2023-09-24 16:56:37
British sovereign Charles III and Queen Camilla returned to their country on Friday after a three-day visit to France. On the occasion of this trip, the Franco-British chamber and the Portland Communications agency distributed an interesting study on “the reality of the Entente Cordiale, a French and British point of view”, while London and Paris will celebrate the 120th anniversary of their rapprochement in 2024.
The poll, which surveyed 1,000 adults in each country, revealed that 77% of French respondents believe it is important, or very important, to have good relations with the UK, while 79% of Britons think that relations with France are important, including among Brexit supporters.
An overwhelming majority of French people (76%) and British people (72%) are even convinced that, although we occasionally have differences, we are and will remain friends and allies in the face of crises. Only 3% of French people and 6% of British people believe that they are not close allies.
On the other hand, to the question “Which countries or organizations are most important as national security partners on intelligence and military cooperation for example? “, for the French, the three partners of choice are the European Union, NATO and the United States, the United Kingdom comes in 5th position, behind Germany. Unsurprisingly, the British prefer the United States and NATO to their continental and European allies.
The youngest are more enthusiastic
On the migration issue, the results are more surprising: 38% of French people believe that responsibility for the crisis in the Channel lies with France, 39% that it lies with the two countries. In the United Kingdom, opinion is divided between supporters of Leave and those of Remain : 36% of supporters of remaining in the EU say that France is mainly responsible compared to 56% of Brexit voters.
In many areas, the most positive responses come from the youngest age groups. When asked whether the United Kingdom has had an influence on their lives, 79% of French people aged 18 to 34 answered in the affirmative, compared to only 38% of those over 55. In the United Kingdom, this figure is 65% for the youngest compared to 30% for the oldest.
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