An overwhelming number of
Austrians -- four out of five -- are opposed to the enlargement of the European
Union, an opinion poll
carried out by a national newspaper here revealed on Thursday. The poll, carried
out by Die Presse shortly after the collapse of talks in
In
its report, Cetelem surveyed more than 5,000 people in seven EU countries -
A majority of Norwegians are
against the European Union membership, according to a new poll by MMI, reports Nationen. Some 44 percent
of those questioned were against joining the EU, while 40 percent would support
it. (EUobserver.com
23.12.2003)
NEARLY 90 per cent of
consumers in
A
new poll in the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter has revealed that
opposition to the euro has grown even further in the aftermath of the
rejectionist referendum in September. The
TEMO poll for the paper shows that 59 percent would now vote no, with just 38
percent saying they would vote yes. The
poll also shows that support for
Support
for the Swedish yes-to-EMU campaign
continues to fall as the referendum date - 14 September - approaches. July polls
confirm the trend towards a no vote, with the no camp ahead by 20 points, according to the most recent
A
staggering 88% of British people would like to see a referendum on the new
European constitution according to poll
results released today. The results of the UK-wide ICM poll, done on behalf of
the Daily Mail, coincided with the conservative paper's own ‘referendum’
which asked: "Do you think the final decision should be put to a referendum
of the British people." Out of the 1.7 million people that responded to the
Mail's referendum, 90% said that they wanted to have a say on the new
constitution. A similar result was obtained from the ICM poll – out of almost
55,000 people surveyed, 88% said they wanted a referendum on the issue.
"The ICM poll completely validates the results returned by the Daily Mail's
groundbreaking exercise," said Joe Steafel, Executive Editor of the Daily
Mail. He added: "The message for Tony Blair is clear. The overwhelming
majority of people in
If people are forced to choose between
leaving the EU or joining the euro,
in the way that pro-euro campaigners argue, then support for leaving the
EU increases sharply, and people would
vote to leave the EU by 48-44 per
cent - this represents a substantial change over the past year. (“No”
Campaign
Most Britons regard
Three separate polls this week showed anti-euro sentiment at a one-year high. A poll for Credit Suisse First Boston found the public 56 - 32 against joining the euro in the next three years - the most anti-euro since the regular poll began a year ago. The Sunday Times monthly "euro monitor" poll found that the percentage saying they want to join immediately has fallen to 14 percent, again the lowest since their survey began this time last year. Finally, a third new poll from Salomon Smith Barney also found the lowest level of support for the euro since the launch of notes and coins. Voters would split 56 - 34 against joining even if the Government strongly urged joining. ("No" campaign bulletin 12/2/03)
Public and business opposition increases. MORI's regular "Captains of Industry" poll asked 160 Chief Executives of Britain's 500 largest companies whether they support the principle of Britain joining the euro, and found that 50 percent were opposed, while only 42 percent supported joining. The poll shows how far business opinion has turned against the euro. In 1998 the same poll found business leaders 72-21 in favour. ICM's monthly poll for the Guardian - the first to be taken this year - found that the public opposed entry by 62-31. This is the highest level of opposition since July 2001. ("No" campaign bulletin 23/1/03)
More than two thirds of Britons would vote to keep the pound if there was an immediate referendum, while less than a fifth actually want the euro, according to research published today. The poll, commissioned by FX Currency Services, was first conducted in June last year and the latest findings show that support for the pound has increased over the past six months. Donald Mackenzie, of FX Currency Services, said: "The horror stories that have emerged from the Continent during 2002 about the drastic inflationary price rises on many services have made more and more people nervous of the UK going into the euro. "As consumers have taken trips into the eurozone, they have believed, often fairly, that domestic businesses have used conversion as an opportunity to increase prices." The poll found that support for the pound is highest in the South-East, where nearly 70 per cent of people are against the euro, compared with 56 per cent in the previous survey. The Scots are the most enthusiastic about joining the euro, yet still only a quarter are keen to replace the pound with the single currency. The poll was conducted by RSGB Taylor Nelson Sofres on behalf of FX Currency Services among a representative sample of 2,000 people. (Telegraph 17/01/2003 )
62 percent say no to the euro. The British Chambers of Commerce this week released a poll of their members which found that 62 percent do not want to join the euro, even if the Government says the five tests have been met. The poll confirms the findings of an ICM poll of businesses for the no campaign in September 2002, which found that 66 percent of businesses believe that Britain should keep the pound and only 20 percent want to join the euro in this Parliament. ("No" Bulletin 9/1/03)
A recommendation by the government to back euro entry would cut little ice with voters, according to a poll by Barclays Capital. Of those polled, 47 per cent would not vote for monetary union even if the government endorsed it; 37 per cent would vote in favour if ministers said the five economic tests had been met. The hardening of anti-euro sentiment had occurred mainly among Labour voters. "This could reflect a reduction in their belief in the government's economic competency following the publication of worse than expected borrowing figures," said Nick Verdi, an economist at Barclays Capital. (Financial Times December 18, 2002)
The public remains overwhelmingly opposed to Britain joining Europe's single currency, the latest poll shows. With the government struggling to win round hostile public opinion to ditching the pound, the findings of the latest polls suggest the promised euro referendum will not be held anytime soon. The monthly Eurotrack survey from Barclays Capital indicated a slight increase in anti-euro sentiment in November. A net 32 percent of respondents said they would vote against replacing the pound with the euro if a referendum were held today, up slightly from 31 percent in October. If the government gave the thumbs-up to the five economic tests it says must be passed before the referendum can be held, a net seven percent would still vote against joining up, unchanged from the previous month. But the cumulative percentage of respondents who would vote to join the euro at some point in the next ten years fell to 51 percent from 54 percent in October, the lowest turnout in the history of the poll. "All of this shows that the tide of public opinion is still very much against UK membership of the single currency," Barclays said. (LONDON Reuters 28/11/02)
The European Union is preparing for a historic expansion east and south, with its leaders scheduled to issue invitations at a December summit to as many as 10 countries that the group says meet its requirements for democracy, free markets, human rights and rule of law. But while governments trumpet the benefits of EU membership and eagerly await formal invitations, most are finding their populations only lukewarm to the idea. For now, public opinion polls show that only four of the 10 countries have a clear majority of citizens in favor of joining. The poll results are even more striking when viewed country by country. Hungary emerges as by far the most pro-EU of the 10 aspirants, with 65 percent of those polled saying EU membership is a good thing. But the number is 52 percent in Poland, 43 percent in the Czech Republic, 41 percent in Slovenia, 38 percent in Malta, 35 percent in Estonia and 32 percent in Latvia. The reasons for ambivalence vary. Some people fear rising prices, others fear waves of foreign goods and still others fear an erosion of national sovereignty so soon after the end of Soviet domination. And 57 years the defeat of Nazi Germany, many people worry that EU membership will open the doors to Germans to dominate their countries economically. (9 Nov 2002 Washington Post)
According to the mid-range in the Reuters survey of 41 economists, the chances of Britain entering EMU by the end of 2004 were at five percent, at 20 percent by the end of 2005 and at 35 percent by the end of 2006. The survey taken October 14-16 showed a drop in expectations for Britain entering EMU from the previous July survey, when average probabilities were also less than 50 percent. "There is no opinion poll evidence to show that Britain is less hostile to EMU," said Peter von Maydell at CSFB in London on Wednesday. "Pundits said these polls would swing in favour of the euro once they went on holiday this summer and handled it themselves. In fact people became more hostile after." An ICM public opinion poll released in September showed that 66 percent believe Britain should keep the pound and only 31 percent believed it should be exchanged for the euro. (Reuters UK 16 Oct 2002)
The proportion of UK exporters supporting British membership of the euro has fallen below 50% for the first time since the cash launch of the currency, a survey has suggested. "The introduction of the euro on the continent eight months ago gave a positive boost to UK business views of the currency, but this has now waned," said David Coles, managing director of DHL UK, which conducted the survey. (BBC News 4 September, 2002)
Barclays Capital's regular monthly euro poll out this week showed support for the euro down again. The poll found people would vote 49-36 against joining even if the tests were met - the joint worst result since the poll started. Commenting on the poll, a Barclays Capital spokesman said, "Familiarity with euro notes and coins has not had a positive impact on sentiment towards the single currency. Indeed, the reverse appears to be true" ("No" Campaign Bulletin 23/8/02)
A new poll commissioned by Credit Suisse First Boston showed support for euro entry fell to its lowest level since their regular poll began at the start of the year. This is despite 35 percent of people now having used the euro. 55 percent do not want to join any time in the next three years. A separate report from investment bank Salomon Smith Barney suggests that experience of price rises during holidays in the Eurozone may be hardening opinion against euro entry. ("No" campaign 1/8/02)
This week saw the launch of a new anti-euro campaign group by over 30 MPs in the Parliamentary Labour Party - Labour Against the Euro. The group will campaign against any attempt by the Government to join the euro in this Parliament. The group, chaired by Glasgow MP Ian Davidson, also includes former Minister for Sport Kate Hoey, Alan Howarth, Diane Abbott, Gwyneth Dunwoody, Frank Field and Jon Cruddas - a former advisor to the Prime Minister.The group was launched as a new poll by the no campaign showed that 75 percent of Labour voters do not want to replace the pound in this Parliament. The poll also showed that 20 percent of Labour voters would consider voting for another party at the next election if the Prime Minister made it clear he was in favour of replacing the pound. Such a swing against Labour could cost the Government over 100 seats at the next election. ("No" bulletin 11/4/02)
There was further evidence of the decline in support for the euro since the start of the year in an NOP poll this week for Channel 4's Powerhouse. The poll showed that 39 per cent would vote to join if a referendum were held now, but 61 per cent would vote against. In January the same question put support for the single currency at 42 per cent, with 52 per cent against. This is a 12 point increase in the 'no' lead since January. The Mirror decided not to put the poll on the front page this time. Also this week a new ICM poll showed 29 percent would vote to join while 56 percent would vote not to join. The ICM poll, unlike the NOP poll, asks a completely straightforward "referendum-style" question, with just two choices. The NOP poll gives people 4 choices. A rule of thumb in polling is that, broadly speaking, the more choices on offer, the closer the result of any sort of poll is to 50-50. ("No" Bulletin 23/5/02)
The European Commission's latest Eurobarometer survey, publisehd 100 days after new euro notes and coins began circulating, shows 74 percent believe the changeover meant prices were converted to consumers' disadvantage. A breakdown showed the feeling was strongest in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Ireland. That is not only up from the 67 per cent reported earlier this year, but it is also higher than the proportion who feared abuse and cheating on prices in November 2001, ahead of the switch to euro cash. Germans are also becoming more dissatisfied now that the euro has replaced the deutschmark, with 49 per cent unhappy that the euro is now their national currency, a rise of nearly 10 percentage points since the start of this year, the poll said. (Irish Times 11 April 2002)
A band of Labour MPs have launched a new campaign group against the euro to up pressure on Tony Blair to delay holding a referendum on Britain adopting the currency. Thirty-four MPs and peers, including former Chancellor Denis Healey and ex-minister Frank Field, formed Labour Against the Euro (LATE) on Wednesday. The group argues a new opinion poll suggests Labour could lose 111 seats if Tony Blair made it clear he wanted Britain to replace the pound with the euro soon. LATE brings together Labour figures who want to ensure there is no euro referendum until after the next general election but who would campaign against entry if there was. Chairman Ian Davidson, MP for Glasgow Pollok, told BBC News Online: "There is a substantial body of Labour parliamentary opinion which believes the time is not right to join the euro, that the economics are all wrong at the moment." joining the euro could jeapardise investment in schools and hospitals because it would impose limits on spending and borrowing. The opinion poll, conducted by ICM for the No Campaign and unveiled at LATE's launch, suggests 19% of Labour voters would not vote for the party if the government favoured joining "in the near future". Of the 500 people questioned, 55% thought Britain should not join before the next election but said they were open minded on the issue, compared to 22% wanting to join in this Parliament. The euro was ranked joint bottom of a list of 11 priorities in the survey - with only 3% seeing it as a priority, compared to 88% for the NHS, 61% for education and 41% for crime. (BBC-on-line News 10/4/02)
Support for the euro among Germans has dropped to 38 per cent, according to a new public opinion poll published by Financial Times Deutschland. In December, shortly before the euro replaced German marks, German support for the euro was at the same low level but rose shortly to 49 per cent in January in a first enthusiastic public interest for the new currency. (EUobserver.com 20/3/02)
According to a poll conducted by ITV’s Jonathan Dimbleby programme together with the Social Market Foundation, a political think-tank, 59 per cent of MPs across all parties support the euro (and, presumably, Britain’s membership of it) but only 46 per cent would vote in favour if there was a referendum tomorrow. Even so, they are out of agreement with the country’s population. Recent opinion polls have shown that well over 60 per cent oppose Britain’s entry into EMU and the scrapping of the pound sterling. 39 per cent of MPs oppose the entry and 2 per cent, curiously, remain undecided. Opinion differs between parties. 73 per cent of backbench Labour MPs are in favour of the euro with 27 per cent against. However, if there were a referendum tomorrow, only 56 per cent said that they would vote in favour. 38 per cent would vote against and 6 per cent are undecided on the most important issue facing the country. More than half of the Labour backbench MPs want a referendum before the next election, though it is not clear whether that would change their minds as to how to vote. Among the Conservatives, 81 per cent of MPs oppose Britain’s entry into the euro and 16 per cent are in favour. If there was a referendum tomorrow, 80 per cent would vote no. 86 per cent of the Liberal-Democrat MPs are pro-euro and 9 per cent against, with the others undecided. (EUobserver.com 11/3/02)
ICM poll for the no campaign this week shows a rise in opposition to the euro, a ten percent swing against the euro since the same question was asked in January. The poll found that if there were a referendum 60 percent would vote no and just 27 percent yes. This is a swing of 10 percent since January, when 53 percent said they would vote no and 30 percent yes. This straightforward poll question has been asked 47 times since 1992. This week's result, 60-27 against, is exactly the average result of the last ten years. ("No" Campaign bulletin 7 February 2002)
"In a recent ICM survey for the Foreign Office, a third of respondents reckoned they were reasonably well informed to very well on the subject". [issue on the affairs of the EU]. She highlights that one quarter of the respondents did not even know that Britain is even a member of the EU and one in every 15 questioned thought that the USA was a member of the EU. (Western Morning News 21 Jan, 2002.)
A poll, commissioned for the Wall Street Journal, has found that of the 8 Eurozone countries surveyed, only in Belgium and Italy is there a majority in favour of the euro. In France, where approval of monetary union barely made it through a 1992 referendum, 62 percent said they would prefer to keep using the franc if they had any choice in the matter, and only 32 percent would prefer to use the new currency. In Germany, where the decision to join was made without a referendum, 57 percent said they would keep the mark if they could, while 23 percent said they preferred the euro. In a separate question in the UK, 57 percent say the euro should "never" replace the pound. (Wall Street Journal Europe, 11 December 2001).
A poll this week of small and medium sized businesses for accountancy firm Grant Thornton found that 63 percent of businesses opposed joining the euro. Only 37 percent wanted to join (FT, 10 December 2001)
A poll for Barclays Capital shows that 60 percent of the public would vote "no" if a referendum was held tomorrow, and only 25 percent "yes", with just 10 percent undecided. This is the standard finding of polls over the last three years. However, contrary to the widespread assumption that most voters are undecided or could be fairly easily persuaded to support the euro, the poll also found that the "no" vote is deeply entrenched, with 44 percent of those saying they will vote "no" claiming nothing would persuade them to vote "yes". The poll also knocked down the euro-lobby's two current strategies - an attempt to use Tony Blair's current standing to boost their campaign, and their hope that the launch of euro notes and coins will move public opinion in Britain. 80 percent say their voting intentions are unchanged by Prime Minister's handling of the crisis, with only 9 percent saying it would make them more likely to accept a recommendation by him to join the euro and 7 percent saying it would make them less likely. Increasing familiarity with euro notes and coins is also unlikely to make a significant difference. Only 6 percent of "no" voters say that this might persuade them to change their minds. ("No" bulletin 6/12/01)
The British electorate remains steadfast in its opposition to dropping the pound for the euro, according to the British Social Attitudes Survey, the annual large-scale survey of the country's views. Although opposition to the euro has eased marginally since 1997, a mere 16 per cent believe the pound should be replaced by the single currency, and even among declared Labour and Liberal Democrat supporters, only a minority of 42 per cent support such a move. With the prime minister making the case for the euro more forcibly in recent weeks, the study says that Tony Blair may have neutralised the issue politically by the promise of a referendum. However, at present such a referendum "is unlikely to lead to the acceptance of the euro - even among Labour voters". Europe may yet prove a powerful political tool for the Conservative party, the study suggests, with the Conservatives' stance much closer to the public mood. The survey finds that the mistrust in politicians which surfaced during the last Conservative government has not been dissipated by Labour. Only 11 per cent trust politicians to tell the truth most of the time when in a tight corner. Back in 1974, almost 40 per cent of those surveyed trusted the government to put the country's needs above those of their party "most of the time" - a figure that by 2000 had fallen to 16 per cent, or fewer than two out of 10. There are, however, few signs that other forms of political action are replacing voting. There has been a relatively small rise in the numbers going on demonstrations, but participants are more likely to vote. . British Social Attitudes: The 18th Report, Sage Publishing. : (The Financial Times 26/11/01)
An ICM poll (conducted over Wednesday 31 October - Thursday 1 November) of attitudes towards the euro post 11 September. It showed that opposition to the euro is hardening after 11 September, that the public think it more important that we keep control, and they realise Britain is doing fine outside the euro and we have higher priorities. The ICM poll of attitudes asked people to choose between two options: (a) "the British economy is too small to survive outside the euro, therefore it should be a high priority to replace the pound"; 17% agree (b) "the British economy is doing fine outside the euro and we should focus on more important issues like the NHS". 74% agree. ("NO" Bulletin 8/11/01)
Results of survey among applicant countries presented at the Central European Opinion Research Group (CEORG) conference in Brussels unveiled that the majority of citizens from applicant countries are convinced of notable increases in energy, food and land prices once they join the EU. According to those polled, security measures tightened imposed since 11 September do not threaten civil rights. Will EU membership lead to less unemployment? 33 per cent of Polish respondents believe that EU membership will lead to a remarkable fall in unemployment while 27 per cent expect a notable rise. When asked the same question 30.8 per cent of Hungarians and 12.6 per cent Czechs think unemployment will decline, whilst 26.2 per cent of Hungarians and 29.4 of Czechs foresee the opposite. Similar concerns are shared by the citizens of other applicant countries. Those who are most sure that social security contributions will decline after joining the EU are Slovenians (half of those polled) and Romanians (59.1 per cent). (EUobserver.com 23/11/01)
An ICM poll of 1000 Chief Executives for the no campaign (the first business poll since the election) shows that two-thirds of businesses want to keep the pound and that most think joining the euro would be bad for the British economy. Overall, businesses think the euro would bring higher employment costs (62 - 13); higher taxes (68 - 13); higher inflation (55 - 20); higher unemployment (52 - 21); higher interest rates (51 - 31); and more regulation (75 - 2). Even the euro voters believe the euro would bring higher employment costs (46 - 20); higher taxes (46 - 20); and more regulation (54 - 3). 77 percent say the decision would make no difference to their company's future investment decisions, 16 percent say they would be more likely to invest if Britain keeps the pound, 7 percent say they would be less likely. 73 percent believe that stable British interest rates are more important for their business than a fixed pound / euro exchange rate.("No" bulletin 30/8/01)
Never have so many Norwegians said No to EU membership, according to Norwegian paper Nationen. 56,7 per cent would vote against, and even in Oslo, which has always been the Yes center of the country there is now a majority against membership. The most negative groups are - young people under 30, of whom 59 per cent would say No, while all older groups have a No majority of 56 per cent - women, of whom 63 per cent say No - people living in the countryside, of whom no less than 75 per cent would say No. Since Nationen started its opinion poll in co-operation with Sentio-Norsk Statistikk in March 2000, the number of No votes has never been higher. In comparison, only 41 per cent would have voted No in June 2000. (EUobserver.com 08.07.2001)
The latest Eurobarometer poll finds that Eurozone citizens are increasingly concerned about the introduction of the euro. 62 percent of citizens are worried about the external value of the euro against the dollar and 62 percent disagree with the statement that the euro will create jobs. Only 14 percent are aware of the changeover timetable. The concerns are greatest in Germany. 75 percent of Germans are worried about the external value of the euro against the dollar while 73 percent disagree with the statement that the euro will create jobs. Only four percent of Germans are aware of the changeover timetable (Eurobarometer, 25 June 2001).
An opinion poll conducted in all the 15 nations of the European Union has found that most Europeans either don't know or don't care about what their leaders call the union's historic challenges - the introduction of the euro notes and coins, and the expansion into Central and Eastern Europe. Some 78% say they are not well informed about the Union's eastward expansion, and a staggering 87% feel uninvolved in the political debate about its pros and cons. The Eurobarometer poll, conducted in March and April, also showed there is continuing confusion about which countries are candidates to join the EU. And some Italians who consider themselves well-informed actually think that the UK is also a candidate country, although it joined in 1973. With only six months to go before the introduction of the euro notes and coins, only 20% of Europeans know the exact value of their currency against the euro, and many believe it will also be used in Britain, Denmark and Sweden, which have opted out of the euro-zone. And, with high levels of ignorance about enlargement and apathy about European matters in Ireland, it will be an uphill struggle to reverse last month's rejection of the Treaty of Nice by Irish voters, which threatens to block enlargement altogether. (BBC News on-line 2 July, 2001)
The opinion polls show a majority of Poles, 55%, still in favour of joining the EU but the numbers of those opposed is at 30% and rising. Two thirds of Poles were unable, when asked, to give any reason why Poland should join the EU. Meanwhile, unemployment continues to rise in Poland while subsidised EU agricultural exports are destroying local production. Public opinion was also shocked when Brussels classified Poland as being dangerous for BSE, even though there have been no cases of mad cow disease or even of foot and mouth disease in Poland at all. Now of course, the German and Austrian demand for a seven-year transitional period before Poles will have the right to go and work in the EU is making them even less keen on EU membership. A spokesman for the chief negotiator has, for the time being, flatly refused to consider accepting such a transitional period because, says Warsaw, it is an infringement of citizens’ rights. [Gerhard Gnauck, Die Welt, 15th May 2001]
Support for EU membership is declining in Slovenia, a country which has always glittered in euro-eyes as a fast-track candidate. In a poll released on 8th May, only 49% of Slovenes now say that they support EU integration, while 27% would vote against it. 24% remain undecided. Only 40% of those polled are persuaded that Slovenia would benefit from EU membership, while 29% believe that the EU will damage Slovene interests. 44% believe that Slovenia has not safeguarded its own interests in negotiations; 34% think those interests have been defended. Although the sample for these polls is small (just over 500) it is the third or fourth which suggests that support for EU membership in Slovenia is now under 50%. Last year, the figure was around 60%. [STA Slovene News Agency, 9th May 2001; BBC Monitoring, 9th May 2001]
According to a poll, made for Nationen by Sentio-Norstat, 56 per cent of Norwegians would vote No to EU membership in April, and only 35 per cent would vote Yes. The highest No percentages are found among young women with a short education living in the countryside. However, the group of under-thirties as such has the highest No score. Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, leader of No to EU, feels comfortable with the stable No majority. According to him, the Danish No to the Euro is, in conjuction with the animal diseases, the most important reason that the Norwegians do not want to join the Union. (EUobserver.com 7/5/01)
THE majority of British people want the country to leave the European Union, according to a new poll, commissioned as part of a multi-million-pound campaign for a referendum on the issue. The poll, commissioned by Yorkshire tycoon Paul Sykes s British Democracy Campaign, found 52 per cent of the public want to come out of the EU, and more than 70 per cent want a referendum on continued membership. And 75 per cent of the public said they had not been given enough information about membership of the EU. (Yorkshire Post 5/4/01)
A poll by Institut fur Demoskopie Allensbach, the German opinion research firm, has found that 73 per cent of the German public have "little" or "scarcely any" confidence in the euro. The proportion has risen from only 50 per cent in January 1999. Ex-Finance Minister Hans Apel declared: "We should be like Britain and keep out of the euro. We have no worries with the Mark - let's keep it that way" (The Sun, 5 April 2001)
An opinion poll in today's Nationen, a daily Norwegian newspaper, shows a clear majority among Norwegians in favour of remaining outside the European Union. The people of Norway have on several previous occasions rejected European Union membership. Today's figures do not look promising for anyone desiring a further referendum on Norwegian entry into the EU. As of today 56.2 per cent of the people of Norway rejects membership of the European Union while only 35.6 per cent come out in favour. The figures reveal a significant recent increase among the 'no' camp in Norway. So while the new democracies of the East are queuing up to join the European Union the people of Norway seem to agree with the people of Switzerland that the future looks safer by reaming on the outside. Swiss membership of the European Union was just recently rejected in a national referendum. (EUobserver.com 2/4/01)
YOUNG Britons are the most Eurosceptic of any European nation, according to research. Only one quarter define themselves as European, and they display a more ardent patriotism than young people in France, Germany and Italy. They are also more worried about political union than their counterparts in other countries. The survey, Generation Europe, is published today in Time magazine. It compared the attitudes of more than 1,000 people aged 21-35 in four European countries. The survey found that British young people are far more cautious than other Europeans about giving up their national identity, with most considering themselves as "British" first. (The Times March 26, 2001)
Federation of Small Businesses - Annual Conference - Motion 3 This Conference calls upon her Majesty's Government to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act and all subsequent Acts relating to the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union. Block votes For 68% Single votes For 73% (24/3/01 http://www.fsb.org.uk)
One Swedish voter out of three would like to leave the EU immediately, while 58 per cent want to stay in at the moment, says a fresh opinion poll made by Demoskop for the paper Finanstidningen. The same poll shows that the majority against joining the Euro is again growing. Only 25 per cent think that EU membership has been an advantage for their country. (EUobserver.com10/3/01)
Switzerland overwhelmingly rejected early membership of the European Union by a margin of nearly four to one in a national referendum on Sunday, writes the Times. Few people expected the country, traditionally eurosceptical, to vote "Yes" to EU membership, but the extent to which people voted "No" has astonished many. The "Yes to Europe" proposal - which had been petition for by a private group of pro-European campaigners - was rejected by 77 to 23 per cent. Not one of the country's 26 cantons voted in favour of the proposal. "It's an absolutely brutal defeat," declared Rüdi Baumann, president of the Green party and one of the proponents of the referendum initiative. (EUobserver.com 5/3/01)
MOST voters are opposed to spending money on preparing to join the euro, a poll has shown. Anti-euro campaigners say vital cash for the NHS is being wasted on the national changeover plan. Almost three-quarters of voters, 70 per cent, said money should not be spent preparing for euro entry before a referendum has been held. The ICM poll of 1,000 adults, commissioned by Business for Sterling and New Europe groups, also revealed that only 22 per cent were in favour of joining the euro, while 59 per cent wanted Britain to stay in Europe but keep the pound. (Daily Telegraph 24/2/01)
The new Mori poll finds: 50% would vote to leave the European Union if they could be assured that our free trade with the EU would continue even if we left it. 13% were "don't knows" and only 37% would vote to stay in. 60% would vote to leave the EU if the UK was forced to give up the pound in order to stay in the EU. 10% were "don't knows", and only 30% would vote to stay in the EU. 84% felt that politicians have not given out enough information to let the public decide whether the UK should remain in the EU or not. Details on: http://www.mori.com (Global Britain 13/2/01)
Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has played down a poll which suggests seven out of 10 voters are against scrapping the pound and joining the euro. The survey of 1,000 people carried out by ICM for the BBC also suggests that only half the country believes Britain should remain in the European Union. (BBC News-on-Line1/2/01)
Only a tiny minority - 18 per cent - think that Britain has lost out by keeping the pound. 50 per cent think it has made no difference, and 23 per cent think Britain has benefited. In response to the question "If there were to be a referendum tomorrow, would you vote to stay in the European Union or vote to leave the European Union?", the public would vote to stay in by 55 per cent to 32 per cent. This strong opposition to the euro is despite the fact that the public is unaware of Britain's economic advantages. Only 35 per cent realise that unemployment in Europe is higher than in Britain and only 26 per cent realise European taxes are higher than Britain's. The average estimate is that Britain is the world's seventh largest economy when in fact it is the fourth. ("No" bulletin - The ICM poll, commissioned by Business for Sterling11/1/01)
British exporters would prefer to see the United Kingdom join the North Atlantic Free Trade Area, than be in the European Union. That was the finding made from a survey undertaken by Export Times and Euler Trade Indemnity in September. The overwhelming wish by UK exporters to remain open to both trading blocs and not venture too far down the path of European integration, came despite the fact that nearly nine out of ten respondents trade within the EU (87 percent). (Export Times November 2000)
Facts from the official EU Commission web site, Eurobarometer survey: Only 24% of UK trust the EU Commission; 40% do not trust the EU Commission.Only 22% of UK support the Euro; 61% do not. 64% of UK think of themselves as only British; 27% think of themselves as British and European; 6% as European. Only 25% of UK think that membership of the EU is a good thing. EU average is 49% - yes only half EU think membership is a good thing. Only 25% of UK think that we have benefited from membership of the EU. 44% of UK think we have not benefited from membership of the EU.( Dec 2000, http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg10/epo/polls.html)
A poll of 109 chief executives of leading companies found a seven-to-one majority in favour of the Confederation of British Industry's recent decision to stop promoting the benefits of the single currency. The business leaders agreed by a margin of two to one that the CBI should resist Government pressure to speak out more positively about the euro. (Telegraph Tuesday 21 November 2000)
Only 49 percent of the peoples of Europe regard their country’s membership of the European Union as a good thing. The support of the European Union membership was 2 percent lower in the spring of 2000 than in the autumn of 1999 and as much as 23 percent lower than the all-time high support of 72 percent recorded in the spring of 1991. However, this does not mean that half the people are against membership of the European Union. According to the latest ‘Eurobaromenter’ only 14 percent do regard membership as a bad thing, while a large group of 28 percent regard membership of the European Union as "neither good nor bad". Three out of four in Ireland and Luxembourg support their country’s membership to the European Union with nearly the same level of support recorded in the Netherlands (73 percent). In Spain, EU has support from two out of three 3 people. Same goes in Portugal (64 percent), Belgium (62 percent) with Greece (61 percent) and Italy (60 percent) following closely. In Denmark, 53 percent of the public support membership, although opposition levels (24 percent) are significantly above average. Support for EU membership is lowest in the UK (25 percent), Austria (33 percent) and Sweden (34 percent). EU support has dropped most significantly in Austria, which most likely is a reaction to the sanctions imposed by the 14 other EU Member states against this country as a result of the Austrian Freedom party being part of the Government’s coalition. The proportion of Austrians that support membership has fallen 9 percent, whilst the proportion that believe Austria’s membership is a bad thing has increased by 7 percent. Other countries where a negative shift is recorded are Sweden (8 percent increase in opposition). Sweden is the only country having more people regarding the membership as a bad thing (38 percent) than a good thing (34 percent). (EUobserver.com 15.11.2000)
A record majority of the British electorate now opposes euro entry. According to an ICM poll taken on the weekend of 4 November, 71 per cent of British people oppose euro entry, 2 per cent more than in October. In contrast only 18 per cent of people think that Britain should join the currency. The 55 per cent majority against entry is the largest since ICM started regular polling on the issue in February 1995. (No-euro bulletin 9/11/00)
In Austria, support for the European Union has fallen to an all-time low. Only 34% of Austrians now think that their country has benefited from EU membership: the figure was 45% in the autumn of 1999. [Die Presse, 27th October 2000]
A group of Austrian citizens is currently collecting signatures in order to hold a referendum calling for Austria to withdraw from the EU completely. It is not likely that this initiative will get very far: the Austrian Chancellor has attacked as "a betrayal of the European idea" the proposal to hold a referendum on Eastern enlargement, let alone on EU membership altogether. [Die Presse, 27th October 2000]. On Wednesday, as expected, the Austrian Parliament refused demands from 193,000 citizens for a democratic referendum on complete withdrawal from the EU. The petition calling for a referendum on EU membership was organised by Aktion EU-Austritt and signed by 193,000 Austrians. (EUobserver.com 05-07-2001)
The popularity of the euro has taken a beating in Germany. In a sample of 1,100 Germans, 33% said they had "no confidence" in the currency; 51% said they had "limited" confidence in it; while only 15% said they trusted the euro "fully". (In Sweden, the popularity of the euro has also declined. It now lies at 31% in favour to 42% against.) [Süddeutsche Zeitung, 3rd October 2000]
THE Danish people rejected membership of the euro last night, dealing a severe blow to further European integration. Their decision, by a bigger than expected margin, has thrown into doubt Tony Blair's hopes of holding a similar referendum after the next election. The final referendum vote showed 53.1 per cent against joining and 46.9 per cent in favour. The turn-out was 87.5 per cent. (Daily Telegraph 29/9/00) The Guardian was bitterly disappointed at the result but consoled itself by commenting: "However close the result, it is clear that Denmark's No voters include less well-educated and unskilled workers, with a larger proportion of women." (Guardian 29/9/00). Leading financial advisers now admit, they were wrong on the consequences of a euro-no, writes Berlingske Tidende. Interest rates have fallen nearly one per cent since the referendum took place in Denmark and the Danish voters said no to losing their kroner. - We expected that interest rates would rise. Most Danes did not believe the economical experts. Only a few hundreds paid to have their loans insured against rising interest rates, as offered by the leading banks before the referendum. (EUobserver.com 14/11/00)
Business for Sterling ICM poll on a random sample of 1006...Question "Do you think Britain should replace the Pound with a single European currency or not?" .. 69% NO ... 23% YES; amongst 18-24 year olds 80% NO 19% YES. The poll also reveals that the 18-24 age group is the most sceptical, with 80 per cent against joining. Significantly, a third of the 23 per cent of voters favouring the euro believe, incorrectly, that Britain could leave the euro if it proved not to work in our interests. (Eurofaq posting 4/9/00)
The euro's descent to record lows on foreign exchange markets is sapping public support for the new currency in Germany, the euro-zone's biggest country, according to an opinion poll published on Sunday. A survey conducted for RTL television by the respected Forsa research institute showed that 63 per cent of Germans would prefer to keep the D-Mark instead of swapping it for the euro. Only 34 per cent wanted the euro, which is due to start circulating in the euro-zone in the form of banknotes and coins in less than 16 months' time. The survey was published less than a week after the euro fell to $0.8837 on world currency markets, about 25 per cent below its launch rate in January 1999. Discontent with the euro is higher in Germany than other euro-zone countries because many Germans suspect their leaders may have traded away the D-Mark, historically one of the world's strongest currencies, for a lame duck. (FT September 3 2000)
German opposition to the euro has increased to 50 per cent according to recent polls compared with 31 per cent when the euro was launched. (BfS bulletin 21/7/00)
Support in Britain for the EU has plunged to unprecedented levels, with only one in four voters considering membership of the regional body to be a good thing, according to a new poll by the European Commission. According to the six-monthly poll published Monday, Britain is one of the most eurosceptic nations in the 15-member European Union. Only 25 percent of the Britons polled thought that British EU membership was a good thing. In 1991 the figure had stood at 58 percent. The previous lowest support rate in Britain was 29 percent registered in a 1993 European Commission poll. British support for joining the common euro currency has also fallen sharply, now standing at just 22 percent against 36 percent in 1998, according to the results of the poll. Only 24 percent of the British voters questioned voiced confidence in the European Commission, the executive arm of the regional body. The pollsters questioned 16,000 Europeans, aged 20 or over, in May and June (LONDON, July 25 AFP)
The government’s euro strategy suffered a body blow when the British Chamber of Commerce said it would no longer campaign for UK participation in the single currency. The BCC’s change of heart followed a poll suggesting that only 38% of its 126,000 member companies back a commitment to join the euro. (FT 31/3/00)
PUBLIC opinion in Denmark has turned dramatically against the single currency only weeks before a referendum on the issue. This is despite a pro-euro campaign backed by all the major political parties, the unions, industry and the broadsheet press. A poll published today by the Copenhagen newspaper Sondagsavisen shows that the anti-euro campaign is ahead by six points, with 49 per cent of the vote. This is the biggest lead that Euro-sceptics have had in any of Denmark's six referendums on Europe. Michael Seidelin, political editor of the pro-euro newspaper Politiken, said: "In theory it is a vote against monetary union. Really it is a vote on the whole question of Europe. The politicians have never told the truth about what it entails - they said it was just about bacon and butter prices when we joined the union in 1972 - and now people simply don't believe what they are saying." Denmark is booming outside the euro, with the European Union's highest per capita income, negligible unemployment and a mood of such optimism that Copenhagen's ubiquitous bicycles are left unlocked all along the cobbled streets around the Christiansborg. A report last month by the economic council, known as the Three Wise Men, may have sealed the outcome of the vote, due on Sept 28. It concluded that the euro offered no significant benefits to the economy, demolishing government claims that interest rates would rise and capital flow out of the country if it did not join. (Daily Telegraph 17 July 2000)
A survey by the respected Allensbach Institute shows German support for the euro has slumped from 40% at its launch to 31% now. 60% don’t want to accept the new notes and coins in 2002 and 71% said they had little or no trust in the euro, expecting it to fall further in value. Germans bitterly accuse the politicians of telling them lies and making false promises. Bild, the biggest daily paper, was accused of a conspiracy to manipulate the public by failing to print any letters from its 12 million readers that were anti-euro. Germans see foreigners are slow to invest in their highly-taxed economy while cash is flooding into Britain. The latest is Deutsche Telekom reported to be planning a takeover of cable & Wireless. "If people have concerns about Britain not being in the euro, then we don’t share them," said a DT boss. (Daily Mail 07/07/00)
A forthcoming survey will show that the single currency is not a priority for high technology companies. The survey's author said: "We surveyed a wide number of chief executives in software design and manufacturing, computing and IT services and asked them to list their priorities. Entry to the euro came so far down the list it barely merits a mention." (Observer, 9 July 2000).
Attempts to persuade the public that inward investment would be jeopardised by staying outside the Eurozone have been unsuccessful. According to an ICM poll of 1,000 voters, commissioned by Business for Sterling, 59 per cent of people think that inward investment would be the same (45 per cent) or rise (14 per cent) if Britain does not adopt the euro. Less than a third - 32 per cent - thought that inward investment would fall. (BfS Bulletin 13/7/00)
Danes opposed to joining the European single currency led supporters of it by seven points in a fresh opinion poll on 11 July, giving the anti-euro side 50 per cent of the vote. (12/7/00 Democrat News Service )
A MORI poll for the News of the World, published on Sunday 25 June, has found that 72 per cent of the public agreed that "on balance, Britain should keep the pound". 20 per cent disagreed. The poll also found that there is strong public scepticism of the Government's desire to fight a fair referendum. 61 per cent of people think that the Government will "try to bounce the British public into agreeing to join". 63 per cent think that the Government has not tried to encourage a sensible debate. 44 per cent do not trust the Prime Minister "to take decisions on Britain's future role in Europe in the best interest of the British public." (BfS briefing 30/6/00)
The regular tracking poll conducted by ICM for Business for Sterling has revealed that only 15 per cent of the public support euro entry. The poll was carried out on the weekend of 28 April 2000. (BfS briefing 12/5/00)
A new survey has however shown that only 15 per cent of Japanese companies operating in Britain think that they would benefit from British adoption of the euro. The survey, for Japan’s External Trade Organisation, showed that another 15 per cent thought that British participation would cause them substantial problems, while the rest said there would be no overall business benefit (Financial Times, 18 April 2000).
The numbers opposed to the single currency increased across all 15 member states from an average of 28 per cent to 32 per cent. In Britain, it rose from 55 to 59 per cent - Eurobarometer Survey. (The Times 20/4/00)
Chris Humphries, Director-General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) says he has turned against Labour because of higher taxes and his members' feeling of being "completely swamped" by new regulation. He thinks the pound is too high but says that the BCC will now stop supporting the government on the euro because his members are becoming increasingly sceptical about it.(Sunday Business 2/4/00)
Members of the Federation of Small Businesses today voted overwhelmingly to keep the pound at their annual conference. More than 64,700 members voted in favour of keeping sterling, while 13,741 voted in favour of scrapping it. FSB members cited the stable economy, steady housing market and controlled level of consumer spending under the pound as the main reasons why it should be kept. They claimed the euro is too unstable and adopting it as the single currency could rock an otherwise steady economy.( 25/03/00 PA News)
BRITISH hostility to the euro has hardened since its launch last year, according to a Gallup poll for The Telegraph today. Three-quarters of the electorate believe the single currency is a failure and the pro-euro lobby would be outvoted 2-1 in a referendum on scrapping the pound. The proportion of the electorate opposed to British membership of the euro has risen to 69 per cent, amid a growing mood of scepticism about the way the European Union has conducted itself.(D Telegraph 13/3/00)
The Democratic Party commissioned an opinion poll conducted by BMRB International: "That Britain remains within the European Union and joins the single European Currency, thus giving up the Pound"- 24%. "That Britain leaves the European Union completely"- 16%. "That Britain enters a free market agreement with Europe and trades freely with all Commonwealth countries, but leaves the European Union"- 45%. "Don't know"- 15%. Therefore 61% are for leaving the EU rather than joining the Euro. Question 3, which makes it clear that we can leave the EU and still trade with them and everyone else, results in a large number of voters confirming that they wish to leave, having realised that it simply is not economically harmful to do so. This is a very important poll because the pro-Euro lobby wish to present the people with a false choice: "accept the Euro or leave the EU", it is a false choice, but the Democratic Party poll shows that even if this was the choice the British people would still reject the Euro. (Democratic Party 8/3/00)
The anti-euro Danish People’s Party, led by Pia Kjaersgaard, uses the double-entendre "For Crown and Country" as its main campaign message. Mrs Kjaersgaard, indeed, has emphasised to Danes that the image of their Queen will disappear from their pockets when euro coins start circulating. She has also attacked the fact that, if they join, Denmark’s gold reserves will be put on a train and shipped to Frankfurt. [Handelsblatt, 7th August 2000]
In Denmark the euro referendum might be put back to 2002 (it is now definitely on for28 September 2000), as recent polls showing support have fallen back to level pegging due to the Haider affair... In Sweden the Government is committed to joining the euro but "a large part of population favours withdrawal from the EU. A referendum is now doubtful before the end of next year... "A third of Germans favour Haider", 22% agree in many respects with his policies, including a complete ban on further immigration. 9% think Germany needs a politician like him and 14% agree totally with his policies. (Daily Telegraph 18/2/00)
Ministers have now been forced onto the defensive by an ICM survey of 1,001 company chief executives which revealed that no less than 87% would not make any significant preparations for any changeover until they knew the results of a referendum and furthermore 73% were now opposed to joining the euro at all compared with 63% a year ago. {Times 17/2/00}
ICM Single Currency Poll - Do you think that Britain should stay in the European Union or leave the European Union? Stay in - 53%; Leave - 34%; Don't know - 13%
Do you think that Britain should replace the Pound with the Single European Currency or not?
Yes - should replace the pound - 22%; No - 69%; Don't know - 9% (ICM Research January 2000)
55% of Finance Directors in small and medium size companies said Britain 'should not' or 'probably not' join the euro in their life times, according to a survey in Accountancy Age. This was up from 42% in the same survey 6 months ago. (D Telegraph7/1/00)
BRITONS are becoming increasingly hostile to Europe and support for joining the single currency has slumped to a record low of 17 per cent, according to a new opinion poll. (The Times 29/12/99)
Britain has become increasingly Eurosceptic in spite of electing a more Europhile government, according to this year's British Social Attitudes Survey. Just over half the population, 50.3%, now either want to leave the European Union or reduce its powers. In addition, fewer than one in five favour replacing the pound with the euro, while more than 53% believe the pound should be the only British currency. (FT 30/11/99)
Gallup published a new poll showing that public opinion has hardened against the euro since December (3 July). Opposition has risen from 60 to 66, and the pro- vote has dropped from 34 to 30. The number that believes it is nevertheless inevitable has also fallen from 80 - 16 in December to 69 - 28 now. The latest ICM poll for the Guardian had opposition at its highest level since they began testing in February 1995. It now stands at 62 - 25 against, with 13 undecided (14 July). Also, only 36% believe that Britain will be in the euro in ten years time - a significant drop in the 'inevitability' factor. (BfS briefing 20/7/99)
German faith in the euro is crumbling, according to an opinion poll. 59% of Germans are now convinced that the euro will remain a weak currency. In January only 28% were so pessimistic. The euro was sold to the Germans on the basis that the new currency would be as strong and stable as the mark. The fall of the euro against the dollar has shocked many Germans who feel the politicians cheated them. The survey figures demonstrate that 75% believe the weak euro is limiting economic growth in Germany. (The Times 7 June 1999). Prof. Wilhelm Hankel said yesterday: "We predicted the euro's weakness, and it's going to go on getting weaker." Prof. Hankel, one of the group of leading academics who tried and failed in the German courts to stop the launch of the euro, called yesterday for the timetable for conversion to the new currency to be torn up, with investors no longer being forced to change their marks or guilders into euros at the start of 2002. He said: "Otherwise the flight of capital from the euro will grow. The mark should be kept indefinitely as a parallel currency. We must keep the door open for a return to the mark," arguing that this would help to calm investors' fears of the new currency. (Daily Telegraph 14/7/99)
An opinion poll in Germany shows 56% are against the introduction of the EMU. (FT 5/1/98). This has changed to 51% in favour (European 21/9/98). A Mori poll on December 3/9 shows 53% of Britons against joining the single currency and 29% were in favour. (S Telegraph Business 13/12/98)
In Italy the honeymoon with the euro is over. Two opinion surveys say Italians are pessimistic about the euro. (BBC World Service 29/10/99)
The claim by the CBI that its new survey gives "a clear yes to EMU but not an unconditional one" was misleading. Only 1,284 of the 5,000 businesses polled returned the CBI's questionnaire. More than a quarter of those who replied were subsidiaries of foreign parent companies. Although less than 1 per cent of all businesses have more than 200 employees they made up more than 40 per cent of respondents. Compared with a survey 3 years ago their eagerness to support British membership of EMU in principle has ebbed. This is precisely the result the CBI did not want. (Times 21/7/99)
According to the Institute of Directors, 30% of bosses believe Britain should "probably never, or never" join the European single currency, with another 25% ruling out a link within the "foreseeable future". Just 13% of the 500 directors polled by NOP for the IoD said they wanted membership "immediately or as soon as possible". Another 30% adopted a wait and see attitude by giving their support to the UK joining the euro within the "foreseeable future", or next five years. (BBC web site 21/6/99)
An ICM survey showed that nearly two-thirds of trade union members opposed UK membership of the European single currency, even though the Trades Union Congress leadership backs it. 96% of union members said they had not been asked for their views on the Europe by the union. (Financial Times 13 May 1999)
In a survey by the respected polling organisation ICM, only 41% of businesses favoured joining the Euro. More than half of businesses said they saw no benefit in the larger markets that the Euro might provide, or in savings on exchange costs and avoiding foreign currency risks. Only 34% said the ability to compare prices across Europe would be a big advantage. (Financial Times 31 March 1999)
85% of Britain's leading bankers and insurance, fund and corporate asset managers believe that EMU could collapse within the first five years. (European 20/7/98)
The survey British and Social European Attitudes by SCPR showed that support for membership of the EU has fallen from 77% in 1991 to 55% in 1997. Support for membership of the EMU is only 20% and 28% favoured complete withdrawal from the EU. The survey showed that knowing how the EU works makes people more Eurosceptic. (S Telegraph 29/11/98)