The EU faces an uncertain future after a Brussels-based think tank published a survey that showed a majority of European citizens were not enamoured with the European project.
According to the Friends of Europe think tank, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of EU citizens questioned do not think life would be any worse without the bloc.
Another 49 percent of Europeans view the EU as an “irrelevant” project, with grievances around the lack of transparency and anger at EU leaders “not focusing on the things people care about”.
This runs counter to the message put out by the EU themselves, with the foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini claiming that the world would not survive without the bloc.
Earlier this week, she said: “Close your eyes and imagine for one moment the European Union disappeared from the global scene right now. The world would simply collapse.”
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
The Friends of Europe think tank is partially funded by the EU, and its stated goal is to “create a more inclusive, sustainable and forward-looking Europe”.
The survey took place across all member-states in September, with more than 11,000 people questioned.
The poll also pointed to a marked divide between EU member-states, with citizens in Central and Eastern Europe – which includes the Visegrad group – urging the EU to focus on economic growth.
On the other side, people in Western and Northern Europe want the EU to be a force tasked with promoting values and democracy.
Brussels-based journalist Luc Rivet told RT that this spelled “the end of the love story of Europeans with Europe”.
He said: “People want their borders back because they see that European borders don’t function after four years of problems.”
The citizens below the age of 35 have a more favourable view of the EU bloc, with 41 percent claiming their life would be worse without the EU.
Alexander Stubb, who is a frontrunner to become the next president of the European commission, commented on the results, describing an EU filled by “a loss of hope and despair”.
He told a conference organised by the think tank: “If we do not act, we’ll see more Brexits.
“I don’t want to see 2016 being seen as the beginning of the end of liberal democracy.
“Some of the fears of the double crisis of the euro and migration were genuine and have to be addressed.”
Ex-EU commissioner Pascal Lamy, a trustee of Friends of Europe, added: “Without change and reform, the EU will remain irrelevant to a majority of its citizens.”