According to a poll by Infratest, 66 percent of Germans view the planned expansion of free‑trade agreements for Europe as largely beneficial. A further 17 percent see it more as a drawback, and another 17 percent have no judgment. The survey was conducted among 1,319 registered voters for the ARD between Monday and Wednesday of this week.
Within party groups, clear majorities see advantages-89 percent of Green supporters, 81 percent of CDU/CSU (Union) members, 78 percent of SPD followers and 70 percent of Left supporters all favor benefits. Even half of AfD supporters (51 percent) lean toward advantages, whereas a third (33 percent) perceive disadvantages.
At the end of January, the European Union and India announced the political conclusion of a comprehensive free‑trade pact after more than twenty years of negotiations. Earlier, the EU had signed similar agreements with the Mercosur countries-Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay-after over twenty‑five years of talks. A narrow majority of the European Parliament subsequently decided to subject the EU‑Mercosur pact to further scrutiny by the European Court of Justice.
German respondents hold differing views on how to handle the Parliament’s decision. Forty‑seven percent believe the agreement should be implemented provisionally to quickly boost the European economy and independence, while 41 percent argue that the Court’s review ought to be awaited to ensure compliance with European minimum standards.
Support for a provisional application is strongest among Union (65 percent), Green (64 percent) and SPD (60 percent) supporters. A majority of AfD followers (61 percent) prefer to wait for the Court’s examination. Left supporters are divided: 40 percent favor provisional implementation and 44 percent favor waiting.
