Full results of the
European Youth Poll on the way out of the Debt Crisis For more information please contact Jacob D端ringer Project Manager at the EYP International Office j.dueringer@eyp.org +49-30-28095146
Q1: "Strict austerity measures should be continued as a condition for financial backing to countries in crisis."
A large majority thinks that austerity measures should be continued. In the countries currently receiving financial backing through the European Financial
100,0%
"I agree" (67,4%)
Stability Facility (EFSF), the programmes
"I disagree" (29,8%)
are not very popular, but also not completely despised: 41% favour them, 56%
90,0%
do not think they should continue. Young people from the other Euro area countries,
80,0%
however, favour the programmes by 75%. 70,0%
60,0%
50,0%
"I somewhat agree" 40,0%
30,0%
"I somewhat disagree" 20,0%
"I strongly agree" 10,0%
0,0%
"I strongly disagree"
"Q2: My country should implement saving programmes to solve the crisis."
A large majority agrees to the necessity of saving programmes in their countries. This is also true for the countries currently
100,00%
running strict austerity measures as a condition for financial backing: Young
90,00%
"I agree" (72,3%)
"I disagree" (25,0%)
people from Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus favour saving
80,00%
programmes in their countries by 78%. While the mandatory programmes are rather unpopular in those countries (see
70,00%
Q1), young people do agree in a large majority to the need for saving.
60,00%
50,00%
"I somewhat agree"
40,00%
30,00%
"I somewhat disagree"
20,00%
10,00%
"I strongly agree" 0,00%
"I strongly disagree"
Q3: "As a way out of the crisis, Europe should focus on stimulating economic growth through more investment." 100,00%
While speaking out in favour of saving programmes, young people do not think this alone will solve the crisis. Instead, two thirds believe that Europe should also focus
90,00%
"I agree" (65,9%)
"I disagree" (30,9%)
80,00%
70,00%
60,00%
"I somewhat agree"
50,00%
40,00%
30,00%
"I somewhat disagree" 20,00%
"I strongly agree"
10,00%
"I strongly disagree" 0,00%
on investment.
Q4: "The Euro area countries should start issuing Eurobonds." 100,00%
On the question of Eurobonds, i.e., whether the Euro area countries should issue jointly guaranteed debt, the respondents of the European Youth Poll are split: a majority of
"I agree" (49,0%)
"I disagree" (37,2%)
90,00%
49% is in favour, but a very significant group opposes the idea. With 13,8% of respondents, the number of participants who chose to give “no opinion� on this
80,00%
question was unusually large. 70,00%
60,00%
50,00%
40,00%
"I somewhat agree" "I somewhat disagree"
30,00%
20,00%
"I strongly agree" 10,00%
0,00%
"I strongly disagree"
Q5: "As a general direction, the Euro area should..." 100,00%
On a more fundamental question, namely in which general direction the Euro area should develop, a majority of 56,7% favours a move towards a complete fiscal an economic union. Interestingly, this majority
90,00%
is even greater within the Euro area itself: 64% of the participants from the 17 Euro
80,00%
countries chose this option.
"Complete fiscal and economic union" (56,7%)
"Stay as it is today." (13,2%)
70,00%
"Be broken apart" (22,2%) 60,00%
50,00%
40,00%
30,00%
20,00%
10,00%
0,00%
"Move towards a complete fiscal and economic union."
"Be broken apart, and countries should return to national currencies."
"Stay as it is today."
The clearest majority in the whole survey
Q6: "Even though the negative social impact of the crisis has affected European countries to a different degree, it is the shared responsibility of all countries to tackle it."
thinks the negative social effects of the crisis should be tackled as a common European responsibility. Young people from countries with or without, e.g., high youth unemployment are both in favour of
100,00%
"I disagree" (14,7%)
"I agree" (83,0%) 90,00%
80,00%
"I somewhat agree"
70,00%
60,00%
50,00%
40,00%
30,00%
"I strongly agree"
"I strongly disagree"
20,00%
10,00%
0,00%
"I somewhat disagree"
European solidarity regarding this issue.
Q7: "I feel personally affected by the crisis."
Whether young people feel affected by the crisis greatly depends on where they come from: in the countries receiving EFSF-
100,00%
"I agree" (57,7%)
"I disagree" (40,5%)
90,00%
backing, 88% feel affected. In the other Euro area countries, this number is only 39%. Interestingly, young people from outside the Euro area feel more affected: 59%
80,00%
agreed to this statement.
70,00%
60,00%
50,00%
40,00%
"I somewhat agree"
"I somewhat disagree"
30,00%
20,00%
"I strongly agree" 10,00%
0,00%
"I strongly disagree"
100,00%
Q8: "I think my country's government has too little influence when European decisions are taken about fighting the crisis." "I agree" (61,6%)
"I disagree" (33,9%)
90,00%
61,6% think that their government does not have enough influence when it comes to European decisions. This does also greatly change between countries: In Germany and France, only 10% of young people think their governments have too little influence. On the other hand, young people from
80,00%
Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Cyprus think so by a strong majority of 84%. Also,
70,00%
young people from countries from outside the Euro area feel their countries are left out of the decision making: 76% think they have
60,00%
too little influence.
"I somewhat agree" 50,00%
40,00%
30,00%
"I somewhat disagree" 20,00%
10,00%
0,00%
"I strongly agree" "I strongly disagree"
Q9: "I trust that political decision makers will find a way to solve this crisis." 100,00%
"I agree" (38,2%)
"I disagree" (58,3%)
90,00%
80,00%
70,00%
60,00%
50,00%
40,00%
"I somewhat disagree"
30,00%
"I somewhat agree" 20,00%
"I strongly disagree"
10,00%
"I strongly agree" 0,00%
The trust in political decision makers to solve the crisis is not very strong – but neither has it completely disappeared.
Q10: "Regarding the current overall state of European integration, I think‌." 100,00%
We asked this question already in the last European Youth Poll in February. Since then, the results have shifted towards a more favourable stand in regards to European integration. 59,8% now want to
90,00%
see more (+5,8%). Interestingly, both other options also grew slightly (Less integration: +0,3%; Integration as it is today: +0,7%). The
80,00%
70,00%
"More integration" "Less integration" (22,5%) (59,8%)
"Integration as today" (13,5%)
amount of people who gave no opinion in turn decreased – maybe a sign that more people are making up their minds on the topic.
60,00%
50,00%
40,00%
30,00%
20,00%
10,00%
0,00%
"...there should be more integration (more decisions on the European level)"
"...there should be less integration (more decisions on the national level)"
...integration should stay as it is today
Q11: "Generally, the EU should be enlarged through the accession of more countries." 100,00%
The opinion on allowing more countries to enter the EU has slightly changed slightly against new members since we asked the same question in February (50,9% were in favour of new accessions then). The opinion
90,00%
differs between young people from the 27 countries that already belong to the EU
80,00%
(only 42% want new members) and the other European countries, where – despite the crisis – 70% think new members should
70,00%
"I agree" (48,3%)
"I disagree" (46,3%)
60,00%
50,00%
"I somewhat agree" 40,00%
"I somewhat disagree"
30,00%
20,00%
"I strongly agree" 10,00%
0,00%
"I strongly disagree"
join the Union.