Brexit sparks surge in European support for EU

Support for the EU in Europe has surged following Britain’s shock vote to leave the bloc, according to a French opinion poll published on Friday.

With Britain in post-referendum crisis, more people polled in six EU nations by researchers IFOP said it was better to be in the bloc than they did two years ago.

“Citzens are reacting to both the perceived impact of Brexit on the European project and on the economy of their own country, but also in terms of their own relationship to the EU,” IFOP said.

In France 67 percent of people agreed, up 19 percent on 2014, in Germany 81 percent (up 18 percent), Italy 59 percent (up four), Spain 81 percent (up nine) and Belgium 75 percent (up 10).

In Poland 89 percent said it was better to be in the EU, but there was no previous poll in that country.

Reflecting the growing support for the EU, a majority of Germans (55 percent), French (53 percent) and Spanish (51 percent) want the EU to make “no concessions” in exit talks.

In both Italy and Belgium it was 47 percent while in Poland just 27 percent said there should be no concessions.

All six nationalities said they would vote to stay in the EU if their countries held a referendum (53 percent of French, 65 percent of Germans, 52 percent of Italians, 67 percent of Spaniards, 61 percent of Belgians and 84 percent of Poles).

IFOP carried out the survey for the Jean Jaures Foundation and the European Doundation for Progressive Studies.

It surveyed 6,000 people online, comprising 1,000 individuals in each of the six countries.