French people more keen on Brexit than Britons - but still most want UK to stay in Europe

French impatience with Britain’s semi-detached attitude to the EU is thought to be growing

Low French support for 'Remain' may also reflect growing Euroscepticism in France (GETTY)

Almost half of French people would be delighted to say au revoir if Britain votes to leave the European Union in June, according to a new poll.

The survey suggests that a Brexit is marginally more popular in France (45 per cent in favour) than it is in Britain (44 per cent). However, a majority of people in five large EU countries, including Britain and France, supports continued UK membership, according to the Odoxa study.

The survey, conducted in early March, put British support for continued UK membership at 55 per cent and French support at 54 per cent. In both cases, only 1 per cent of those polled said they had no opinion.

An overwhelming 76 per cent of Spaniards, 67 per cent of Italians and 65 per cent of Germans said that they wanted Britain to remain in the European Union.

The relatively low level of French support for British membership can be explained in various ways.

Philippe Fournier, of the communications company MCI, commenting officially on the results for Odoxa, suggested that it reflected “irritation at what [the French] saw as unfair demands” for special treatment by Britain in Brussels.

He pointed out that French impatience with Britain’s semi-detached attitude to the EU was growing. In the last similar poll, conducted by Ifop in 2013, 58 per cent of French people wanted Britain to stay in the European Union.

Other commentators suggested, however, that the low French support for “Remain” did not necessarily reflect anti-British feeling. It also reflected growing Euroscepticism in France, both on the left and on the right. “To many French nationalists on the hard right, a Brexit could be the beginning of a welcome break-up of the European Union or maybe a prelude to a French departure or Frexit,” said one French foreign ministry official. “On the left, many people see Britain as the main force behind the free market policies in Brussels which they hate.”

Most mainstream politicians of left and right in France have spoken out against Brexit. The far-right Front National and hard-left politcians have welcomed the idea. There have, however, also been more moderate voices – from the ex-Socialist Prime Minister, Michel Rocard, to editorials in Le Monde – which have suggested the EU could be better off without Britain. In an EU-wide poll, 53 per cent of French people questioned said they would also like the chance to vote in an in-out EU referendum – the only EU country other than Britain to take this view.

Almost half the Italians polled, 49 per cent, said they would like to go back to the lire. In Germany 42 per cent want to return to the Deutschmark. Only 31 per cent of the French want to return to the Franc.