Support for EU membership above 80% in most member states amid Brexit mess
Czech republic and Italy are most inclined to leave EU other than Britain – but still want to stay by large margin
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Your support makes all the difference.Support for remaining in the EU stands at well over 80 per cent in the majority of member states, a new continent-wide poll has found – with Britain’s political crisis apparently a poor advert for leaving.
The survey by Kantar asked people how they would vote in an in-out referendum and found that Luxembourg (94 per cent), Portugal (92 per cent), Ireland (91 per cent), and the Netherlands (91 per cent) had the highest support for EU membership out of the 28 countries in the bloc.
Apart from the UK the highest level of support for leaving was in the Czech Republic, where 66 per cent supported Remain and 34 per cent Leave. Italy was close behind as the next most Eurosceptic country, with 72 per cent Remain and 28 per cent Leave. Austria and France were the third and fourth most Eurosceptic.
Every country bar the Czech Republic had more than 70 per cent in favour of Remain, with about two-thirds showing support of more than 80 per cent.
Where older figures are available for comparison, the poll generally shows substantial moves in favour of EU membership. In Estonia Remain has broadened the gap by 12 per cent since the last poll in September, while Italy’s gap has widened by 14 per cent.
The poll has the state of opinion in the UK on 55 per cent Remain and 45 per cent Leave, roughly in line with other voting-intention polls – which has shown a moderate shift to Remain since Brexit talks went south.
The results will disappoint Brexiteers, some of whom had predicted a “domino effect” of other countries leaving the EU after Britain, and the disintegration of the European project.
But with Britain’s departure going less smoothly than planned, no other countries appear to be rushing towards the exit door.
Other than Brexit, support for the EU may be growing because of the easing of austerity across the continent, and a growing distance between the present and the peak of the eurozone crisis.
Paradoxically, the high levels of support for EU membership come ahead of European parliament elections next month where Eurosceptic and populist parties are expected to make gains.
EU leaders are set to hold a summit next month in Sibiu, Romania, where they will unveil their plans for the future of the union and ideas to renew it.
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