Support in Ireland for staying in the EU

After the shock decision in the UK to leave the European Union last year, groups in a number of other countries have upped their efforts to push for an exit, too. Pretty much any possible country+exit portmanteau has been touted at some point - Nexit, Frexit, even the not so catchy Itexit. One country though, despite a (heavily disputed) recommendation to the contrary, has shown little appetite for such a move: Ireland.

UK think tank Policy Exchange argued in its 3 July 2017 report that "Ireland’s interests would be better served by opting out of formal membership of the EU, remaining in a customs union with the UK and negotiating free trade arrangements", arguing that it would be a "dereliction of national duty" not to evaluate all of the options available to the country, especially given its potential vulnerability in a post-Brexit world.

A recent survey conducted for European Movement Ireland has though, highlighted the very large share of people in Ireland that think the country should remain a part of the European union. Split by region, these figures range from 80 percent in Leinster (excluding Dublin) and an unequivocal 94 percent in Munster.