A new YouGov survey conducted in five EU nations – Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – asked national publics whether they thought policies across 11 policy areas should be decided at the national or EU level.
There is a firm preference in all countries surveyed for decisions on climate change, trade deals and defence to be taken at the EU level. There is more narrow support for immigration being handled by the EU, with French people being closely split with 45% saying so but 43% seeing it as more of a national issue.
Danes differ from the other nations surveyed in seeing foreign aid as being more of a national issue (by 52% to 35%), with all other countries seeing it as something the EU should decide by double-digits margins.
Energy issues also divide the countries: French people and Germans see this as more of a national remit, while Danes, Italians and Spaniards come down on the other side of the line.
The public in all five countries see education, employment laws, health, taxation and transport as areas where decisions should be decided by national governments rather than the EU.
On most of the areas we asked about, Danes appeared at one extreme or the other, suggesting they are more unified in their views, but that they have a clear distinction between areas that the EU should cover and which should remain with the Folketing.
By contrast, Spaniards and Italians prove to be the countries more consistently willing to defer decision making power to the EU.
What do you think about the areas where the EU should make decisions rather than national governments, whether there should be greater EU integration, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
