Brussels, 04/08/2011 (Agence Europe) - According to the spring 2011 Eurobarometer survey, a six-monthly opinion poll carried out by the EU and published on Thursday 4 August, Europeans are starting to be more optimistic about the economy's outlook with more people saying that the worst of the crisis is behind us. Forty-three percent of Europeans believe that the impact of the crisis on the job market has already reached its peak. That is one percentage point more than in the previous survey in autumn 2010 and 15 percentage points higher than spring 2009. Europeans are also increasingly asking for EU action and stronger European cooperation to tackle the crisis and avoid future problems. Nearly eight out of 10 Europeans think stronger coordination of economic policy among EU member states would be effective in tackling the economic situation.
The Eurobarometer survey (based on individual interviews carried out between 6 and 26 May 2011) shows that optimism is back, according to the authors of the report. There are fewer Europeans today who state that the worse is to come. Thus, the positive trend observed since spring 2009 is gaining ground. The opinion whereby the impact of the economic crisis on the labour market has already peaked is a majority view in 14 member states, especially in Denmark (68%), Estonia (64%) and Austria (62%). The opposite opinion (there is worse to come) predominates in 13 other countries, especially in Portugal (80%) and Greece (78%).
EU is best placed for action. The list of actors that are the best placed for effective action against the effects of the financial and economic crisis has remained almost unchanged since the previous survey in autumn 2010. The EU remains in first place (22% - 1 point), closely followed by the national governments (20%, stable). The G20 (14%, -2) has lost its third place to the International Monetary Fund (15%, stable). The EU is the most widely cited in Greece, Luxembourg and Poland (34% in these three countries). Respondents in Malta (39%), the United Kingdom (35%), Sweden (35%) and France (21%) largely place their confidence in their national governments.
Measures for improving the performance of the European economy. When asked about the best way to improve the economic results of the EU, Europeans (48%) give preference to education and vocational training. The other two initiatives were cited by just over one third of respondents: reducing public deficit and public debt (34%, -1) and facilitating the creation of enterprise (34%, +1). It should be noted that the reduction of public deficit and public debt is the initiative most mentioned in Greece (50%), Hungary (47%), Finland and Slovenia (45% for each) and in the Czech Republic (44%).
Measures for addressing the crisis. Europeans still have a high level of confidence in measures currently under discussion within European institutions to combat the crisis: - all measures proposed are considered effective by over seven Europeans out of ten. Enhanced coordination between member states is thus mentioned by over three quarters of Europeans: at the level of all EU countries (79%, +2 points since autumn 2010; +8 points since January-February 2009), and at eurozone level (78%, +3 points since autumn 2010; +4 points since spring 2010). Europeans want the EU to play a more pronounced role in combating the crisis: - by closely overseeing the activity of the major financial groups and international institutions (77%, +2 points since autumn 2010; +10 points since January-February 2009) and the way public funding is used to support them (78%, +3; +11). Cyprus, Slovakia, Belgium and Spain are the countries that place most confidence in the effectiveness of these measures, while respondents in the United Kingdom, Estonia, Lithuania and Sweden are less enthusiastic.
Global financial market to be reformed. Europeans strongly support the various measures that the EU could adopt in this respect. The strongest level of support is for tougher rules on tax avoidance and tax havens (89%, +1 since autumn 2010) and greater transparency of financial markets (88%, +1). Regulation of wages in the financial sector (such as traders' bonuses) are also supported (82%, +1) and the introduction of a tax on profits made by banks (82%, +1). Over three quarters of Europeans are in favour of strengthening supervision of hedge funds (76%, +3). Support for introducing a financial transaction tax is less clear than in the autumn of 2010 but, nonetheless, 65% of Europeans approve the proposal.
Who acted effectively against the crisis? Europeans are quite critical about the way in which their government has acted to combat the crisis - 57% (+2 points since autumn 2010) consider it has not acted effectively (compared to 38% who believe the contrary, -1). European public opinion is far more divided over measures taken by the EU. Although a relative majority considers the EU has not acted effectively (45%, +1), there are just as many who believe the opposite (44%, -1). The effectiveness of EU measures is largely recognised in Romania (68%), Bulgaria (62%) and Belgium (60%). On the other hand, a majority of respondents is critical about measures taken by the EU in 12 countries, especially in Greece (75% “ineffective”) and Cyprus (66%). (L.C./transl.jl)