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Column People don’t trust Europe – but that can be changed

The EU can restore trust by pursuing evidence-based policies that will put people first – namely by setting targets for the real economy, humanitarian aid, and social justice, writes Tom McDonnell.

EUROBAROMETER SURVEY DATA suggests that European Union (EU) citizens no longer trust the EU as an institution. Only 33 per cent of respondents profess a tendency to trust the EU, whereas 57 per cent have a tendency not to trust the EU. Distrust is even higher in Germany (59 per cent); the United Kingdom (69 per cent), Spain (72 per cent) and Greece (81 per cent). The European Council and especially the European Central Bank (ECB) appear to be particularly distrusted across the EU.

Does such a high level of distrust call the EU’s very democratic legitimacy into question?

As it happens, the same survey also tells us that less than half of all respondents in 14 out of 27 member states express satisfaction with the way democracy works (or doesn’t work) at the EU level. A two-to-one majority of European citizens did not feel their interests were taken into account by the EU. Despite this, and although support is waning across the EU, the United Kingdom is the only country with an absolute majority believing their country would fare better outside the EU.

So EU citizens, on average, don’t trust the EU and don’t feel their vote counts in the EU – yet the majority still wish to remain members. What might explain this apparent contradiction?

Mixed reasons for membership

Each of the 27 countries had its own unique reasons for attaching itself to the supranational project in the first place. The original six members had ample motivation to finally break the self-destructive cycle of warfare that from time-to-time would engulf and impoverish Western Europe.

Ireland’s desire to join was at least in part an attempt to break out from under the economic shadow of the United Kingdom. The nascent democracies of Spain, Portugal and Greece saw the EU as a bulwark against fascism. The ten former eastern bloc countries were all partially motivated to join the EU because of the protection it seemed to offer from a potentially resurgent Russia. Economic considerations were a motivation in all cases. The EU symbolised prosperity, safety and competence.

It is this perception that EU membership offers safety, prosperity and improved living standards to its citizens that underlies much of the support for continued membership.

Leaders have shown incompetence, complacency and arrogance

Unfortunately the European project and the aspirations of EU citizens have been ill-served by the EU’s 21st century leaders. The EU’s leaders have collectively shown enormous incompetence, complacency, and arrogance in dealing with the crisis. It is revealing that the technocrats at the International Monetary Fund have been far less dogmatic and rigid throughout the crisis than the European Commission. The Commission has become synonymous with the word ‘conditionality’, and clung to the idea of expansionary fiscal contraction long after it became discredited by the IMF amongst others.

Hostility to the EU and to the European project has increased as it becomes more and more identified with the policies of austerity – and with the declining living standards and the increase in poverty that those policies cause. Banks have been bailed out at horrendous expense. The euro area has 12 per cent unemployment. A minimalist response to the debt crisis has been the order of the day. The Greek and Cypriot economies are in freefall. Recriminations between credit and debtor nations have increased. EMU design flaws remain. And so on. Policymakers have failed to protect the people of Europe.

It’s easy to look abroad for blame

To an extent this criticism is unfair. The EU doesn’t have a central leadership in the same way as a proper nation state. There are 27 national factions each with their own national interests. It is sometimes too easy to look abroad for blame. For example, unlike Ireland, the UK fully controls its own macroeconomic policy. Yet the EU has become a daily whipping boy in the British media. Hostility to the EU has reached such a level that the Prime Minister has been forced to throw his party the red meat of a promised referendum on EU membership. A lost referendum on EU membership in the UK could be the spark that precipitates a wider unravelling.

Trust is contingent. It is easy to lose and once lost it is difficult to recover. How can the EU restore the trust of the people whose quality of life it purports to safeguard?

The people need to be put first

The EU can restore trust by pursuing evidence based policies that will put people first. The fiscal compact sets binding targets for debt and deficits. We already have centralised targets for inflation. Yet where are the binding targets for the real economy? Where are the humanitarian and social justice targets? The fiscal compact should be supplemented with a social compact that explicitly creates hard targets for employment creation and poverty reduction – ie for achieving what European people actually want – a better quality of life.

The EU’s economic policy should give primacy to these goals. This will require greater cooperation between countries. A centralised banking union with deposit guarantees and independent resolution mechanisms has long been needed to shield European taxpayers from the costs of saving banks. Greater policy cooperation and higher minimum standards are needed to combat tax evasion and the blight of tax havens. A range of solutions (eg here and here) have been variously proposed to resolve the triple sovereign, banking and real economy crises.

Current policies are undermining a potential recovery. If complacency persists and the crisis is left to fester then trust will continue to fall. Without public support the European project itself will eventually fail. In the end it is the pursuit of credible policies that will improve the lives of ordinary people that will restore faith in the European project. It is time we started pursuing them.

Tom McDonnell is a  policy analyst with TASC.  He has also lectured in Economics at NUI Galway between 2005 and 2010.

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59 Comments
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    Mute ...
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:12 PM

    Go on home to your sexy wives !

    178
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    Mute Yeah Ok
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:13 PM

    If the Swedish government need someone to go over to Sweden and have lots of sex with lots of sexy blonde Swedish women I’m game. Willing to do my bit to help the world.

    151
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    Mute Peter Fechter
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:06 PM

    I think Sweden might just have bigger fish to fry than Coitus right now…and for many years to come….

    121
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    Mute Sue
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:10 PM

    There is probably a lack of consensual sex going on in fairness.
    But at least society isn’t too white anymore! Yucky Caucasians!

    97
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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:17 PM

    It’s funny I spend half the year surrounded by Approx 1,500 Swedes and none of them seem to think they have the issues you regularly highlight! Maybe living there they know something you don’t

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:05 PM
    40
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    Mute Roly Burkinshaw
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    Jul 29th 2016, 7:11 PM

    Plenty of sex going on …if being held down in an ally and gang raped by 6 Muslims counts ??

    37
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    Mute Dan Wikström
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    Jul 29th 2016, 10:41 PM

    We’re to busy having our coffee breaks (Fika) and judge people who earn more than us. And wish someone else would do something about it.

    6
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    Mute sean byrne
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:08 PM

    No sex please, we’re multicultural.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:51 AM

    Multiculchies you mean?

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    Mute Methodical Insanity
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:46 PM

    Might have something to do with the fact that they’ve spent decades demonising traditionally “masculine” behaviour and possibly even broken the native Swedish men to the point were they’re probably afraid they might be considered a sex offender for daring to so much as even flirt with a woman. Meanwhile, they’ve imported an actual real life rape culture, let it run wild and free, and done everything in their power is done to cover this up. There seems to be plenty of sex happening in Sweden. It just isn’t consensual and Swedish men aren’t usually getting any.

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    Mute Dan Wikström
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    Jul 29th 2016, 10:42 PM

    Call me feminine again, and I swear I will hit you with my handbag. Behave.

    19
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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:16 PM

    If you’re talking about sex then you’re not getting any.

    80
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    Mute Tommy Gunn
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:27 PM

    The imported enrichers are having loads of “sex”with local Swedish women

    62
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    Mute Dave Smith
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:57 PM

    Sweden has broken their men , they are ladyboys now compared to their Viking heritage. Maybe their women are hoping to get some action from the new invaders?

    61
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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:09 PM

    So, does the Swedish government want to encourage its citizens to have more sex? if so, I wonder how they’ll go about that.

    55
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    Mute Gerry with a J
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:39 PM

    I’d imagine they’ll just do what our government do to us and f*(k them when they’re least expecting it.

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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:40 PM

    Tax incentives.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:48 AM

    No, it will be an excuse to add more migrants to their population?

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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:22 PM

    Swedish Blondes having less sex!!! I think the country needs more Psychiatrists for the male population.

    44
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    Mute Matthew Whelan
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:37 PM

    There just worried if they’ll be a minority in 40 years to come!

    44
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    Mute Cillian McCormick
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:13 PM

    But their wives are so sexy.

    43
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    Mute Les McQueen
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    Jul 29th 2016, 4:43 PM

    Until they become your wife….

    58
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    Mute Aidan Holland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:57 PM

    I actually find this incredibly sad men in Sweden now are probably afraid to talk to woman due to the radical feminist movement in that country. The one bright spot is there a new kind of men in Sweden now and believe me girls they wont take no for an answer

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    Mute John Ward
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:50 PM

    Swedes eh? Well, that’s a turnip for the book!

    28
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    Mute Dan Wikström
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    Jul 29th 2016, 10:43 PM

    Radish-ing news, isn’t it? :o

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:47 AM

    I’m thinking of melons now after that…

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    Mute Dan Wikström
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    Jul 29th 2016, 10:37 PM

    Swede here! I’m not sure this article is entirely true. I have sex constantly.
    I wish I wasn’t alone when i do, though. :/

    27
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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    Jul 29th 2016, 6:15 PM

    I’m no sociologist but I think when electricity becomes available in a country the birth rate plummets 20 to 30 years later. Education and contraception are the main reasons but people sitting around watching television and on computers instead of having sex doesn’t help.

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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:33 PM

    Tyrn off the Red Light probably has something to do with it.
    And feminists.

    21
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    Mute Patrick Gough
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    Jul 29th 2016, 5:41 PM

    If it’s a jailable offence to have paid for sex I’m not surprised nobody is taking a chance

    15
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:44 AM

    Plenty are still doing it here…

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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    Jul 29th 2016, 7:25 PM

    In some countries of Western Europe there is too much sex and not enough babies born to maintain the population level. Some societies aren’t reproducing themselves and depend on continued immigration to keep the economy functioning. The Swedish Government should be taking a hard look at the birth rate.

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    Mute Austin Rock
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    Jul 29th 2016, 9:21 PM

    Or bring in millions of migrants.

    9
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    Mute Frank's Cat
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:10 AM

    *Rolls up sleeves* Time to help our Swedish cousins…

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:50 AM

    Sex with cousins, yikes…

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    Mute Austin Rock
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    Jul 29th 2016, 9:20 PM

    probably will end up lowering the age of consent to 5

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    Mute Joey_Westland
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    Jul 29th 2016, 11:52 PM
    4
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    Mute Sean Walsh
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    Jul 29th 2016, 11:35 PM

    Down with that sort of thing

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:52 AM

    They can’t see what they are doing in the winter, then there is the cold and in the summer they can’t do it in sunlight?

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 31st 2016, 3:44 AM

    50 shades of Sweden?

    1
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