Economic Confidence Survey of MEPs

 A ComRes MEPs Panel survey

Date Published: 26 Apr 2013

Categories: Economy | Europe | Policy Makers | Politics

Description

 MAJORITY OF MEPS SAY EUROPEAN UNEMPLOYMENT SET TO WORSEN IN NEXT 12 MONTHS

Most MEPs expect European unemployment to get worse over the next 12 months, according to the latest Europoll™ results ComRes. MEPs were generally downbeat across all of the economic indicators tested, with the majority expecting the indicators to stay the same or worsen. The only glimmer of light was for economic growth prospects where marginally more MEPs expect improvement than expect it to worsen.

But one-third of MEPs expect inflation to worse, and the same proportion expect interest rates to increase over the next 12 months, potentially setting recovery back even further,

MEPs on the political left, and from Eastern Europe and Mediterranean Member States are most likely to expect economic conditions to worsen over the next twelve months.  MEPs from across Europe are gloomy about unemployment, although Western MEPs are slightly less pessimistic.

More than half of EPP members expect economic growth to improve over the next 12 months compared to only 1 in 20 ALDE members.  And interestingly, older MEPs are the most pessimistic and younger MEPs are the least.

Q: Do you expect each of the following economic indicators to improve, stay the same or get worse over the next 12 months?

 

	Improve	Stay the same	Get worse	No opinion
Unemployment	15%	33%	52%	-
Inflation	6%	54%	34%	6%
Economic growth	36%	37%	27%	-
Interest rates	14%	50%	34%	1%

ComRes surveyed 100 MEPs online and by post between 15th February and 5th April 2013. Data were weighted to be representative of the European Parliament. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Full tables will be posted at www.comres.eu.com