Poll shows huge support for EU in Sweden
AFP - [email protected]
Published: 19 Jun, 2016 CET.
Updated: Sun 19 Jun 2016 12:26 CET
An overwhelming majority of Swedes support the country remaining in the European Union, according to a new poll, undermining claims that a ‘Swexit’ could follow closely on the heels of a British vote to leave.
The poll, carried out by SIFO for the Göteborgs-Posten newspaper, indicated that a full 72 percent of Swedes want their country to remain part of the EU, compared to just 17 percent who want to leave.
Göran von Sydow, the deputy director of the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, said that he would not expect a British vote to leave to radically change Swedish attitudes.
“It probably would not mean a big shift to ‘no’, but it would probably generate greater uncertainty for a number of voters,” he said.
“A British withdrawal would surely lead to uncertainty about what the EU is and how the role of Sweden looks.”
Linda Berg, director of the Center for European Studies at the University of Gothenburg, told the newspaper that the poll reflected a long, gradual decline in euroscepticism in the country.
“We have in fact throughout the 2000s seen a major decline in the proportion of people who are very critical and want Sweden to leave the EU,” she said.
The press in Britain has frequently reported in recent months that Sweden might also leave the EU, basing the claim on a poll by TNS Sifo which showed that in the event of Britain leaving, more Swedes would want to leave than stay in the EU, which was first reported in the UK by the Spectator.
Comments
See Also
The poll, carried out by SIFO for the Göteborgs-Posten newspaper, indicated that a full 72 percent of Swedes want their country to remain part of the EU, compared to just 17 percent who want to leave.
Göran von Sydow, the deputy director of the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, said that he would not expect a British vote to leave to radically change Swedish attitudes.
“It probably would not mean a big shift to ‘no’, but it would probably generate greater uncertainty for a number of voters,” he said.
“A British withdrawal would surely lead to uncertainty about what the EU is and how the role of Sweden looks.”
Linda Berg, director of the Center for European Studies at the University of Gothenburg, told the newspaper that the poll reflected a long, gradual decline in euroscepticism in the country.
“We have in fact throughout the 2000s seen a major decline in the proportion of people who are very critical and want Sweden to leave the EU,” she said.
The press in Britain has frequently reported in recent months that Sweden might also leave the EU, basing the claim on a poll by TNS Sifo which showed that in the event of Britain leaving, more Swedes would want to leave than stay in the EU, which was first reported in the UK by the Spectator.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.