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IRISH PEOPLE CONSIDER Denmark to be the EU country most like Ireland, according to a new poll.
The Scandinavian nation was closely followed by Spain and then Portugal in the rankings, which did not feature near neighbour the UK due to its departure from the bloc.
The results from the latest The Journal/Ireland Thinks European Elections series, published today, also show that a clear majority of people believe the UK was wrong to leave the EU.
A total of 15% of people chose Denmark, followed by 13% for Spain and 9% for Portugal. These were followed by the Netherlands at 9% and Poland on 8%.
The majority of age groups also chose Denmark when asked in the poll. It was the main option among people aged 35-54 and by over-65s. Meanwhile, those aged 55-64 chose Spain (15%) but this was closed followed by Denmark (14%).
Denmark and Ireland joined the European Economic Community (now the EU) at the same time in 1973. However, it is not part of the eurozone. At 5.9 million, the population of the Scandinavian country is also higher than Ireland’s 5.1 million but the countries do have other statistical similarities, such as a high life expectancy and low unemployment rate.
When broken down by political party, supporters of the Social Democrats (20%), Aontú (17%) and Fine Gael (16%) and Fianna Fáil (15%) were those most likely to view Denmark as the closest to a kindred spirit.
For Green Party supporters, almost one in four of their voters viewed Ireland as most similar to the Netherlands.
Labour supporters were torn between Netherlands and Austria at 12% apiece, while Sinn Féin (16%) and Solidarity-People Before Profit (29%) voters selected Spain.
Among people voting for Independents and Others, Denmark was most selected at 20%.
However, Poland — which has a strong recent history of migration with Ireland — ranked much higher with Independents and Others than compared with other groups. Similarly, Solidarity-People Before Profit and Aontú voters were also more likely to select Poland.
The reverse was the case in Munster where almost one-in-five voters chose Denmark, while 17% of people in the rest of Leinster chose the Scandinavians.
The final region polled was Connaught and Ulster, where 16% of those polled selected Spain.
Denmark also ranked highest among voters earning between €20,000-€30,000 per year and those in the €50,000-€80,000 bracket.
Highest earning voters, who make more than €80,000 per year, viewed Ireland as most like Portugal. Those earning less than €20,000 opted for France when asked.
Responses mirrored the overall picture among voters depending on their housing tenure, except for those renting from their council. Up to 24% of this cohort selected Spain, followed by Poland (13%) and France (12%).
People were also asked what they think about Brexit, eight years on from the pivotal vote — a total of 68% said they think it was a bad idea for Britain to leave the EU. Just 22% said they thought it was the right idea, while 10% said they weren’t sure.
This view was widely shared among Irish party supporters but with some exceptions: 48% of Aontú supporters said they felt the UK was right to leave the EU, with just 33% disagreeing (a further 19% were unsure).
A majority of voters for Independents and Others (57%) also believe the UK was right to vote to leave the EU.
The type of housing tenure someone had was also a key factor in deciding their position, with renters in particular showing more agreement with the UK’s decision.
The Journal/Ireland Thinks series of polls is running each month ahead of the European Parliament elections in June. It will continue to explore voter intentions, measure Irish public sentiment towards the EU on a number of issues and highlight any potential opinion gaps between different demographics of Irish society on matters important to them.
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This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work are the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.
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Yes, and they’re the only other EU country with an opt-out of the EU migration pacts also, which they utilised to great success.
It just means enforcing pre-existing laws. Something that our Dept of Justice can’t or won’t do for some reason.
(Denmark CHOSE to opt in to the temporary Ukrainian asylum pact)
@Finn Barr: You’re obsessed with immigration
Ha! I’ve been to Denmark, and I have spent a lot of time in Spain (not as a tourist)… And I can confirm, there’s no place like Ireland.
@Seriously Really: I’m just curious if you don’t mind, what are the main differences between the three countries that make Ireland a better place than Denmark or Spain for you? xxx
@mariona l: To be pedantic, Seriously Really didn’t say that Ireland was better, just that there is no place like it.
(Although that might have been the intention.)
@Seriously Really: Yes, I wish they’d asked Irish people whether they’d been to the other countries for more than a fortnight’s holiday!
No countries are quite alike. I think some respondents chose a country that they spent pleasant holidays in. The Danes make an intensive use of their agricultural land. Their cities are zoned and carefully landscaped. Danish personality attitudes may be very different from Irish.
If only our country was as progressive. Imagine living in a country with good public services.
No reporting on attempted child abduction in dublin by migrant yesterday any news journal
@david duncan: do a Google search for “attempted abduction dublin” and you’ll find all the reports you need, even by the Journal.ie. Just because you didn’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.
@Oretani Wildlife: I was curious and try to find myself.
The reports you’re talking about seem to be all from last week.
David is talking about yesterday and all I could find are some stories on “X” with an “EXCLUSIVE” interview by right-wing buddy Gavin Pepper.
Why does ‘TEAM IRELAND not recognise irish people !??
“Denmark supports a high standard of living—its per capita gross national product is among the highest in the world—with well-developed social services. The economy is based primarily on service industries, trade, and manufacturing; only a tiny percentage of the population is engaged in agriculture and fishing.”
@Thesaltyurchin: Is that a quote, & from where? True enough that Irish people aren’t as interested in fishing – historical reasons there – but we have a large agricultural economy, surely?
You have an incorrect spelling there for Connacht FYI.
Interesting that Labour supporters have an affinity with that reservoir of the far-right.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: Denmark a reservoir of the far-right? What a ludicrous comment. Its government consists of social democrats, liberals and moderates.
Of all the established parties in Ireland, SF attracts the most support from those with right-wing views on immigration etc.
@Brendan O’Brien: Read my comment again, Brendan.
Read.
And try to understand.
@Brendan O’Brien: That’s because those people were too ignorant to realise that Sinn Fein are a pro immigration party up until recent events. That was always going to come and SF don’t know how to deal with it.
@Brendan O’Brien: yet their policy is open boarders
A Dubliner dies and goes to heaven, St Peter shows him his new mansion as he always wanted, a park to walk the dogs, a leasing centre, there was no heat, no cold, no sickness, just pure peace and quiet as he always wished. He sat in the benches watching people walk their dogs, played football with others. He got bored after a week, asking St Peter if he could see he’ll. St Peter told him that there’s a days package to visit he’ll, just go to the lift, press the 666 and wait to go down.
When the doors opened , there’s was party music playing, a Vegas casino, people serving drinks, weed, his old friends were there. He hit the jackpot at the a lot machine, got drunk, stoned, got lucky with a devil girl.
At 6am he came back drunk to heaven and asked St Peter to take out his name off heaven, that he was going to hell: “All what you wished while you were alive, peace, security, health, you got it here in heaven, if I do this, there will be no turning back” St Peter warned him. “So what, it’s boring here, back home I had to hustle, I had adrenaline, I got nothing here”.
The Dubliner went back to the lift, pressed 666, but when the doors opened, there was no Vegas, no music, no friends, drinks, no fun, just 7 giant burning pots. A demon grabbed him with his trident and put him into a burning pot. The Dubliner suffering shouted for the Devil, he appeared saying “what do you want?”..”Devil, I was here yesterday and I had a lot of fun, now I’m getting screwed, what’s the story man?”.. “well, let that be a lesson that one thing is being a tourist and the other is being an immigrant”.
@J Ven: eejit.
@bruce banner. Never mind good, I’d settle for living in a country with public services.
more eu propaganda….bit like Hitler in the late 30′s
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