Support is lowest in France, Spain and Poland, while 21% back authoritarian rule under certain circumstances
Only half of young people in France and Spain believe that democracy is the best form of government, with support even lower among their Polish counterparts, a study has found.
A majority from Europe’s generation Z – 57% – prefer democracy to any other form of government. Rates of support varied significantly, however, reaching just 48% in Poland and only about 51-52% in Spain and France, with Germany highest at 71%.
More than one in five – 21% – would favour authoritarian rule under certain, unspecified circumstances. This was highest in Italy at 24% and lowest in Germany with 15%. In France, Spain and Poland the figure was 23%.
Nearly one in 10 across the nations said they did not care whether their government was democratic or not, while another 14% did not know or did not answer.
Thorsten Faas, a political scientist at Berlin’s Free University, who worked on the study, said: “Among people who see themselves as politically to the right of centre and feel economically disadvantaged, their support of democracy sinks to just one in three.
“Democracy is under pressure, from within and without.”
The study was carried out in April and May. More than 6,700 people between the ages of 16 and 26 in Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Poland responded to the ninth annual survey by the YouGov institute for the Tui Foundation, which funds projects dedicated to youth in Europe.
Forty-eight per cent worry that the democratic system in their own country is endangered, including 61% in Germany, where the economy – Europe’s biggest – is ailing and the far right has made significant inroads, fuelled in part by increased backing from young voters.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House, the rise of China, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have shifted power away from Europe in the respondents’ perception, with just 42% counting the EU among the top three global players.
Despite – or perhaps because of – Brexit, the figure was highest among Britons at 50%. Of those surveyed in the UK, 73% wanted a return to the EU, while nearly half of young Europeans (47%) sought stronger ties between the EU and Britain.
The US was seen by 83% as part of the power trio, followed by China with 75% and Russia on 57%.
Rising polarisation is also driving young Europeans to the ideological fringes along with their elders, but a notable gender divide has emerged in the process.
Nearly one in five – 19% – described themselves as politically right of centre, up from 14% in 2021, while 33% called themselves centrists, 32% as leftist and 16% without any designation.
Women in Germany, France and Italy identified as progressive in higher numbers than four years ago, while young men in Poland and Greece have grown more conservative in the same period.
Support for tougher restrictions on migration has grown across the board since 2021, to 38% from 26%.
Most young Europeans expressed hope in the EU’s potential, and two in three overwhelmingly supported their country remaining in the bloc if it still was. But 39% described the EU as not particularly democratic and just 6% said their own national governments worked well, with little need for significant changes.
More than half – 53% – felt the EU was too focused on details and trivial matters. They would like the bloc to tackle the high cost of living, bolster defence against external threats and create better conditions for companies to improve the economy.
Elke Hlawatschek, the head of the Tui Foundation, said: “The European project, which has brought us peace, freedom of movement and economic progress for decades, is seen as unwieldy.”
Greek people see the strongest need for fundamental overhaul of their political system and are most sceptical about the EU, which Faas described as rooted in enduring trauma of the eurozone debt crisis that drove their country’s economy to the brink.
Despite stronger support for climate protection among young Europeans, just one in three said it should take priority over economic growth. The figure has slipped from 44% in 2021.
BREXIT, EUROPE, EUROPEAN UNION, FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, NEWS, Young people
The French Development Agency (AFD) is allocating EUR 5 million to Lviv for the reconstruction of part of Mykolaychuk Street, near the UNBROKEN center, and the construction of the foundation for a future tram line, according to the press service of the Lviv City Council.
The grant agreement was signed in Lviv on June 18 by Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, Chief Executive Officer of the French Development Agency (AFD) Remi Riu, and French Ambassador to Ukraine Gael Vessier.
It is noted that the project to launch a tram to this part of Lviv will involve five stages.
“The grant we will receive under the signed agreement is intended for the implementation of the first stage of the project – the reconstruction of part of Mykolaychuk Street, including the intersection of Orlyka and Shchurata Streets,” Sadovyi said.
According to him, in particular, opposite the hospital, four lanes will be built instead of two – two for public transport, two for private transport, and one for a duplicate entrance to the hospital. A two-way bike path will also be built on the side of the medical facility, and barrier-free sidewalks will be built along the entire length of the street. The foundation for laying tram tracks will be laid.
The second stage involves the construction of a pedestrian bridge in this area, which will connect the residential quarter with the hospital; the third and fourth stages involve the laying and connection of tram infrastructure from Horodnytska Street to the hospital area, and the fifth stage involves the laying of tram tracks from the hospital to social housing on Mykolaychuk Street.
To launch the tram and ensure inclusivity for pedestrians, the terrain will be leveled: in some locations, the street will be lowered by 1.5 to 4 meters.
The street reconstruction project will soon undergo expert review, and then, tentatively in October-November of this year, the first phase of work can begin. It will last about eight months.
Riu expressed hope that the organization will become a partner of Lviv in the implementation of the next phases of this large-scale project. “This project and our participation in it are a sign of solidarity and support for the entire Ukrainian people. We are participating in the first stage, but I hope we will be partners in the further phases of this project,” he said.
The total length of the new tram line will be 2.6 km (one way).
The Experts Club think tank has analyzed the state of the French economy and provided its forecasts for the whole of 2025. At the beginning of 2025, the French economy is showing signs of slowing down due to internal and external factors, including the escalation of trade disputes with the United States.
Current economic indicators
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), France’s GDP grew by 0.1% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter, following a 0.1% decline in the fourth quarter of 2024. This modest growth was mainly driven by inventory accumulation in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and agro-industrial sectors, which added 0.5 percentage points to GDP. However, domestic demand remains weak, with consumer spending stagnating and business investment declining by 0.1%. Foreign trade also had a negative impact, reducing growth by 0.4 percentage points due to a 0.7% decline in exports and a 0.4% increase in imports.
Impact of US trade tariffs
The introduction of new tariffs by the administration of US President Donald Trump, including a 25% duty on cars, steel, and aluminum, is putting significant pressure on France’s export-oriented industries. Companies such as Airbus are looking for ways to circumvent these tariffs, for example by delivering aircraft to US airlines via third countries.
The French government has lowered its economic growth forecast for 2025 from 0.9% to 0.7%, citing uncertainty in global trade. The Bank of France has also confirmed this forecast, noting that growth remains positive but is slowing compared to previous years.
Forecast for the end of 2025
Economists expect France’s economic growth to remain weak in the second half of 2025, with a possible improvement in 2026. The main risk factors remain ongoing trade disputes with the US and domestic political uncertainties. However, France is committed to maintaining economic stability through fiscal measures and stimulating domestic demand.
Ukraine and France have signed seven agreements in the healthcare sector worth a total of EUR 51 million, including the construction of a children’s rehabilitation center in Vinnytsia and the reconstruction of a rehabilitation department in Ladyzhyn (partner – Ginger International, funding amount – EUR 15 million).
According to the Ministry of Health, the agreements also provide for the provision of portable X-ray machines to 75 medical institutions in 5 regions: Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipro, Mykolaiv and Odesa (partner – DMS Imaging, the amount of funding is EUR 10.98 million), providing 58 hospitals throughout Ukraine with the latest technologies for rehabilitation after amputations (partner – Dessintey, the amount of funding is EUR 8 million).
Also, agreements were signed for the purchase of 700 mechanized cardiopulmonary resuscitation devices (EUR 5.92 million), development of telemedicine networks in Odesa, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Zhytomyr regions (partner – C3Medical, amount of funding – EUR 4.35 million), creation of a network of autonomous micro-clinics based on rehabilitation facilities in Kyiv, Lviv and Poltava (partner – Schiller Medical, the amount of funding is EUR 4.1 million), as well as provision of 150 ultrasound diagnostic systems in medical institutions in all regions of Ukraine (partner – Sonoscanner, the amount of funding is EUR 2.98 million).
The Ministry of Health notes that, taking into account the agreements signed today, France has allocated a total of EUR 130 million to support the medical sector of Ukraine. The projects will be funded by the French government and implemented through French medical companies.
The grant agreement between the French and Ukrainian governments provides for the implementation of 12 more projects in the areas of infrastructure, energy, demining, and water supply worth about €149 million.
In the framework of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Paris, the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan and the French Ministry of Culture signed a number of agreements on cooperation in the field of culture.
The documents were signed by the head of the Foundation, Gayane Umerova, and the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati.
One of the agreements is a declaration on cooperation between the cultural institutions of the two countries. It envisages the development of academic exchanges between the Alfred Cortot School of Music in Paris and the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, as well as support for joint film projects.
An agreement was also signed to hold the exhibition “Uzbekistan: Avant-Garde in the Desert” in France and an international conference on museums and artificial intelligence in Samarkand as part of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference.
France has one of the most complex and multi-level taxation systems in place, covering both legal entities and individual entrepreneurs. Let us consider the main taxes applicable to these categories of taxpayers.
Taxes for legal entities
1) Corporate income tax (Impôt sur les Sociétés, IS):
Its standard rate is 25% on company profits. A reduced rate of 15% is possible and applies to the first 38,120 euros of profit for small and medium-sized enterprises with an annual turnover of less than 7.63 million euros.
Some companies can choose between being taxed under the income tax system (Impôt sur le Revenu, IR) or the corporate tax system (IS), depending on their legal form and capital structure.
2) Value added tax (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée, TVA), its rates are also diversified. The standard rate is 20%, and the reduced rates are: 10%, 5.5% and 2.1% are applied to certain goods and services.
3) There is also a tax called the territorial economic contribution (Contribution Économique Territoriale, CET). It consists of two components – a tax on the value of commercial real estate (Cotisation Foncière des Entreprises, CFE) and a contribution to the value added of business (Cotisation sur la Valeur Ajoutée des Entreprises, CVAE). The rates depend on the location and turnover of the company; the maximum CVAE rate is 1.5% for companies with a turnover of more than EUR 50 million.
4) There is also a so-called vehicle tax (Taxe sur les Véhicules de Sociétés, TVS). It is levied on companies that use cars for commercial or business purposes. The rates depend on the type of vehicle, its age, and CO₂ emissions.
Taxes for individual entrepreneurs (IEs) are also quite complicated.
1) Income tax (Impôt sur le Revenu, IR) with a progressive scale from 0% to 45%, depending on annual income. The income of individual entrepreneurs is taxed on the same scale as the income of individuals. There are various taxation regimes for individual entrepreneurs, such as “micro-entrepreneur” with a simplified accounting and taxation system.
2) Social contributions – individual entrepreneurs are required to pay social and health insurance contributions, the amount of which depends on the type of activity and income level.
3) Value added tax (TVA). Individual entrepreneurs are required to register as VAT payers if their annual turnover exceeds certain thresholds, for example, for trade in goods it is 91,900 euros, and for the provision of services – 36,800 euros.
Like almost any other country in the world, there is a real estate tax (Taxe Foncière). It is levied on property owners, regardless of their residency status. The rates are determined by local authorities and depend on the cadastral value of the property.
There is also still a tax on residence (Taxe d’Habitation), which is levied on persons living in real estate as of January 1 of the reporting year. This tax is being gradually abolished for most households; the full transition is expected to be completed in the coming years.
The luxury tax or Impôt sur la Fortune Immobilière (IFI) is levied on individuals whose real estate in France is valued at more than EUR 1.3 million. There is a progressive scale from 0.5% to 1.5% of the property value.
The French tax system is characterized by a high degree of progressivity and diversity of taxes, which requires careful planning and accounting when doing business. It is recommended to consult with professional tax advisors to ensure compliance with current legal requirements and optimize the tax burden.
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