A new exclusive poll conducted by Ipsos for Euronews reveals that the European Commission’s approval rating is deeply divided within the EU, with a majority of voters either viewing the Commission’s work negatively or having no opinion. Of the 26,000 EU citizens surveyed across 18 member states, 37% viewed the work of President Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission positively, while 31% viewed it negatively, and 32% did not know. This comes as von der Leyen is expected to seek a second term as Commission President, with the upcoming European Parliamentary elections sparking a race for leadership of the powerful executive branch of the EU.
Despite being named as the lead candidate by the European People’s Party (EPP) and passing a narrow vote of confidence in 2019, von der Leyen has faced criticism for her limited public appearances and reluctance to engage directly with voters. This has resulted in a low perception of her executive across many member states, with only three countries showing a majority of respondents having a positive view of her Commission. France, a founding member state, had the lowest approval rating at just 18%, with negative views also prevalent in countries like Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. The results indicate that around a third of Europeans do not have enough information to form an opinion on the Commission’s work.
The survey also highlights a surge in support for fringe parties, particularly on the far right, that blame Brussels for Europe’s economic and social difficulties, leading to increased scepticism towards the institution. Voters of far-right parties like Rassemblement National in France, Lega in Italy, and AfD in Germany were the most critical of the Commission, with conservative, eurosceptic voters also expressing negativity. Support for the Commission was highest among mainstream center-left Socialist and center-right European People’s Party voters. Populist parties have targeted von der Leyen as a symbol of technocracy to fuel anti-Brussels sentiment, with tactics such as public vilification campaigns.
Despite the challenges faced by the European Commission in terms of public perception, EU membership continues to enjoy broad support across member states. The polling suggests that an average of 62% of respondents view EU membership as a good thing for their country, with support highest in Portugal, Spain, and Denmark, and lowest in countries like the Czech Republic, France, and Italy. Scepticism towards EU membership is strongest among far-right populist party voters, with 37% considering it a bad thing for their country. However, even Eurosceptic voters from groups like the ECR still see EU membership in a positive light, indicating a disconnect between support for the EU itself and approval of the Commission’s work.
The data confirms that the European Commission is the institution most likely to evoke feelings of euroscepticism among voters, with parties on the fringes of the political spectrum capitalizing on this sentiment. The polling shows that both mainstream and fringe parties have differing views on the Commission’s work compared to EU membership, with a significant number of voters holding negative opinions about the Commission while still supporting EU membership. This suggests a complex relationship between public perception of the Commission and attitudes towards the EU as a whole, highlighting the need for the Commission to address issues of transparency, communication, and engagement with citizens to improve its standing in the eyes of the European electorate.
