(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Britain believe the appointment of Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy as president of the European Union (EU) and Catherine Ashton as high representative for foreign policy will make no difference in how Britain relates to the continental group, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 54 per cent of respondents share this view.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Britain believe the appointment of Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy as president of the European Union (EU) and Catherine Ashton as high representative for foreign policy will make no difference in how Britain relates to the continental group, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 54 per cent of respondents share this view.
Only 10 per cent of respondents say the two appointments will improve British-EU relations, while 15 per cent expect them to become worse.
A new common European body of law, known as the Lisbon Treaty, has been ratified by all of the EU’s 27 members. The document’s provisions call for the creation of new posts, such as a foreign policy chief, and a high representative who will answer to EU governments and serve as vice-president of the European Commission.
Under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty, EU leaders would also choose a president of the European Council for a two and a half year renewable term. This will effectively eliminate the current six-month rotating presidency among member nations. The Lisbon Treaty also provides for the creation of a mutual defence clause, in case one of the member states is attacked.
On Nov. 19, EU leaders appointed Van Rompuy and Ashton to the new posts.
British prime minister Gordon Brown—who had actively campaigned for the post of EU president to go to former British prime minister Tony Blair—stated that Van Rompuy is "well known as a consensus builder."
Polling Data
As a result of the election of Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton, do you expect the UK’s relationship with the EU to be better, the same, or worse than before?
|
Better
|
10%
|
|
The same
|
54%
|
|
Worse
|
15%
|
|
Not sure
|
22%
|
Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,019 British adults, conducted from Nov. 25 to Nov. 27, 2009. Margin of error is 2.2 per cent.
