Health crisis, economic collapse and extreme restrictions in daily life. In this long-standing pandemic, governments around the world have faced an unprecedented series of challenges simultaneously. Are European leaders up to the task? Euronews, in collaboration with polling firm Redfield and Wilton Strategies, has sought feedback from citizens of four countries.
Have the correct measurements been taken?
As for the general management of the pandemic, only in the United Kingdom the majority think that their Government is taking the appropriate measures. Opinions are more divided in Italy and Germany. However, 58% of the French have a negative opinion of the national response.
How has the management of the leaders of the Member States been?
This is perhaps reflected in their feelings towards President Macron, since only a quarter of the population strongly approves or approves of his performance. Conversely, Mario Draghi, Angela Merkel and Boris Johnson enjoy much more support, with the German Chancellor scoring the best with a 48% approval rating.
From the beginning, the EU has struggled to reach a common criterion for dealing with the pandemic, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by those surveyed.
How have the EU and its states responded?
The prevailing view in all four countries is that Member States acted separately, especially in Italy, which complained of little aid from EU allies when it was first hit. In fact, the view that the states acted together is supported by more people in the former UK member than in the others.
Have citizens felt helped by the EU?
Paradoxically, on the question of the EU’s global role in the crisis, more Italians think that Brussels helped their country than those who think it did not. Attitudes are divided in France, but a small majority of Germans believe that the bloc did not help them. The British also have a negative opinion, although their country was left out of the coordinated EU response.
Has the pandemic strengthened the case for the EU?
The biggest weakness of the EU has been that of vaccines. Start-up has been slow and has suffered from shortages in supply.
This may have fueled marked skepticism about EU membership. The idea that the pandemic has reinforced the arguments in favor of the union is a very minority opinion in each country. More than 40% in Germany, Italy and France believe that it has weakened the arguments in favor of the bloc’s existence.
There is still a long way to go, but Brussels leaders may wait until Europe’s vaccination program ends up offering a more positive outlook for its citizens.
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