Greeks trust EU and US less than other Europeans

Greeks are the Europeans with the least trust in the European Union and the United States compared with their continental peers, according to a poll conducted by YouGov in 14 countries, on behalf of the think tank European Council on Foreign Relations.

Twenty-six percent of Greek respondents said neither the EU nor their national government represents their national interest in international trade adequately – the highest rate among EU countries. Only the Czechs have lower expectations of the EU’s role.

All countries involved in the survey appear to trust the EU more than the US, with the gap being smaller in Greece than anywhere else. Greece also had the highest rate of rejection of both the EU and the US (58 pct).

Asked which camp they would choose in the event of a US-Russia conflict, most respondents in all countries favored neutrality. Notably, only 5 percent of Europeans and 7 percent of Greeks trust US President Donald Trump as an ally.

However, Greece is one of only three countries (along with Austria and Slovakia) where the percentage of those who think we should side with Russia is greater than those who would support the US-led coalition (7 pct vs 5 pct).

Greece is also the country with the second highest percentage of neutrality advocates, both in a theoretical US-Russia or a US-China confrontation.

Greeks are the most fervent supporters of EU accession for all the Western Balkans countries in the next decade, scoring 46 percent. In contrast, 46 percent of Germans and 42 percent of the French believe that none of these countries should join in the near future.

Finally, 70 percent of Greeks believe Europe has not done enough to end the war in Syria – the highest among EU countries – while 42 percent of the Dutch feel Europe has done all it could.