Manfred Weber, CEO of the Association of German Banks, believes that the knowledge gap is one of the essential causes of the “skepticism and reservations” that Germans have toward the EU. “This lack of knowledge leads to vague ideas and equally vague fears,” Weber told this newspaper. Germans’ opinions of “Europe” in general were predominantly positive, however. Roughly 80 percent expressed pride in being European – almost as many were proud of being German. German citizens also appreciated the economic value of the Single Market and its contribution to prosperity in Germany. They were more cautious, however, regarding concrete EU institutions. Positive and negative attitudes toward “the EU” were almost always on balance, for instance, when questions focused on the advantages and disadvantages of Germany’s EU membership and the merits of the introduction of the Euro.
The public opinion poll confirms the thesis that European integration is a “project of the elites,” or at least that there is greater interest and approval in population groups with a high level of education. Only 36 percent of respondents with only a high school diploma believed in a “common European culture,” whereas 64 percent of college graduates believed in it. The overall opinion of the EU also rose with the education level of the interviewees. The notion that EU membership is disadvantageous for Germany overall was supported by 40 percent of those with only a high school diploma, whereas only 17 percent of college graduates shared this opinion. There was a similar discrepancy in perceptions of the Euro’s ability to advance integration; fifty-seven percent of college graduates thought that the introduction of the Euro strengthened the feeling of a common bond in Europe. Only 29 percent of high school graduates agreed.
Source: “Europa bleibt ein Projekt der Eliten” [“Europe Remains a Project of the Elites”], Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, November 22, 2006.
Translation: Allison Brown
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