European Union: faced with common challenges, the French demand solidarity

Published on : 12/01/2021 – 07:29 AM

More solidarity between the Member States and a stronger political project, this is what the French expect from the European Union (EU). This is the result of the European barometer Viavoice – Radio France – France Télévisions and France Médias Monde, the first edition of which was published on Wednesday 30 November.

Carried out on the Internet with a representative sample of 2,000 French people, this study appears as France is preparing to take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, from 1^er January 2022.

First of all, it draws up a sad observation: the French remain suspicious of the future of the EU, both economically, socially and geopolitically. At issue: the lack of cohesion between the member countries, which according to the respondents must be remedied: “61% of the French think that the countries of the Union should be more united in the future”, in a context of economic crisis and sanitary.

The French are therefore demanding vis-à-vis the European project, considered “an asset” for “preserving peace” and “defending fundamental rights”. But they also expect Brussels to tackle contemporary challenges, such as the climate crisis. The barometer notes that “73% of French people would be in favor of a European energy policy, 68% of a carbon tax at the borders of Europe”.

More surprisingly, the French believe that the EU has a role to play in the protection of its citizens (“the idea refuted by many leaders of a European army is acclaimed by 63% of the French”) and would like more action on taxation (“62% of them would be in favor of a common European tax system”). “It’s good about a ‘political’ Europe, in the noble sense of the word, that the French call it today, ” the authors of the barometer deduce.