EU constitution features low on citizens' list of benefits for Europe

[Henk Elegeert]

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EU constitution features low on citizens' list of benefits for Europe
05.05.2006 - 18:52 CET | By Helena Spongenberg

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A European constitution is low among the issues
EU citizens think would be helpful for the future of Europe, according
to a new poll published on Friday (5 May).

In a special eurobarometer survey on the "future of Europe", a
constitution comes in third out a list of six with 25 percent of
Europeans thinking it would be helpful.

Belgians show the most faith in an EU constitution being beneficial for
Europe at 36 percent while Estonians and Latvians are the least inclined
to believe this (12%).

In France and the Netherlands, the two countries that rejected the EU
constitution last year - prompting the whole new debate about where the
bloc should be heading - 29 percent and 32 percent respectively think a
common constitution would be helpful.

In the UK, 17 percent sees a constitution as helpful closely followed by
Poland (15%) while Germany (32%) and Italy (28%) are more supportive of
a common text.

Generally citizens from old member states put the constitution higher on
their list of what would be helpful for the future of Europe (27%) than
those in the ten new member states (16%).

By contrast, over half of the 25,000 polled (51%) believe the "most
helpful thing" for Europe to succeed would be comparable living
standards, followed by the introduction of the euro in all member states
(26%).

Some 22 percent chose a common language as being the most helpful
criterion for Europe.

Social and economic concerns
Europeans are particularly concerned about social and economic issues
with almost half considering globalisation a threat to employment.

While most people praise peace among the member states (60%) and free
movement (56%) as the EU's greatest achievements, the bloc is not seen
as performing well in curbing unemployment which is the single most
crucial issue for Europeans.

"The EU is expected to harness globalisation, bring solutions in terms
of peace, democracy, living standards as well as research, innovation
and economic performance," said EU communications commissioner Margot
Wallstrom in a statement.

"This should be the foundation of the EU policy agenda, which will help
reinvent and renew the EU ahead of its 50th anniversary," she added.

Fear of enlargement
The social and economic sentiment is also portrayed in opinions about
what the EU should focus on in future.

A "European social welfare system" would be a key element to strengthen
people's feeling "about being a European citizen" for 32 percent
respondents, with six in ten citizens favouring harmonization of the
bloc's welfare systems, mainly in central and eastern Europe, such as
Poland (86%), Latvia (82%) and Hungary (81%).

On the other hand, several western European countries feature as the
most pessimistic on globalisation with 72 percent of the French and
Greeks viewing it as a "threat," followed by Belgians (64%) and Germans
(59%).

Although the fear of globalisation is associated with competition from
low labour cost countries - highlighted as key outcomes of the latest
EU's enlargement - a majority of Europeans (55%) still consider the
bloc's expansion as "something positive."

Individual differences among member states, however, show that only 40
percent of Austrians and 42 percent of French believe that enlargement
is positive with old member state citizens generally being less
enthusiastic at 53 percent than new member state citizens (69%).

Meanwhile, 63 percent of respondents fear that further enlargement will
increase problems on their national job market and only a minority (34%)
believe that product prices fell due to the EU's expansion.

Less support
The eurobarometer survey also shows a drop in support for EU membership
in Latvia, Austria and the UK.

According to the poll almost one in two Europeans (49%) think their
country's membership in the EU is "a good thing," with Luxembourg (71%),
the Netherlands (71%) and Ireland (68%) featuring as the greatest EU
enthusiasts.

Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Greece
are also above the average rate, while Finland (36%), the UK (33%),
Austria (31%) and Latvia (29%) stand at the bottom of the table.

France and the Netherlands feature with contrasting scores: 44 percent
and 71 percent respectively.

The poll has also revealed that citizens view the union as modern and
democratic (67%), but almost half of the respondents think it is
technocratic (49%) and inefficient (43%).
"

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