EU support surges in big European countries after Brexit vote

[Denzil_DC]

(Reuters) - Support for the European Union has surged to multi-year highs in the bloc's biggest countries following last month's Brexit vote, according to a poll that will disappoint Eurosceptic parties hoping to usher their own nations out of the EU.

In an IFOP poll taken between June 28 and July 6, a few days after Britain's vote to leave the EU, support for EU membership jumped to 81 percent in Germany, a 19 point increase from the last time the question was asked in November 2014.

In France, support surged by 10 points to 67 percent. In both countries, that was the highest level of support since at least December 2010, when IFOP started asking the question.

"Brexit shocked people in the EU," Francois Kraus, head of the political and current affairs service at IFOP, told Reuters on Wednesday.

http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1002A0

IFOP = Institut français d'opinion publique

Not the first set of polls since the Brexit vote to indicate a similar trend.

[Dworkin]

1. Heartening

Denzil,

This is heartening to see.

D.

[TubbersUK]

2. K & R n/t

[Denzil_DC]

3. Related:

Germany's far-right AfD implodes over Brexit, good for Merkel

Support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (Afd) has fallen dramatically amid party infighting, racially-tinged criticism of Germany's popular national soccer team and even a local backlash over Britain's vote to leave the EU.

Analysts said the unexpectedly rapid implosion of the far-right AfD from 15 percent in opinion polls two months ago to a year-low of 8 percent on Wednesday could make it easier for Angela Merkel to retain power in next year's election.

Because Merkel's centre-right conservatives, their centre-left Social Democrat coalition allies and other parties reject any AfD alliance, the populist party's rise had cast doubt on her hopes of finding a partner big enough for a fourth term.

"All of a sudden, the populists aren't looking as attractive anymore," said Hans Vorlaender, political scientist at Dresden's Technical University. He said support was eroding due to bitter squabbling among AfD leaders and second thoughts on Brexit.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-election-afd-idUKKCN0ZT200

UKIP's house newspaper, unsurprisingly, begs to differ:

END OF EU: Fears in Germany that Brexit could lead to break up of European Union

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/691620/Germany-Brexit-Angela-Merkel-European-Union-EU-referendum