Opinion Corner 3 - How the EU is viewed by citizens
It may come as a surprise to Europeans – many of whom are lukewarm about the EU project and gloomy about its future prospects – to learn that the European Union is viewed in an overwhelmingly positive light across the globe.
In a survey carried out by Globescan for the BBC World Service in April 2010, citizens in all but two of the 28 countries surveyed said they had a mainly positive opinion about the EU’s influence in the world, with 53% of respondents saying the EU had a ‘positive’ and 18% saying it had a ‘negative’ influence in the world.
Camembert: 53% positive, 18% negative
A poll conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes Project in 2009 confirms the EU’s popularity worldwide. Majorities or pluralities in 18 of the 25 countries surveyed said they had a favourable view of the European Union
Graphic: Chart of Opinion of the EU – Pew Global Attitudes Survey, 2009
“The EU has many attractive things about it,” says Richard Wike, Associate Director of the Pew Global Attitudes Project. Street interviews carried out by Mostra in Shanghai, Cairo, Mexico City and Ouagadougou appear to back up this view.
The EU is widely seen as a positive force because it is:
-Associated with the rich history, culture and beauty of Europe
-Envied as an oasis of peace and prosperity in a troubled world
-Seen as a role model for once-warring states
-Viewed as a generous aid donor
In a survey carried out by Globescan for the BBC World Service in April 2010, citizens in all but two of the 28 countries surveyed said they had a mainly positive opinion about the EU’s influence in the world, with 53% of respondents saying the EU had a ‘positive’ and 18% saying it had a ‘negative’ influence in the world.
Camembert: 53% positive, 18% negative
A poll conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes Project in 2009 confirms the EU’s popularity worldwide. Majorities or pluralities in 18 of the 25 countries surveyed said they had a favourable view of the European Union
Graphic: Chart of Opinion of the EU – Pew Global Attitudes Survey, 2009
“The EU has many attractive things about it,” says Richard Wike, Associate Director of the Pew Global Attitudes Project. Street interviews carried out by Mostra in Shanghai, Cairo, Mexico City and Ouagadougou appear to back up this view.
The EU is widely seen as a positive force because it is:
-Associated with the rich history, culture and beauty of Europe
-Envied as an oasis of peace and prosperity in a troubled world
-Seen as a role model for once-warring states
-Viewed as a generous aid donor