a multi-specialist positioning – Media and

advertising research; Marketing research; Client and

employee relationship management; Opinion & social

research; Mobile, Online, Offline data collection and

delivery.

Ipsos is listed on Eurolist - NYSE-Euronext. The company

is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is

eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg

IPS:FP

www.ipsos.com

GAME CHANGERS At Ipsos we are passionately curious about people, markets, brands and society. We deliver information and analysis that makes our complex world easier and faster to navigate and inspires our clients to make smarter decisions. We believe that our work is important. Security, simplicity, speed and substance applies to everything we do. Through specialisation, we offer our clients a unique depth of knowledge and expertise. Learning from different experiences gives us perspective and inspires us to boldly call things into question, to be creative. By nurturing a culture of collaboration and curiosity, we attract the highest calibre of people who have the ability and desire to influence and shape the future. “GAME CHANGERS” - our tagline - summarises our ambition.

ipsos european pulse august 2015 - views on the eu

News & Politics