Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future
Ten years on from the referendum, the British electorate has moved on from its old divisions and—in a world of crisis—is embracing an ambitious move back towards the European Union
Public opinion polling
The ‘Unlock Europe’s Majority’ project aims at pushing back against the rise of anti-Europeanism that threatens to weaken Europe and its influence in the world. Through polling in EU member states, ECFR’s analysis seeks to unlock shifting coalitions in Europe that favour a more internationally engaged union.
Featured
Home alone: Europeans are ready to defend themselves
A major ECFR poll finds the European public, in a time of rupture, thinking differently and questioning old assumptions. It reveals new political space available to their leaders (for now) and challenges them to use it
The European archipelago: Building bridges in a post-Western Europe
In the second Trump era, Europe urgently needs to secure its autonomy. Leaders must therefore link together different islands of European public opinion to establish strong majorities for action
Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future
Ten years on from the referendum, the British electorate has moved on from its old divisions and—in a world of crisis—is embracing an ambitious move back towards the European Union
Home alone: Europeans are ready to defend themselves
A major ECFR poll finds the European public, in a time of rupture, thinking differently and questioning old assumptions. It reveals new political space available to their leaders (for now) and challenges them to use it
Why Orban and Hungary are not one and the same
ECFR’s new public opinion polling reveals most Hungarians do not share Orban’s views on Hungary’s place in the world. If the opposition wins the election on April 12th, the new government will have a mandate to reorientate the country’s foreign policy towards Europe
30
Mar
European Power
Il Circolo dell’ECFR – ARCHIPELAGO EUROPE: The European public opinion on defense and post-Western disorder
Il focus di questa edizione de Il Circolo dell’ECFR è l‘opinione pubblica europea di fronte al disordine post-occidentale. La discussione è partita dal policy brief “The European archipelago: Building bridges in a post-Western Europe”, a firma di Pawel Zerka e Célia Belin, rispettivamente Senior Policy Fellow di ECFR e Direttrice dell’ufficio di Parigi e Senior…
The European archipelago: Building bridges in a post-Western Europe
In the second Trump era, Europe urgently needs to secure its autonomy. Leaders must therefore link together different islands of European public opinion to establish strong majorities for action
How Trump is making China great again—and what it means for Europe
A post-Western world is learning to love China, while Europeans are starting to fear America
European Power
The World in 2026: Global Public Opinion One Year into the Second Trump Presidency
How do publics around the world view geopolitics one year into the second Trump presidency? ECFR’s 2024 polling revealed that many middle-power societies welcomed Trump’s return to the White House. Yet twelve months on, perceptions of power, polarity, and alignment have shifted towards a multipolar, post-Western world. On the day of the launch of ECFR’s fourth Global Public Opinion Survey, this webinar will reveal how publics across 21 countries including China, India, Turkey, Russia, the…
Trump’s European revolution
A major new ECFR poll shows how, six months in, the US president is reshaping European politics and the continent’s geopolitical identity
European Power
Defence without America? What Europeans are (and aren’t) ready for
Days before a high-stakes NATO summit, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) hosts to a timely webinar on European public attitudes towards Europe’s defence, the first turbulent months of President Trump’s new term, and the capacity of Europe to respond to a changing transatlantic reality. This webinar will launch our brand-new public opinion report,…
ECFR launches new public opinion data hub on foreign policy insights
Berlin – The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) today launched its new data platform, an open-access repository designed to unlock the wealth of information from…
Publications
Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future
Ten years on from the referendum, the British electorate has moved on from its old divisions and—in a world of crisis—is embracing an ambitious move back towards the European Union
Home alone: Europeans are ready to defend themselves
A major ECFR poll finds the European public, in a time of rupture, thinking differently and questioning old assumptions. It reveals new political space available to their leaders (for now) and challenges them to use it
The European archipelago: Building bridges in a post-Western Europe
In the second Trump era, Europe urgently needs to secure its autonomy. Leaders must therefore link together different islands of European public opinion to establish strong majorities for action
How Trump is making China great again—and what it means for Europe
A post-Western world is learning to love China, while Europeans are starting to fear America
Trump’s European revolution
A major new ECFR poll shows how, six months in, the US president is reshaping European politics and the continent’s geopolitical identity
Transatlantic twilight: European public opinion and the long shadow of Trump
A new ECFR poll points to Europeans’ widespread (but not universal) reassessment of the transatlantic relationship, and extensive opportunities for the new US president to divide them if they do not work together
Alone in a Trumpian world: The EU and global public opinion after the US elections
Citizens of global powers are upbeat about a second Trump presidency – but this is by no means universal, particularly among traditional US allies
The cross-Channel reset: Trump, Putin, and shifting EU-UK opinion
Voters in both the UK and major EU states are open to compromise. Leaders on both sides of the Channel should use this political space for an ambitious reset
The meaning of sovereignty: Ukrainian and European views of Russia’s war on Ukraine
New research confirms Ukrainians’ determination to fight and Europeans’ steady support for Kyiv. But a major divide lurks beneath this appearance of unity
A new political map: Getting the European Parliament election right
Mainstream parties are hoping to prevent an anticipated far-right surge in this year’s European Parliament election. But the results of ECFR’s latest opinion poll suggest their current strategy could backfire – and what they should do instead
Articles
Why Orban and Hungary are not one and the same
ECFR’s new public opinion polling reveals most Hungarians do not share Orban’s views on Hungary’s place in the world. If the opposition wins the election on April 12th, the new government will have a mandate to reorientate the country’s foreign policy towards Europe
Why should anyone care? Foreign policy and public opinion
There are at least six reasons why public opinion on foreign policy should matter more today than it did in the past
Edge of the Atlantic: Portugal’s presidency of the EU Council
Faced with a growing Sino-American rivalry and a world in which US power may be diminishing, Portugal will have to decide how to maintain its traditional Atlanticism while increasingly focusing on Europe
Is Atlanticist Denmark turning more European?
Donald Trump may have done lasting damage to the United States’ reputation even in pro-American Denmark
How to spend it: Why Germany is saying goodbye to frugality
Germany, together with France, aims to play a decisive role in the reconstruction of the post-coronavirus world
Sweden’s climate carol: From Ebenezer Scrooge to Greta Thunberg
The Swedish government has more room than it thinks to champion the EU recovery fund – and thereby nurture pro-Europeanism, rather than Euroscepticism, among Swedish voters
Three reasons why Denmark could transform its relationship with the EU
New survey data from ECFR and Think Tank EUROPA reveal why Danes may be abandoning some of their traditional attitudes towards EU policy
A fundamental fight: The frugal four and the rule of law
The ‘frugal four’ are showing an admirable commitment to defending the rule of law. But they bear some responsibility in Hungary and Poland
The Swede spot: Why Stockholm needs flexible coalitions
Sweden needs to stay flexible – and avoid getting stuck in one coalition – if it wants to use its power in the EU to the fullest
The frugal blues: An underappreciated threat to the European project
It would be premature to conclude that the frugal four are, or will remain, happy about the EU’s budgetary deal
Specials
What Europeans really want: Five myths debunked
New ECFR/YouGov research reveals huge fluidity in current voting intentions: 70 percent of Europeans certain to vote are yet to make their choice. Nearly 100m swing voters are up for grabs
The 2019 European election: How anti-Europeans plan to wreck Europe and what can be done to stop it
Summary With anti-Europeans on their way to winning more than one-third of seats in the next European Parliament, the stakes in the May 2019 election…
Podcasts
Keeping America close, Russia down, and China far away: How Europeans navigate a competitive world
Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Puglierin and Pawel Zerka to analyse the results of the latest polling report
United West, divided from the rest: Global public opinion one year into Russia’s war on Ukraine
Mark Leonard, Timothy Garton Ash, and Ivan Krastev discuss the main findings of ECFR’s latest opinion poll
Peace versus Justice: The coming European split over the war in Ukraine
New ECFR research reveals that Europe’s remarkable unity in the early days of the war is under threat from an emerging split – between those who want peace as soon as possible and those who favour justice for Ukraine
What future for the transatlantic alliance?
How well does the transatlantic alliance still fit with the way that Europe and the United States now see their goals in foreign policy?
How Europeans see Biden’s America
How do Europeans assess the future of transatlantic relations?
Europe’s pandemic politics: How the virus has changed the public’s worldview
As covid-19 raged, speculation grew that the crisis would re– strengthen public support for the state; faith in…
Europe’s way out of the coronavirus crisis: from self-interest to solidarity?
The coronavirus crisis brought about financial hardship for the European Union, and many agree that a recovery fund would be needed to overcome it. In…
Expecting the Unexpected?: the UK & the 2019 European elections
Listen on Mixcloud At our recent event in London, ECFR’s Director Mark Leonard and MEP candidates Laura Parker, Jan…
United States of Europe? Panel with German EU election candidates
Listen on Mixcloud At the Humbold Symposium 2019 in Berlin, ECFR’s director Mark Leonard moderated a panel discussion with…
L’avenir de la démocratie en Europe
Podcast de notre conférence du 24 avril « L'avenir de la démocratie en Europe » en partenariat avec la Revue Esprit, en présence…
Events
30
Mar
European Power
Il Circolo dell’ECFR – ARCHIPELAGO EUROPE: The European public opinion on defense and post-Western disorder
Il focus di questa edizione de Il Circolo dell’ECFR è l‘opinione pubblica europea di fronte al disordine post-occidentale. La discussione è partita dal policy brief “The European archipelago: Building bridges in a post-Western Europe”, a firma di Pawel Zerka e Célia Belin, rispettivamente Senior Policy Fellow di ECFR e Direttrice dell’ufficio di Parigi e Senior…
European Power
The World in 2026: Global Public Opinion One Year into the Second Trump Presidency
How do publics around the world view geopolitics one year into the second Trump presidency? ECFR’s 2024 polling revealed that many middle-power societies welcomed Trump’s return to the White House. Yet twelve months on, perceptions of power, polarity, and alignment have shifted towards a multipolar, post-Western world. On the day of the launch of ECFR’s fourth Global Public Opinion Survey, this webinar will reveal how publics across 21 countries including China, India, Turkey, Russia, the…
European Power
Defence without America? What Europeans are (and aren’t) ready for
Days before a high-stakes NATO summit, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) hosts to a timely webinar on European public attitudes towards Europe’s defence, the first turbulent months of President Trump’s new term, and the capacity of Europe to respond to a changing transatlantic reality. This webinar will launch our brand-new public opinion report,…
European Power
European views on a second Trump presidency: Time for pragmatism
The re-election of President Trump sent shockwaves across Europe and around the world. From a global perspective, Europeans are seemingly alone in their pessimism about a second Trump mandate compared to people in other countries around the world. But what does the picture look like if we zoom-in on Europe? This…
European Power
World views on a second Trump presidency: Alliances, adversaries, and opportunities
As the world prepares for a second Trump presidency and its transformative impact on the global order, Europe faces an urgent need to not only reassess its transatlantic ties but also to rethink engagement with other powers on its path to strategic interdependence. This event which will explore the findings of public opinion polling conducted…
European Security
Still standing together: A NATO summit on Ukraine’s fate
As leaders are about to take pivotal decisions for Ukraine’s fate at the NATO summit, join us for a discussion about pathways and policy options for Ukraine’s future and European Defence, based on ECFR’s latest public opinion. This webinar will delve into the nuanced public perceptions of the war in Ukraine in Ukraine itself, Switzerland, the UK as well as…
European Security
The Morning After: Analysing the Results of the French Election
As France discovers the new making of its national assembly, this webinar will analyse the election results and reflect on their impact on a geopolitical Europe. At a time when the continent must project unity and strength in the face of Russian aggression, what will the election mean for France’s foreign policy and Europe more…
European Power
ECFR’s Election Insights: Implications for Europe’s foreign policy agenda
This webinar will provide a snapshot analysis of election results and their implications for Europe’s foreign policy and security agenda. Featuring perspectives from selected ECFR offices across European capitals, the discussion will explore election outcomes in key EU member states – Bulgaria, France, Germany and Italy – and examine how the political reconfigurations in Brussels,…
European Power
European Elections and beyond: Crafting Europe’s new geopolitical agenda
Amid a volatile geopolitical environment, ECFR’s recent public opinion poll ahead of the European elections shows that a geopolitical case for Europe resonates with voters, in particular against the backdrop of Trump’s potential re-election. Our panel will respond to these preferences and discuss the geopolitical trajectory for Europe in the next institutional cycle. Looking ahead to a…
Wider Europe
How to convince the European public to enlarge the EU
This event will discuss new polling data of six key EU member states in the enlargement debate (Germany, France, Denmark, Austria, Poland, Romania) and reveal what voters think about the geopolitical imperative of EU enlargement
In the media
Jana Puglierin, Arturo Varvelli, and Pawel Zerka on the state of the transatlantic relationship
Foreign Affairs cites the Ukraine Unlock polling
Euractiv quotes the new Unlock reporting on Ukraine public opinion