The European Union has been struggling against growing support for populist and eurosceptic parties, casting doubts on the durability of the European project. A Eurobarometer poll of polls conducted across the 28 member states between February 19 and March 4 found that 62 percent of the 27,973 polled supported the EU but recorded concerns about the future of the bloc in countries such as France, the Czech Republic and Italy. DW Conflict Zone host Tim Sebastian confronted Swedish MEP Anna Maria Corazza Bildt on the “doubt” citizens expressed in the aftermath of last week’s European elections: “People are losing faith in the EU.
“Here’s the paradox – highest level of support since 1983 but more than half the people of Europe think the EU is likely to collapse within a generation. That’s also the legacy of the last five years.”
The Swedish MEP attempted to dismiss the claims of doubts about the project suggesting the “chaos and implosion” of Brexit had provided the EU with a “vaccination” against eurosceptic forces but Mr Sebastian appeared unconvinced by her argument: “You should be stronger as a result of that.
“So why do all of these citizens have all these doubts? Why all the doubts about whether Europe can actually stay together?
“Spain’s foreign minister, Joseph Borrell, was asked in an interview if it was so fragile, Europe could break up. His comment was ‘honestly, yes’.”
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But Ms Corazza Bildt insisted the Spring Eurobarometer and the European elections results held a positive message for the future of the bloc: “In the Eurobarometer, we have seen in country after country the popularity of the European Union has increased even in Hungary – with a few exceptions, like the Czech Republic.
“We have seen, one after the other, extreme-right political parties dropping the agenda of leaving the European Union and leaving the euro.
“Liberals and Greens have gone forward in the elections. They want a stronger Europe, not a weaker Europe.”
The Swedish MEP also suggested the slump in EU popularity could ultimately usher in a more positive future: “Europe has always been growing stark out of big crisis.
“We were born out of the ashes of World War II. The reality is it is one of the best places in the world to live, we never had it so good in Europe. We had 2,000 years of war.”
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Despite her optimism, populist and eurosceptic parties across the European Union saw their share of seats in the European Parliament increase after last week’s vote.
Brussel’s golden boy Emmanuel Macron placed 2nd after far-right leader Marine Le Pen amidst growing criticism over the French President’s plans for reform – which led to ongoing unrest across France and the birth of the anti-establishment Yellow Vests movement.
Italian deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini successfully led his Lega party to the top of the polls, securing 32 percent of overall support in Italy and announcing that “a new Europe is born”.
And in Britain, the newly-founded Brexit Party pocketed its first victory stealing away seats from both Labour and the Conservative Party.
The expected results of the European Parliament poll, which were not announced until Sunday evening to allow for an unbiased election across the EU28, marked the final straw for Theresa May’s leadership as the Prime Minister announced on Friday she will be resigning on June 7.