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With just ten days to go until the United Kingdom votes whether to remain in the European Union, have we learnt enough to understand the main drivers of Euroscepticism in Europe? Is it easy to find answers to address the concerns of Eurosceptics? A recent study by the Pew Research Center shines an interesting light on this trend, but is it enough to solve this brain teaser? In my view, there is neither a simple explanation nor as easy solution to address it.

Rather than simply seeing one Member State pitted against the other the Pew Research Center’s study shows that there are huge differences of opinion within countries. For example, the French are the second most Eurosceptic population after the Greeks with only 38% supporting the EU, but they are the most numerous (34%) ready to transfer more powers to the EU.

If you think that the EU should lean more toward the left or the right in order to increase support, there is also no easy solution. Euroscepticism is not necessarily a left or right wing party divide. In the UK, 69% of people who are left wing support the EU but in Spain 59% of the right wing support the EU compare to 35% of those from the left. Following? No? I’m not surprised!

The more I studied the results of the research, the more I wondered just where I fit into the findings. I share the view of 92% of Greeks who disagree with the EU’s economic policies. Austerity measures have created huge resentment, and Brussels has been used as an unwilling scapegoat by many capitals. However, I am at odds with them because of my support for the EU’s attempts to handle the humanitarian crisis, which 94% of Greeks disapprove of.

Despite discrepancies between and within Member States, one thing is crystal clear; at just 51%, the overall level of support for the EU is extremely underwhelming. My call to pro-Europeans is to take heed of this warning, listen to people’s concerns and work with them to find sustainable solutions rather than jumping to conclusions.

Let’s engage!

Pierre Baussand, Director