DISINFO: Poland, Hungary increasingly disenchanted with EU rule
SUMMARY
Poland and Hungary are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the rule from Brussels. In view of this and the looming prospect of the UK’s exit from the EU, other member states could follow suit and accelerate the bloc’s disintegration.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the EU falling apart - see previous examples here, here and here. In both Poland and Hungary, citizens supporting their country's EU membership outweigh those opposing it by overwhelming margins. According to a Eurobarometer poll conducted in autumn 2018, 70% of Polish respondents said EU membership has been "a good thing" for their country, against 6% taking an opposing view (p. 18). In Hungary, these percentages were 60% and 7%, respectively (ibid.). Moreover, 87% of Poles and 79% of Hungarians opined that their country "has on balance benefited" from EU membership (p. 22), against 7% and 14%, respectively, who disagreed. Concerning the EU as a whole, the positive view of membership stands at 62%, the highest percentage since 1992 (p. 17). Some 68% of EU citizens feel their respective countries have benefited from integration into the bloc, the highest result since the question was first asked in 1983 (p. 21). Crucially, "nearly all general indicators measuring support for the European Union" have spiked since the results of the UK Brexit referendum were announced in summer 2016. Were an EU membership referendum held in a member state, an average 66% of voters would vote to remain. Only 17% would opt to leave (p. 27).