The map above shows how each European Union (EU) country views the EU as a whole based on polls conducted by Eurobarometer in May 2016 vs November 2017.
It shows the net difference between the positive and negative scores based on the following question:
In general, does the EU conjure up for you a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image.
Positive scores mean more positive feelings than negative and negative scores mean the opposite.
Overall, here’s how the numbers play out buy country:
| Country | Net Score (2016) | Net Score (2017) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | -5 | +4 | +9 |
| Belgium | +4 | +16 | +20 |
| Bulgaria | +34 | +43 | +9 |
| Croatia | +18 | +13 | -5 |
| Cyprus | -14 | +10 | +24 |
| Czech Republic | -8 | 0 | +8 |
| Denmark | +11 | +23 | +12 |
| Estonia | +16 | +28 | +12 |
| Finland | +11 | +24 | +13 |
| France | +7 | +12 | +5 |
| Germany | 0 | +29 | +29 |
| Greece | -35 | -20 | +15 |
| Hungary | +4 | +21 | +17 |
| Ireland | +44 | +50 | +6 |
| Italy | +5 | +14 | +9 |
| Latvia | +13 | +20 | +7 |
| Lithuania | +34 | +39 | +5 |
| Luxembourg | +23 | +40 | +17 |
| Malta | +28 | +37 | +9 |
| Netherlands | +4 | +17 | +13 |
| Poland | +32 | +37 | +5 |
| Portugal | +23 | +41 | +18 |
| Romania | +28 | +33 | +5 |
| Slovakia | +4 | +21 | +17 |
| Slovenia | +12 | +19 | +7 |
| Spain | +7 | +26 | +19 |
| Sweden | +10 | +22 | +12 |
| United Kingdom | -5 | +2 | +7 |
| EU28 | +7 | +19 | +12 |
The 5 countries with the biggest increase in positive image are: Germany, Cyprus, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
Although, most interestingly the UK has had a similar, smaller shift in sentiment. Going form -5 to +2 during that time. This in theory means slightly more people in the UK have a positive image of the EU compared to a negative one (35% positive vs 33% negative).
That said, it still has the 3rd lowest score after only Greece and the Czech Republic.
All countries, with the exception of Croatia, shifted to a more positive view of the EU. And even then, Croatia still has a +13 rating.
The 5 most pro-EU counties are currently: Ireland, Bulgaria, Portugal, Luxembourg and Lithuania.
What do you think about this map? Please leave your comments below and help us by sharing it:
Francis Stalpers says
Numbers Belgium not correct.
From +4 to +16 is not a change of +20.
Maybe it must be -4 (2016), or maybe it must be +12 (change).
john thomas says
This is not a “Brilliant Map”… it is pro-EU globalist propaganda garbage.
Mary Bonney says
I think your comment shows anti-EU isolationist propaganda garbage.
Jon Eccles says
The point of the map isn’t to do with the virtues or otherwise of the EU, which are essentially the same before and after Brexit.
It may show that Europeans either didn’t like the UK’s conduct as an EU member, or don’t particularly take to the British as a whole, or both.
It may also show that based on observation of British political life immediately after the referendum they don’t think leaving the EU looks like a particularly good bet.
It may alternatively be about something other than Brexit.
It is a statistically significant change, whatever its cause.
Mikka J Devin-Tawnsaand says
Extracted from https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/index.cfm
“…The Standard Eurobarometer was established in 1974. Each survey consists of approximately 1000 face-to-face interviews per country… …enable the Commission* to obtain results relatively quickly and to focus on specific target groups… …feelings and reactions of selected social groups towards a given subject or concept…”
*EU Commission
Safe to assume biased and therefor irrelevant.