European Union residents voiced doubts about membership of the bloc as Brussels prepares for what is predicted to be revolutionary European elections. A projection issued by the European Parliament in May suggested the legislative branch of the European Union will see an increase of eurosceptic members on its benches. The prediction is based on a March Eurobarometer survey of surveys analysing changes in support of the European project throughout all 28 member states, and compares the increase with current membership of the European Parliament. The survey found 62 percent of the 27,973 polled believe the European Union is a “good thing” for their country but found member states including France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Greece to have a more negative overview of the bloc’s direction – leading the European Parliament to suggest these countries are more likely to elect more eurosceptic MEPs.
The European Parliament has projected populist and eurosceptic members in Brussels will increase to 14.3 percent from the current 10 percent based upon the expressed within the Eurobarometer survey of surveys.
Factoring Britain’s participation in the May poll, seats eurosceptic parliamentary group Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) – which include Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, Italy’s Lega and Poland’s Party of Freedom – would increase from five percent to 8.3 percent.
The other openly eurosceptic bloc, the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) would win six percent – benefitting France’s The Patriots, Italy’s Movement 5 Stelle (M5S), Poland’s Korwin and Britain’s own Brexit Party.
The European Parliament projection appears to echo sentiments within the European Union from certain groups and individuals from Germany, Poland and Italy who spoke to German broadcaster DW on Tuesday May 14.
READ MORE: EU MELTDOWN: Juncker warns populist could ‘INCAPACITATE’ Brussels after European elections
One man complained about the lack of sovereignty in Germany, claiming “rules are decided over our heads and just imposed on us.” Another voter, asked whether Berlin should follow in the footsteps of Brexit Britain, said: “Absolutely, and we should go back to the Deutschmark.”
A woman simply explained: “People are fed up with the EU.”
The Eurobarometer survey of surveys, which polled 27,973 European citizens between February 19 and March 4, reviewed the trend of support for the bloc across the European Union and made predictions on the likelihood of election of populist parties based on a series of 12 questions – varying from opinions on overall membership of the EU to themes the bloc should focus on.
Based on the responses collected in the poll, the European Parliament forecasted an increase in support for populist parties in Italy, France, Czech Republic and Greece – with a large number of Italian and Greek citizens polled suggesting their country has not benefited from membership of the bloc (45 percent and 40 percent respectively.) The projection was updated in April to also take into account British participation in the EU parliamentary poll.
Anxiety among European Union officials is high, with fears of a Eurosceptic, nationalist surge. The European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker claimed that the European Union has lost its “libido”.
Mr Juncker acknowledged the expected gains for populist and Eurosceptic parties in Europe-wide elections.
Among the most common complaints in Germany voiced to DW is the suggestion Angela Merkel has agreed to support struggling EU member states with extra money. During the Greek economic crisis, Germany became the largest creditor of three bailouts totalling £259bn.
A German voter insisted “we are paying for countries that aren’t giving anything themselves. Just taking,” with another echoing the sentiment: “Germany is financially robust and has good economic growth rate but there are other countries that don’t and they benefit from us.”
And in Poland, where the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) has been embroiled in a battle of will with Brussels, reporter Aleksandra Rybinska warned Brussels Warsaw will not be at the “beck and call” of the bloc as she questioned the need for a European political union.
Ms Rybinska, a contributor to the web publication wPolityce which is closely aligned with PiS, speaking to DW, said: “I’d say the European Commission is meddling mainly in terms of the legal proceedings.
“For most people, the European Commission used to be a weird club making sure bananas weren’t crooked and issuing idiotic directives that no one needed.”
The reporter continued: “The newer member states feel like they are treated differently than other countries and Poland is a big country. We’re not going to be at the beck and call of Germany and France.
“We need the EU first and foremost as a market and as an economic power. The question is, do we need a political EU?”