European voters are as unhappy as farmers with the bloc’s protection of agriculture, accounting the largest slice of the EU budget.
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00:00 According to an IPSOS survey of 26,000 voters conducted for Euronews, a clear majority of
00:07 Europeans believe the EU's decisions are worsening Europe's agricultural independence. Around
00:15 half of them are as unhappy as the farmers when it comes to protecting the continent's
00:19 food security.
00:20 We are reminding Europe that to have a strong Europe, we need strong agriculture. We are
00:27 putting priority on our farmers.
00:30 Food security is central to the EU's farming subsidies programme, the Common Agricultural
00:35 Policy or CAP, which is one of the bloc's biggest cash handouts. And the poll indicates
00:41 the CAP is viewed as a substantial failure, at least in the eyes of half the voters. It
00:46 accounts for one third of the overall EU budget. The fear is that the EU may not be able to
00:52 secure a basic food supply in the future. 49% of Europeans think the EU is not doing
00:59 enough to protect their food and their crops.
01:02 Romanians are the most optimistic. They are moderately satisfied. Dissatisfaction runs
01:08 highest in the major agricultural states, including France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands
01:13 and Poland. The most negative views come from those who support far-right parties, right-wing
01:19 parties and far-left parties. But those who support left-wing parties and the Greens are
01:25 more likely to think the EU's agricultural policies are good.
01:30 EU leaders and MEPs expect the recent farmers rallies and the growing anti-globalisation
01:36 sentiment will result in a significant protest vote in June.
01:42 There's a clear divide between the left and right on views towards agriculture. But it's
01:46 the far-right who are expected to make the biggest gains, and their supporters are particularly
01:51 dissatisfied with the EU's agricultural policy.
01:55 The recent crisis, pandemics and the return of war to Europe have generated a fear that
02:02 a lack of food and farming independence will further weaken the EU, and that that will
02:06 expose its citizens to shortages in food. Meanwhile, farmers say that the common agricultural
02:12 policy's reforms have turned their sector into a non-profitable business.
02:17 [Whoosh]