BRUSSELS, April 9. /TASS/. Just over half of Spaniards consider the United States a threat to Europe, a survey conducted by the European publication Politico among citizens of six EU countries reveals.
According to the survey, 51% of Spaniards consider the US a threat, and 16% a competitor to Europe. Only 13% of Spaniards surveyed considered Washington a partner, while 17% regard it as a close ally.
The breakdown of nationalities viewing America as a threat to Europe went like this - 46% of Italians, 42% of Belgians, 37% of French, 30% of Germans, and 13% of Poles.
Spanish respondents were also the most interested in expanding European autonomy, with 94% of Spaniards supporting this concept.
Of all respondents, 87% favored a more independent Europe.
Politico notes that this reflects Europeans' concerns about vulnerability to decisions made by other major powers.
The survey was conducted from March 13 to 21 by Cluster, commissioned by Politico. It surveyed 6,698 citizens of Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, and Poland.