The French are the most pessimistic Europeans about the EU, according to a survey

According to Eurobarometer, a major survey on the European elections, the French stand out for their pessimism and a more negative image of the EU than its neighbors.

The European elections take place in two months, but do you know the date? It will be June 9th. If you didn’t answer correctly, don’t worry, you are not alone. In any case, this is what the Eurobarometer reveals, a major survey commissioned by the European Parliament and which has just been published on Wednesday April 17.

In this major opinion survey on a European scale, where more than 26,000 people were questioned, including just over a thousand in our country, the French stand out on several points. First, only 8% of those questioned know that the vote in France will take place on Sunday June 9. Nearly a third of respondents in our country, however, say they have no idea when the election will be held. This is more than the average of European voters, where a little more than a quarter do not know the date.

Great French mistrust of the EU

The French are the most pessimistic Europeans about the future of the European Union and the only country of the 27 where the optimists are in the minority (42%), overtaken by the pessimists (52%). This trend seems to be increasing in recent years, including among some of our neighbors. In Germany, for example, optimists remain in the majority but pessimism is gaining ground. More generally, the French have a less good image of the EU and its institutions than the inhabitants of the 26 other countries.

And yet, this same poll shows that the French are ready to go to the polls. A large majority (67%) say they are ready to vote to renew the European Parliament. This estimated participation rate is up compared to the last European elections in 2019, even if here too it is below compared to our neighbors’ intentions to vote.

The impact of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza

The international context is particularly important since more than 80% of those questioned believe that the war in Ukraine but also the conflict in Gaza make this European vote even more important. Moreover, according to the barometer, defense and security should be the EU’s number one priority in the years to come, even though defense is not entirely a European competence today.

Among the other very strong concerns of French voters that emerge from this poll, we find the fight against poverty, the fight against climate change and public health. Agricultural policy, from which France benefits greatly, comes in fourth position.