What is the level of public support for Israel in Western Europe?

Euronews

13 hours ago

A new YouGov study shows that the favourability towards Israel in Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Spain and Italy is at or near its lowest level in Western Europe since 2016.
The research interviewed 8,625 people from these six key Western European countries between November 2016 and May 2025.
Net favourability towards Israel in Germany (-44), France (-48), and Denmark (-54) has reached its lowest level since YouGov started tracking in 2016, while public sentiment in Italy (-52) and Spain (-55) are likewise at their lowest or joint lowest levels, despite a shorter timespan from 2021 onwards.
A number of Europeans across these six countries think Israel was right to send troops into Gaza, but believe they have since gone too far and caused too many civilian casualties.
This opinion won the most support in Germany at 40%, followed by Denmark at 39% and Britain at 38%.
Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Food supplies have also been blocked, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)'s latest report stating half a million people face starvation.
Between 7% and 18% of European respondents say they sympathise most with the Israeli side, the lowest figure in most countries since the Hamas attacks.
By contrast, between 18% and 33% say they sympathise more with the Palestinian side.
Only in Germany are the figures for each side similar, with 17% for Israel and 18% for Palestine.
Despite permanent peace in the Middle East seeming distant to Europeans, French people are the most optimistic that both sides will set aside their differences within the next 10 years.
Meanwhile, Danes are the least optimistic at 15%.
Across all countries, the opinion that peace is realistic has fallen in popularity by between four and ten percentage points.
EU member states' representatives voted this week for retaliatory measures against Chinese restrictions on European medical device manufacturers, diplomatic and EU sources confirmed to Euronews.
This followed an investigation by the European Commission found "clear evidence" that China unfairly blocked EU-made medical devices from its procurement market.
It represents the first countermeasure implemented using an International Procurement Instrument (IPI), which came into force in August 2022, designed to ensure fair access for EU firms to procurement opportunities outside the bloc.
Ambassadors adopted the proposal midweek, but the details are expected to be published in the EU's Official Journal in the coming days.
'We had truly hoped that the International Procurement Instrument process would lead to more meaningful dialogue and progress with China, but unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet,' said Oliver Bisazza, CEO of MedTech Europe, the EU's association of medical device manufacturers.
Bisazza wants to see the full details before reacting, but he pointed out that medical device companies remain committed to constructive engagement between the EU and China.
'This sector is vital for saving and improving people's lives and maintaining essential healthcare infrastructure, offering crucial services. This is something both parties should consider,' he added.
EU companies have long struggled to gain access to China's public procurement market, despite China being one of Europe's largest trading partners for medical devices - accounting for 11% of export destinations in 2022.
The Commission's investigation focused on China's government procurement law, which enforces the so-called "Buy China" policy, requiring public entities to prioritise domestic products and services, with limited exceptions.
The probe found that EU manufacturers face a range of obstacles, including opaque approval systems, discriminatory certification procedures, vague national interest clauses used to exclude foreign bidders, and pricing pressures that are often unfeasible for European firms.
One stark example: in Guangdong Province, the number of 'approved' imported medical devices dropped from 132 in 2019 to just 46 in 2021, highlighting the tightening of market access for EU firms.
The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU responded with concern, tweeting that the IPI measures send 'a troubling signal' for bilateral trade ties. In a follow-up statement, the Chamber argued that the targeted use of the IPI risks becoming a de facto trade barrier and urged the EU to reconsider the necessity and long-term impact of such actions.
The measures come at a sensitive moment in EU-China relations, which are currently undergoing a tentative diplomatic reset. After years of friction, the two sides have stepped up engagement to manage long-standing disputes.
Much of this renewed dialogue is a response to shifting global dynamics, including the Trump-era trade war and broader US-China tensions, which have prompted Brussels to pursue a more balanced approach.
A key milestone in this reset is the upcoming EU-China Summit, now confirmed to take place in Beijing in the second half of July 2025.
Despite the escalating procurement dispute, a Commission spokesperson downplayed concerns that the IPI measures would damage broader trade relations.
'We've been making very clear to any global partners with whom we believe there is a problem as regards to the level playing field for procurement: should those problems not be removed, we would be forced to take action,' said the spokesperson.
On Wednesday, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič met with Chinese Minister Wang Wentao on the sidelines of the OECD Ministerial Council – their third meeting overall and second in person.
According to the Commission, the talks covered a wide range of critical bilateral issues as both sides work to ensure progress ahead of the July summit.