Report
The EU, despite everything? European public opinion in the face of crisis (2005–2015)
This Study by Daniel Debomy painstakingly stresses for which issues and to what extent EU citizens have been able to change their opinion on the EU over this “decade of crises”.
Controversies concerning the draft treaty establishing a constitution for Europe, conflicts related to the Eurozone crisis, and tensions resulting from the refugee crisis have not only fuelled an intense public debate in most EU Member States, but have also given rise to many impressionistic and alarmist comments that need to be put into perspective on the basis of sound data and robust and substantiated analyses.
This is the great merit of the Study conducted by Daniel Debomy, a renowned specialist in the analysis of European public opinion trends who, on the basis of the valuable Eurobarometer surveys, painstakingly stresses for which issues and to what extent EU citizens have been able to change their opinion on the EU over this “decade of crises”.
1. One of the first political lessons of this Study is that citizens’ perception of their country’s membership to the EU and the benefits it enjoys from this membership remained positive throughout the period, and was even more positive in 2015 than in 2005 in a significant proportion of Member States.
2. The second political lesson is that the EU’s image and the level of trust that its citizens express in it were, however, subject to a sharp decline between 2005 and 2015.
3. The third political lesson is to stress that what has stood out in public debate on the EU in the last decade is not so much its democratic deficit, or the traditional split between Brussels and the people but much more a divide between peoples of the EU, which is just as important a challenge for the champions and practitioners of European construction.
This is one more reason to hope that European and national authorities and additionally all citizens involved in public debate on the EU may consider and debate Daniel Debomy’s Study, in order to formulate analyses and initiatives based on more solid political and democratic foundations.
SUR LE MÊME THÈME
ON THE SAME THEME
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ÉVÉNEMENTS
EVENTS
Jacques Delors Conference: The Promise of Europe [FR]

Mardi du Grand Continent : How to interpret the results of the first round? [FR]

Conference TEDx Lannion | Europe with 3-Ds [FR]

Euroquestions | Représentation et participation : réinventer la démocratie en Europe

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Conférence
CEPS Ideas Lab

Paris, 17th October 2019 – Pew Research Center Conference: the Value of Europe

Aix-en-Provence, 27th of September 2019 – European elections 2019: what impact on the European Union?

Budapest, 10 to 14 July – Budapest European Agora

Paris, 21 June 2019 – Session 8: Europe of the Futur

Deauville, 27 April 2019 — Deauville Days : The future of Europe

Nice, 24 April 2019 — A new horizon for Europe : Renaissance public meeting

Paris, 19 February 2019 – Democracy in Europe: Interference and misinformation at the dawn of the European elections

Paris, 8 February 2019 – Session n°4 of the Académie Notre Europe : Europe of democracy

Arras, 16 November 2018 – European challenges 2018: being European, history, culture and citizenship

Paris, 13 novembre 2018 – Quel rôle pour l’économie sociale dans le futur de l’Europe ?

Paris, 7 September 2018 – Model European Union Paris

Paris, 11 July 2018 – Citizen consultation : what is Europe purpose?

Paris, 20 June 2018 – Future Europe

Prague, 19 June 2018 – Europe of Citizens? Public Perceptions of the EU and its Reform

Paris, 6 June 2018 – Fact-finding mission on Europe “Achieve the democratic refounding process”

Strasbourg, 1st June 2018 – Europe on trial: Who’s to blame for the break-up?

Paris, 18 May 2018 – One Vision: Awaken the European spirit

Freiburg, 26 April 2018 – 11th Franco-German cultural meetings

Madrid, 10 April 2018 – Europe through Spain and France’s eyes

Paris, 9 March 2018 – Académie: Democracy in Europe

London, 16 February 2018 – Reconnecting the EU with its Citizens

Paris, 7 February 2018 – 59th Europartenaires Club
