Data shows that almost half of Europe's population perceives Donald Trump as a threat to the European continent, while concerns are also growing about a possible armed conflict with Russia and the insufficient military preparedness of individual states. The British daily The Guardian reported on the results of an extensive public opinion poll conducted in nine European countries.
According to a survey commissioned by the Paris-based platform Le Grand Continent, an average of 48% of respondents consider Trump to be an open enemy of Europe. The highest proportion of these opinions was recorded in Belgium (62%) and France (57%), while the lowest was in Croatia (37%) and, above all, Poland (19%).
Founder of the Cluster17 research agency and political scientist Jean-Yves Dormagen stated that Europe is undergoing a profound transformation of its geopolitical position. „Not only are they facing increasing risks, but they are also becoming increasingly aware of their own vulnerability and uncertainty about the future.“ he explained.
Although attitudes towards Trump are predominantly critical, relations with the United States remain strategically important, according to the survey. Almost half of respondents believe that the European Union should opt for compromise rather than open confrontation with the US administration.
Concerns about war with Russia are also growing significantly. More than half of those surveyed (51 %) rated the risk of open conflict in the coming years as high, and another 18 % as very high. The greatest fear is in Poland, where 77% of respondents perceive the risk of war as high. In France, the figure is 54%, in Germany 51%, while in Portugal it is 39% and in Italy 34%.
Confidence in the ability of one's own army to defend the country is low across Europe. A total of 69% of respondents said that their country was „not very“ or „not at all“ capable of countering possible Russian aggression. France showed the greatest confidence, but this was still only a minority opinion.
Furthermore, feelings of insecurity are not limited to the military sphere. People also mention technological, energy and food security. The overwhelming majority would like to see the European Union itself play a stronger protective role in these areas.
Support for EU membership remains very high: 74% of people want to remain in the European bloc. Five years after Brexit, 63% of respondents view the United Kingdom's departure from the EU as a failure.
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