MOSCOW, July 25 (RIA Novosti) – The majority of German citizens and more than a half of British and French citizens are opposed to the idea of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine joining the European Union, according to the results of a poll by ICM Research.
The poll was conducted in Germany, France and the UK, and reveals that Germany has the largest number of people who do not approve of the idea of the EU accepting Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine as new members. Seventy-one percent of German respondents said they were not in favor of the idea.
The situation in France and the UK was significantly different, with 38 percent in both countries voting in support of the three countries’ inclusion to the EU. However, 47 percent of the French and 45 percent of the British were still against the potential newcomers.
The poll data revealed that in the UK, it is mostly young people between the ages of 18 to 24 who supported the idea of the EU expansion – 53 percent of them are in favor of it. It is the people over 65 who oppose the idea, as 62 percent of them said no to the potential new members.
Similarly, 55 percent of 16-24-year-olds in France voted for welcoming new nations into the EU. Sixty percent of people over 55 responded negatively.
The polls in Germany, France and the UK were conducted from July 11 to 24 and involved 3,007 individuals (1,000 in the UK; 1,006 in Germany; 1,001 in France). All respondents were above 16 years old in Germany and France, and above 18 years old in the UK.
On June 27 Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine signed association agreements with the European Union that presupposes the creation of a free trade zone with the EU. Moldova and Georgia have already ratified the document. The three countries need to implement reforms in order to comply with the EU’s requirements.
