Centre right leaders on top of the polls in Europe's four biggest powers

'The right' did very well in June's elections to the European Parliament. ComRes' regular summary of opinion across Europe has just been published and it is noticeable that in addition to David Cameron's big lead in British opinion surveys, the centre right leaders of Europe's other three big nations all remain popular:

• 53% of French voters think Sarkozy is a good President.  38% think him a bad president.
• In Italy, despite constant speculation about Berlusconi's private life his centre-right coalition holds a 12% lead over the fractured parties of the left.
• Germany's Merkel remains on course for re-election and should be able to ditch the leftist SPD as a coalition partner and govern with the FDP - a liberal party that is a more natural ally.  Many left-wing voters have deserted the Social Democrats for the Greens.  Merkel's election bid was analysed in a little more detail on Tuesday.

Other highlights:

• Broadly left-of-centre parties hold a narrow 49% to 46% lead over broadly right-of-centre parties in Czech polling. The Republic will vote for a new government in October 2009.
• Centre right parties enjoy the support of 49% of Norweijan voters ahead of 14th September's election but the fractured nature of the right may mean the Labour Party of Norway holds on to office.  49% of Norway remains opposed to EU membership.  A 10% lead over the 'Yes' camp.
• Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party has a 50% lead over its nearest rivals!  UR is on 57% and the Communists have just 7%.

Click here for a PDF of the full ComRes briefing and here for ConIntl's previous snapshot summary.

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