Charted: Approval of EU Leadership Among Residents
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Key Takeaways
- Northern and Western European countries show the highest approval of EU leadership, with support above 70% in several states.
- Approval is lowest in parts of Southern and Eastern Europe, where skepticism toward EU leadership remains elevated.
While the European Union plays a central role in trade, regulation, and geopolitics, residents across member states do not view its leadership uniformly.
This chart shows how residents in EU member states rate the job performance of European Union leadership.
The data for this visualization comes from Gallup. Respondents were asked whether they approve or disapprove of the job performance of the leadership of the European Union.
Strong Support in Northern Europe
Northern European countries top the rankings for EU leadership approval. Denmark leads with 75% approval, followed closely by Finland and Lithuania at 74%, and Sweden at 73%.Â
| Country | Approve | Disapprove |
|---|---|---|
 Denmark |
75% | 21% |
 Finland |
74% | 21% |
 Lithuania |
74% | 18% |
 Sweden |
73% | 23% |
 Portugal |
72% | 18% |
 Ireland |
71% | 27% |
 Luxembourg |
71% | 27% |
 Germany |
70% | 29% |
 Malta |
65% | 32% |
 Poland |
65% | 27% |
 Netherlands |
64% | 30% |
 Austria |
62% | 37% |
 Belgium |
62% | 35% |
 Spain |
60% | 38% |
 Latvia |
59% | 21% |
 Croatia |
56% | 33% |
 Slovenia |
52% | 43% |
 Estonia |
51% | 38% |
 Italy |
51% | 48% |
 France |
47% | 50% |
 Romania |
46% | 36% |
 Bulgaria |
44% | 42% |
 Cyprus |
44% | 49% |
 Slovakia |
44% | 46% |
 Hungary |
42% | 48% |
 Czechia |
40% | 41% |
 Greece |
34% | 59% |
Northern European countries tend to combine strong economic performance with high institutional trust, which often translates into more favorable views of EU governance.
Support above 70% also appears in Portugal, Ireland, and Luxembourg, reflecting broad confidence in the EU’s direction.
Western Europe Shows Solid but Mixed Views
Large Western European economies show generally positive but more divided opinions.
Germany reports 70% approval, placing it firmly in the upper tier, while the Netherlands and Belgium record approval in the low-to-mid 60% range.
France stands out as a notable exception, with approval at 47% and disapproval slightly higher at 50%, underscoring the country’s long-running domestic debates over EU authority and integration.
Lower Approval in Southern and Eastern Europe
Approval declines sharply in parts of Southern and Eastern Europe. Greece records the lowest approval at 34%, alongside the highest disapproval rate at 59%. Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria also show approval below 45%, reflecting tensions over EU policy, national sovereignty, and economic outcomes.
Despite regional differences, approval outweighs disapproval in most EU member states.
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