More Britons skeptical of EU: Poll

A four-nation poll of attitudes to the European Union (EU) has revealed that a larger number of Britons hold a negative outlook of the bloc than the citizens of the three other nations polled.

The survey of more than 5,000 voters by research panel Opinium in the UK, Germany, France and Poland showed that just 26 percent of Britons regard the EU as, overall, a “good thing,” compared with 62 percent of Poles, 55 percent of Germans and 36 percent of French voters.

Also according to the poll, the results of which were published by the Observer, other EU nations have low support for Britain’s membership in the EU as they believe the UK brings few benefits to the 28-nation bloc. Only 9 percent of Germans, 15 percent of French, and 33 percent of Poles considered Britain as a “positive force” in the EU.

Testing cultural opinions, the poll indicated that very few British people choose to describe themselves as European.

Enthusiasm for the concept of Europeanism, however, showed to be much higher among people of the other European countries.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said earlier that he intends to renegotiate London’s ties with the EU and to hold an in/out referendum in 2017 if his party wins the next general election.

The likelihood of a public vote on Britain’s EU membership became stronger on Friday after members of the House of Commons supported a bill calling for an referendum.

The bill was approved by the lower chamber of the British parliament despite efforts by opposition Labour Party and Liberal Democrats to delay its passage.

British Deputy PM Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband have repeatedly warned over plans to hold an in/out referendum, saying the move could be a great damage to the UK’s national interests.

The bill will now move to the House of Lords for its first reading.