Young, Portuguese, Green voters most in favour of stronger EU: exclusive poll

As European voters prepare for elections in June, just over one in five want to see Brussels gain stronger powers, according to a Euronews-Ipsos poll published today.

Young, Portuguese and Green – those are the voters most likely to favour handing extra powers to the EU, according to an exclusive poll produced for Euronews.

As Europe prepares for June elections, and faces major challenges including the green transition, rising prices, and war, Ipsos asked thousands of voters in countries representing 96% of the EU population on their detailed political views.

Just over one in five of respondents (22%) want to hand stronger powers to the EU, while nearly half (46%) favour strengthening their own country’s decision-making, Ipsos found.

The poll commissioned by Euronews – which interviewed 25,916 people in 18 countries over the phone and online, between 23 February and 5 March – represents the first pan-European survey of its kind ahead of the elections due to take place from 6 to 9 June.

With nearly 400 million eligible to vote, the process to select 720 Members of the European Parliament will be one of the world’s largest democratic exercises.

Of the 18 EU member states polled by Ipsos, pro-European sentiment is strongest in Portugal, where over one in three (36%) look to Brussels to fix the major challenges ahead – while 63% of voters in France would rather have decisions taken in Paris.

With 41% of its voters in favour of more EU powers, the EU’s Green coalition – which also includes regionalist parties from places such as Corsica and Catalonia – are the most pro EU of all political groups.

In contrast, nearly two thirds (65%) of voters for the right-wing ECR and four-fifths (78%) of the ID want to see problems dealt with by individual capitals, conforming to those parties’ nationalist credentials.

One quarter of younger people (18-29) want a stronger EU, but that proportion falls to just 20% for the older 50-64 cohort.

The results mirror wider projections that show a shift away from the pro-European green and liberal parties towards the radical right – which is likely to stymie Brussels’ decision-making for the next five years, even if a pro-European majority remains in place.

In France, the centrist grouping of President Emmanuel Macron is projected by Ipsos to lose six MEPs. National Rally, run by his eurosceptic rival Marine Le Pen, could gain ten, becoming the joint largest party in the European Parliament.

Respondents to Ipsos’ survey were asked how they wanted to fix “major challenges ahead” – and there’s certainly plenty of them on policymakers’ plates.

The EU has passed landmark new laws to combat climate change – but its plans to cut emissions by 55% by 2030 are meeting rising opposition from farmers.

As war rages in Ukraine, incumbent European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made the bloc’s defence a priority for a hoped-for second term in office – though military policy is normally seen as a national issue.