Polls apart

By J.S.

IT IS not hard to find reasons why disaffection with the European Union might be growing within Europe. GDP in the euro area has declined for the sixth successive quarter and unemployment is running at record levels in many countries. Germany resents bailing out profligate neighbours and its relationship with France, which has just slipped into recession, is at a low ebb. In Britain, the Conservative prime minister faces one of the periodic uprisings from within his party against membership of the EU. Nonetheless, it is sobering to see a new survey on public opinion in Europe by the Pew Research Centre confirming much of this disgruntlement, and more besides.

When people in eight countries were asked about monetary union and EU membership, fewer were in favour of either than they were when asked a year ago. But it was a question on attitudes to one another that was arguably most revealing, exposing lingering stereotyping, some historical mistrust and a bit of modern-day resentment about economic power. It also appeared to confirm a puzzling finding from a similar Pew survey a year ago: that Greeks' perception of themselves is out of kilter with everyone else's.