EU-27 Public Opinion on Brexit.

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• European Studies
• Public Opinion Research

Background:

• Limited understanding of EU-27 public opinion on Brexit negotiations.
• Brexit presents complex choices for the European Union (EU-27).
• Balancing accommodation of the UK versus maintaining EU integrity is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate EU-27 public views on Brexit negotiations.
• To understand factors influencing European willingness to compromise with the UK.
• To analyze the EU-27 public's preferred negotiation stance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized original survey data from 39,000 respondents across all EU-27 countries.
• Data collected between the start of Brexit negotiations and December 2018.
• Employed statistical analysis to identify determinants of public opinion.

Main Results:

• Exposure to economic risks of Brexit increases willingness to accommodate the UK.
• Positive opinions of the EU reduce willingness to compromise.
• An 'accommodation dilemma' moderates these preferences among Europeans.

Conclusions:

• EU-27 public opinion on Brexit negotiations is pragmatic and interest-driven.
• Support for a negotiation line that best safeguards EU interests.
• Public sentiment prioritizes national and bloc interests over compromise.