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Support for leadership role in Europe for Brown |
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Tuesday, 19 June 2007 |
Half of the British public believes that future Prime Minister Gordon Brown should assume a strong political leadership role in the European Union, according to an opinion poll published today.
The poll of 14 European states, commission by the German Bertelsmann
Foundation, found that 50 per cent of the British electorate backs
Gordon Brown for the lead role in the European Union.
However, on average 28 per cent of European respondents would like to
see German Chancellor Angela Merkel assuming a strong leadership role
in Europe, while 20 per cent chose Jose Manuel Barroso, 15 per cent the
new French President Nicolas Sarkozy and only 14 per cent Gordon Brown.
Merkel scored consistently high in several of the countries surveyed,
scoring 36 per cent in France despite receiving only 17 percent of the
vote in Poland and 11 per cent in Britain.
However, in addition to the contribution made by individual politicians
the majority of respondents felt that leadership in the EU should also
be provided by specific groups of countries, with only 10 per cent
against a leadership role for particular countries.
Overall one third of respondents said that they believed that greater
leadership should come from the Euro Group. The second most population
option would be a smaller leadership group consisting of the big three
– Germany, France and the UK, while only 5 per cent favoured the Weimar
triangle, comprising of Poland, France and Germany.
Commenting on the findings, Dominik Hierlemann, an expert on European
affairs at the Bertelsmann Foundation, said: "EU citizens know that the
EU needs more politicians with leadership qualities, and they also see
the need for smaller groups of countries capable of providing
leadership.
"Now that there are 27 member states, this can no longer be only France
and Germany, though they will certainly have a part to play. The data
demonstrates quite clearly that the United Kingdom will insist on being
part of a leadership group."
In regard to the requisite leadership qualities required of the
politicians Armando Garcia of the Bertelsmann Foundation added: "The
good approval ratings for José Manuel Barroso, the President of the
Commission, indicate that not only national politicians ought to
consider assuming a leadership role in Europe. Outstanding
personalities who have the will to get things done are needed in
Brussels, though of course they will have to be given the necessary
institutional power."
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 19 June 2007 )
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