(MENAFN) France and Poland have emerged as key hubs of skepticism toward the European Union, showing increasing public interest in leaving the bloc, according to a fresh survey conducted across nine member states.

In France, 27% of participants expressed a desire for the country to leave the EU, while an additional 12% remained undecided, according to the Eurobazooka survey commissioned by the French magazine Le Grand Continent and released on Thursday. Last year, the numbers stood at 26% and 9%, respectively.

Although France is a founding member, the report warns it could become the bloc’s “weak link” in terms of popular support.

Poland displayed similar trends, with 25% backing an exit and 6% uncertain. The outcome was described as “shocking” by Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, particularly considering that in 2022 approximately 92% of Poles favored staying in the Union.

Germany, another cornerstone of the EU, also exhibited a decline in support, a pattern deemed “particularly worrying.” While backing for leaving the EU remains lower than in France or Poland, it still increased from 13% to 16% in the latest survey.

The authors of the poll did not provide a detailed explanation for the rising desire to leave, but political circumstances in both countries indicate growing frustration with Brussels.

In France, worries about immigration, expanding EU regulations, technocratic governance, and dissatisfaction with the euro have intensified discontent.

Veteran right-wing politician Marine Le Pen has repeatedly criticized EU migration policies and what she terms Brussels’ “distant technocratic structures.”

In Poland, anti-EU sentiment appears rooted in cultural, moral, and economic concerns. Conservative voters often accuse the EU of enforcing liberal social norms on matters such as LGBT rights, gender policies, and judicial reforms.

Additionally, disagreements over climate policies and increasing financial contributions to Brussels have heightened tensions.

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