June 2, 2015 10:07 pm

British public support for the EU has rebounded significantly since the height of the eurozone crisis just as German enthusiasm for the union has begun to wane, according to a leading survey of Europe’s post-crisis mood.

Since backing for EU integration hitunprecedented lows in 2013, the results show a marked recovery of sentiment in some countries, most notably in the eurosceptic UK as it heads towards a referendum on membership by 2017.

The poll of some 6,000 respondents in six EU countries, conducted by the Pew Research Center think-tank, found 55 per cent of British respondents would vote to remain in the EU, against 36 per cent who want to leave.

David Cameron, the UK prime minister, has warned that British public backing for the EU is “wafer thin” and is pushing for a reform package that will help him win a plebiscite to stay in the bloc.

While the British remain the most sceptical in general about the EU — with 51 per cent holding a favourable view of the union — this is up 8 points from 2013. Significantly, 49 per cent believe economic integration in Europe has strengthened the UK economy, a 23 point increase on 2013.

This revival in sentiment is also seen in other EU countries and has coincided with more upbeat views of the economy. Spain and Italy, two countries where economic crisis hit support for the institutional and ideological pillars of the European project, more than 60 per cent of respondents once again hold a favourable view of the union, a double-digit increase since last year.

A countervailing trend is seen in Germany. While Germans remain by far the most confident about the state of the economy — with 75 per cent confident compared with 12 per cent in Italy — the once enthusiastic support for the EU has dipped to its lowest level in more than a decade, potentially reflecting increasing frustration with the eurozone bailout of Greece.

“German views of the EU have slid a bit, converging with others in Europe,” the Pew researchers found. “In 2014 favourability of the EU in Germany exceeded the median in other major EU nations by 14 points. Now it trails it by five points.”

Even as unhappiness with the EU has begun to reverse, respondents broadly welcomed the rise of anti-establishment parties such as Ukip in the UK and Podemos in Spain, saying the trend helped to highlight important issues ignored by mainstream parties.

Some 70 per cent of Spanish respondents saw the rise of the leftwing Podemos as a “good thing”, while 66 per cent of Britons welcomed the eurosceptic Ukip party’s ascent and 58 per cent of Italians saw the maverick Five Star Movement in a positive light.

France was more divided over its insurgent parties, with 36 per cent seeing the growing strength of the National Front as positive while 63 per cent said it was a bad development.

In some countries, a gap is emerging between support for the EU, and enthusiasm for further economic integration. While six in 10 Italians support the EU, just 11 per cent believe economic integration has strengthened the Italian economy.

Although the sentiment has increased from lows in 2013, France and Spain also share relative scepticism over integration. “Belief that the European economic integration is beneficial has never been as pervasive as favourability of the EU,” the researchers conclude. “But positive views of the European project continue to edge back up after the damage done to its reputation by the eurozone crisis.”