FT: Europeans see religion as no bar to EU

[Strengthandhonour]

FT: Europeans see religion as no bar to EU

Support for further enlargement of the European Union has fallen in Britain and Spain in the past six months, in a further sign that the policy is losing public favor, although religion is not at the root of such sentiment, reported the Financial Times on Sunday.

Stressing that religion, cited by some as an argument against admitting predominantly Muslim-populated Turkey, plays little part in EU citizens' feelings about whether to admit new members, the Financial Times reported that a FT-Harris poll shows that the majority of Europeans questioned in five countries -- the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany -- think that religion should not be a barrier to entry to the EU.

"Tony Blair, Britain's prime minister, is one of the most vocal cheerleaders for extending the EU's borders to the east and this weekend flew to Ankara to reassure Turkey it was still welcome in the Union," said the newspaper. "But at home British backing for further enlargement fell to just 36 percent in a Eurobarometer opinion poll, a fall of eight points in just six months. Spain, another prominent supporter of enlargement, saw backing for future expansion fall by four points to 51 percent." The FT added that the Eurobarometer poll, published recently, is an apparent vindication of EU leaders' decision in Brussels on Friday to apply tougher membership tests to Turkey and Balkan countries and to partially freeze Turkey's talks.

According to FT-Harris poll, while 35 percent of French and Germans agree with the proposition that the EU is predominantly a Christian club, the majority of respondents to the poll in all five countries took a fairly tolerant attitude towards other religions, with 69 percent saying they would not object to their son or daughter marrying someone of a different faith. Only 12 percent say they would object.

"The striking difference in attitudes towards religious belief on the two sides of the Atlantic is also highlighted by the FT-Harris poll, which shows that only 4 percent of Americans describe themselves as atheist while 32 percent of French do," the Financial Times said. "However, the strong secular traditions of the U.S. and France, both republics which espouse the separation of church and state, are also illustrated by the poll. Seventy-two percent of French respondents and 59 percent of Americans think that religion should not be taught in state schools, by far the highest negative scores among the six countries surveyed."

source: ..:: ABHABER.COM ::.. FT: Europeans see religion as no bar to EU