While the British argue among themselves about the least catastrophic way to leave the European Union, the rest of Europe just continues to quietly hate the idea of European integration. You can see for yourself where Europeans don't like the concept of the European Union on an interactive map created by the European Commission.
The Geography of EU Discontent maps the level of support for political parties strongly opposed to European integration. As it happens the UK isn't even the country that is most fed-up with the European Union. That honor seems to belong to the French where, apart from tiny pockets of support, the whole country seems discontented with European integration. In fact the only countries which seem to wholly support European integration are in the old Eastern Bloc, and, for some reason, Spain.
The whole of Scandinavia seems to be against the idea of European integration. Elsewhere Italy and Germany are both split down the middle. In Italy the poorer south are in favor of European integration, while the richer north aren't. In Germany it is the poorer east of the country that opposes European integration, while the richer west of the country is in favor.
One thing the map does make clear is that Europe really isn't united in support of the idea of European integration. However it also isn't united in its discontent with the idea of integration.
First of all: to be against the EU and hating Europe are two very different things.
ReplyDeleteBut more important, what the map shows in purple is not where a majority is against the EU, but where the anti-EU parties are relatively strong. Big difference. For example we have Sweden, where I live. Very purple on this map, but actually a big poll from november 2018 showed that swedes are more positive to the EU now than ever: 58,6% positive, 25,8% "don't know", and only 15,6% against.*
(The reason for increasing support in Sweden, by the way, has very little to do with the EU. Instead it is clearly a result of how swedish media has framed opposition to the EU as a "far right" thing. Recently the socialist party actually dropped its opposition to the EU with the sole motivation that they don't want to be on the same side as the right wing Sweden Democrats in anything...)
*: https://www.europaportalen.se/2018/12/rekordstod-eu-bland-svenskarna