A Source of Stability? German and European Public Opinion in Times of Political Polarisation

Background information:

The Eurozone crisis has pushed reform of the European Union (EU) to the forefront of political debate. How can a Union of 28 states with a population of over half a billion be reformed to weather future economic crises and political challenges? Finding an answer to this question is extremely difficult not only because current reform proposals are so varied, but even more so because we lack insights into the preferences for reform amongst national elites and publics.

Although EU support has interested scholars for over three decades now, we virtually know nothing about public support for EU reform. Current research focuses almost exclusively on the causes of support for the current project and fails to provide a sufficient basis for effective reform decisions. Surely, the feasibility and sustainability of EU reform crucially hinges on the support amongst national publics. eupinions examines public support for EU reform by developing a theoretical model and employing cutting-edge data collection techniques. Our findings will aid policy makers to craft EU reform proposals that can secure widespread public support.

Summary:

While many political systems in Europe are under assault of populist challengers, German politics seemingly has been a source of stability. This eupinions report takes a closer look at the contours of German public opinion. It presents two key sets of information. First, it summarizes how the average German citizen thinks about the state of both national and European politics and compares these views to opinions of citizens in the rest of Europe. Second, it outlines differences between Germans who self-identify as left, centre-left, centre-right and right politically.

• Primary Source

Politico, 06.09.17: Most citizens not happy with EU but still want to stay in: study http://www.politico.eu/article/most-citizens-not-happy-with-eu-but-still-want-to-stay-in-study/

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