Social opposition to euro adoption is expanding in Poland

In the latest survey conducted by the Foundation for economical Freedom, crucial changes in attitudes of Poles towards the introduction of the European currency – the euro were noted. The survey, which was carried out on a typical example of 1017 adult Polish residents in April 2024, reveals a crucial decrease in support of the adoption of the euro and an increase in opposition. These results are crucial for future political and economical decisions concerning the future of Poland in the euro area.

Decreased support and increased opposition

The data in the survey show that support for the introduction of the euro "in a fewer years" in Poland decreased from 34.9% in 2023 to 30.7% in 2024. At the same time, the percent of people opposed to the adoption of the single currency increased from 50.8% to 56.5%. Respondents responding to the question of their position towards the introduction of the euro in the future showed a clear trend in the growth of negative attitudes.

Gender changes in support

One of the most noticeable trends in the survey is the decline in support for the euro among women. The introduction of the euro for respective years now supports 28.5% of women, while in 2023 it was 33.9%. Among men, support fell from 36% to 34.1%. The authors of the study, Marek Góra and Robert Sobiech, point out that "women crystallise their views on the euro", which means that by far little women are presently indecisive about this issue.

Support among voters of individual parties

Also interesting are differences in attitudes depending on political preferences. The highest support for the introduction of the euro among voters is declared by those who support the civilian Coalition (57%). However, even in this group there was a decrease of 10.6 percent points compared to 2023. Among the left and 3rd road voters, the support is 60.7% and 55.8% respectively. Among the supporters of the Law and the Confederacy, however, support is much lower – 24.4% and 22.8% respectively, with nearly 80% of the voters of the Law and Justice organization opposed the adoption of the euro.

Preparations for the adoption of the euro

Despite the general decline in support for the introduction of the euro, nearly 40% of respondents expressed their desire to start preparations for the adoption of the single currency. Voters of the Civic Coalition (71.8%) showed the top support to start specified preparations, while voters of the PiS and the Confederation showed much little interest (24.4% and 22.8% respectively).

Conclusion

The surveyed attitudes towards the euro show a clear increase in opposition and a simplification in support, which is peculiarly evident among women. Political preferences besides have a crucial impact on the opinion on this issue, as highlighted by the authors of the study. Marek Gora and Robert Sobiech point out that "the attitude towards the euro is very much due to general political sympathy, and in much little determined by age, education or residence."

The survey conducted by SW investigation in April 2024 provides valuable information about changes in social attitudes compared to erstwhile years and can be an crucial component in the discussion on the future of Poland in the context of the euro area.

Further analyses and studies will be crucial for knowing what factors influence changes in attitudes of Poles and how they can form future political and economical decisions.

Daniel Głogowski

Expert in his field – Publicist, author and social activist. The first articles were published in 1999 for global publishers. For more than 30 years, he has gained his experience through cooperation with the largest editorial offices. In his articles, he seeks to address controversial topics and present first viewpoints that allowed for a deeper knowing of the issues discussed.