A major Chatham House study examining European attitudes on issues from identity and integration to the future of the EU has been released in June 2017 – a year on from Britain’s vote to leave. Based on a unique survey of more than 10,000 members of the public and 1,800 “influencers” from politics, the media, business and civil society, the study compares these “public” and “elite” attitudes within and across 10 EU countries. The survey was conducted in between December 2016 and February 2017 in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The Future of Europe: Comparing Public and Elite Attitudes reveals both significant divisions and threads of commonality across the continent. Importantly, it shows a lack of consensus among the elite over future EU integration – and a pronounced divide within the public on issues of identity. It highlights the split in attitudes between elites and the public over Europe’s future, but also reveals a surprising alignment in their attitudes in areas such as European solidarity and the EU’s successes and failures.
The Future of Europe: Comparing Public and Elite Attitudes is the result of a project made possible by funding from Stiftung Mercator, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the King Baudouin Foundation and ERSTE Foundation.
