SURVEY - 43% of French people believe that Ukraine's membership in the EU would be a bad thing for France

Romain Rouillard / Photo credit: AFP PHOTO / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE 6:00 a.m., February 23, 2024

While Ukraine continues to demand unfailing support from the West in its war against Russia, the country's possible accession to the European Union is viewed with suspicion in France.

According to a CSA poll for Europe 1, CNews and

, such an enlargement would be considered a bad thing for France by 43% of French people, while 39% of respondents would see it as a positive signal for our country.

18% of those questioned preferred not to pronounce it. 

In detail, depending on the age group, the youngest are the most skeptical since 56% of them consider Ukraine's entry into the EU to be a bad thing for France.

Conversely, the oldest (65 and over) are the most enthusiastic about welcoming the country into the Union.

Nearly one in two respondents (46%), in this age group, would see it as a positive point for France.

Those aged 35-49 are the most undecided since one in four people in this category chooses not to take a position.

Very different results with right-wing voters

We also notice drastically different results, depending on the political proximity of the people questioned.

On the left, as on the right, respondents struggle to tune their violins.

Thus, supporters of France Insoumise are mainly reluctant to integrate Ukraine into the European Union.

47% of them believe that this would be bad news for France, unlike socialist voters, who would welcome the news with more enthusiasm (55% favorable opinion). 

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Unsurprisingly, supporters of Renaissance, the presidential party with Europeanist positions, are the most numerous (57%, tied with LR voters) to consider that Ukraine in the EU would be beneficial for France.

Regarding Republican voters, the figure illustrates the gap that separates them from RN sympathizers on European issues.

68% of supporters of the party chaired by Jordan Bardella believe that Ukraine's membership in the European Union would be a bad thing for the country.

Only one in five respondents in this category would see something positive in it. 

On December 14, the President of the European Council Charles Michel announced the opening of negotiations for the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky then celebrated a “historic day” and hailed “a victory for all of Europe, a victory that motivates, inspires and makes us stronger”.

Ukraine is still mired in the war that Russia has been waging against it for almost two years, to the day.

Russian tanks entered Ukraine for the first time on February 24, 2022. Pending possible accession to the EU, kyiv signed a bilateral security agreement with Paris last week.

A text concluded for "a period of six years" and which provides, among other things, "up to 3 billion euros" in additional military aid, provided by France to Ukraine.