Majority of EU citizens polled don’t want to extend Article 50

European flags symbolising freedom of movement - Credit: PA Images

New research reveals that most EU citizens polled think the UK should not be given another extension to Article 50 – and they’re deeply unimpressed with Boris Johnson.

Pollsters Kantar asked citizens in six EU countries for their thoughts on the Brexit negotiations, and the majority in each country responded ‘non’ to an Article 50 extension.

The majority of citizens in France (57%), Germany (66%), the Netherlands (47%), Republic of Ireland (56%), Spain (57%) and Poland (52%), all believe that the EU should not allow any further extension to the deadline beyond October 31.

The least sympathetic country is Germany, where just 29% of people think that the EU should allow the UK to renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement further.

Boris Johnson was found to be the least trusted politician in Europe, with only 6.3% trusting him to help reach a satisfactory solution before the Brexit deadline, compared to 32.5% for Angela Merkel and 20.5% for Emmanuel Macron.

The prime minister’s negotiating ability hasn’t impressed EU citizen either – with a performance rating across the continent well behind Theresa May.

In Germany and Ireland, 74% and 66% respectively rate Johnson’s role in the negotiations as bad, compared to 53% and 41% for Theresa May.

EU citizens in those countries overwhelmingly think a no-deal Brexit will damage the UK, the polling found.

Just one in four believe the UK is ready to leave without a deal – and 62% believe the UK is unprepared for this.

When asked about how it would affect them, EU citizens were most worried about difficulties travelling to the UK and increases in the cost of products from the UK.

Seventy per cent of British expats in the EU said they will personally feel a negative impact from leaving the EU, and 73% of them think it will still be having a bad effect five years down the line.

Just 36% of the British public think the same thing, the pollsters said.

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