Nearly 60% of Europeans no longer view Washington as a trustworthy partner, according to a new Bertelsmann Stiftung poll
Around 70% of people living in the EU and UK want more independence from the US and believe it’s time for Europe to “go its own way,” a new study compiled by the Germany-based research foundation Bertelsmann Stiftung indicates.
According to the survey, some 73% of respondents across the EU believe that it is time for the continent to drift away from Washington. UK respondents expressed a similar level of desire to free themselves from the clutches of the US, measuring at 67%.
The sentiment has been steadily growing across the bloc over the past few years, measuring some 63% back in 2024, the foundation noted. The level of mistrust towards the US has been growing as well, with only 42% deeming it a trustworthy partner against 46% last year, according to the researcher.
The survey, which was released on Thursday, is based on a sampling opinions of some 18,000 respondents across all 27 EU member states and some 2,000 in the UK. The polls were conducted in March this year among people aged between 18 and 69 years, with the sample meant to reflect current population distributions in terms of age, gender, and population density.
Over the past few years, EU politicians have repeatedly called for gaining more independence from Washington, primarily in terms of foreign policy and security. Such rhetoric escalated after US President Donald Trump took office early last year for the second time.
In just over a year, the US has had repeated run-ins with its European allies, engaging in a brief trade war, sparring over taking a different approach to the Ukraine conflict, Washington’s threats to seize Greenland from Denmark, and other issues.
The situation further deteriorated in the wake of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, which has not been supported by Washington’s European allies. Moreover, the hostilities in the Middle East caused worldwide disruptions in oil and gas supply, with the issue heavily affecting many European nations.
