We’ll be fine. How People in the EU27 View Brexit. eupinions brief | February 2019

The political drama called Brexit leaves observers in London fascinated, appalled or exhausted. Whereas in the UK, the tension seems to intensify with every twist and turn the British take on their way out of the European Union, Europeans on the continent seem to be surprisingly detached. They support their country’s membership in the EU in ever greater numbers, and calmly carry on with their daily business. Don’t they think that they will be affected by Brexit? We decided to ask the

Je t’aime. Moi non plus = I love you. Neither do I. eupinions brief | February 2019

When Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential election with a risky strategy and against all odds in May 2017, spring seemed to break out in Paris. New faces, new dynamics, and the promise to do many things differently and thus better, were in the air and inspired large swathes of the French public. But the protests of the "yellow vests" have in their intensity and perseverance now shaken the last optimist. And they’ve reminded us of how deep the trenches between the political interests in France are – as well as how much energy and effort it takes to navigate them

Hello, Goodbye. Bertelsmann Stiftung eupinions brief | January 2020

As the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union all eyes are on the eminent economic effects and future trade negotiations. How the British people feel about the state of their country at this defining moment of their political history has received less attention. In this eupinions brief, we examine how British citizens evaluate the state of their national democracy and the direction of their home country. We also ask what they expect for their personal lives

Great expectations The New European Commission, its Ambition and European Public Opinion. eupinions 2019/2

The Eurozone crisis has pushed reform of the European Union (EU) to the forefront of political debate. How can a Union of 28 states with a population of over half a billion be reformed to weather future economic crises and political challenges? Finding an answer to this question is extremely difficult not only because current reform proposals are so varied, but even more so because we lack insights into the preferences for reform amongst national elites and publics. Although EU support has interested scholars for over three decades now, we virtually know nothing about public support for EU reform. Current research focuses almost exclusively on the causes of support for the current project and fails to provide a sufficient basis for effective reform decisions. Surely, the feasibility and sustainability of EU reform crucially hinges on the support amongst national publics. eupinions examines public support for EU reform by developing a theoretical model and employing cutting-edge data collection techniques. Our findings will aid policy makers to craft EU reform proposals that can secure widespread public support

Self-reported energy intake by FFQ compared with actual energy intake to maintain body weight in 516 adults

It is generally assumed that a FFQ is not suitable to estimate the absolute levels of individual energy intake. However, in epidemiological studies, reported nutrients by FFQ are often corrected for this intake. The objective of the present study was to assess how accurately participants report their energy intakes by FFQ. We compared reported energy intake with actual energy intake needed to maintain stable body weights during eleven controlled dietary trials. FFQ were developed to capture at least 90 % of energy intake. Participants, 342 women and 174 men, with a mean BMI of 22·8 (sd 3·1) kg/m2 filled out the FFQ just before the trials. Energy intakes during the trials were calculated from provided foods and reported free-food items, representing 90 and 10 % of energy intake, respectively. Mean reported energy intake was 97·5 (sd 12·7) % of actual energy intake during the trials; it was 98·9 (sd 15·2) % for women and 94·7 (sd 16·3) % for men (P = 0·004 for difference between sexes). Correlation coefficients between reported and actual energy intakes were 0·82 for all participants, 0·74 for women and 0·80 for men. Individual reported energy intake as a percentage of actual intake ranged from 56·3 to 159·6 % in women and from 43·8 to 151·0 % in men. In conclusion, the FFQ appeared to be accurate for estimating the mean level of energy intakes of these participants and for ranking them according to their intake. However, the large differences found on the individual level may affect the results of epidemiological studies in an unknown direction if nutrients are corrected for energy intakes reported by FF

ISM composition through X-ray spectroscopy of LMXBs

The diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) is an integral part of the evolution of the entire Galaxy. Metals are produced by stars and their abundances are the direct testimony of the history of stellar evolution. However, the interstellar dust composition is not well known and the total abundances are yet to be accurately determined. We probe ISM dust composition, total abundances, and abundance gradients through the study of interstellar absorption features in the high-resolution X-ray spectra of Galactic low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). We use high-quality grating spectra of nine LMXBs taken with XMM-Newton. We measure the column densities of O, Ne, Mg, and Fe with an empirical model and estimate the Galactic abundance gradients. The column densities of the neutral gas species are in agreement with those found in the literature. Solids are a significant reservoir of metals like oxygen and iron. Respectively, 15-25 % and 65-90 % of the total amount of O I and Fe I is found in dust. The dust amount and mixture seem to be consistent along all the lines-of-sight (LOS). Our estimates of abundance gradients and predictions of local interstellar abundances are in agreement with those measured at longer wavelengths. Our work shows that X-ray spectroscopy is a very powerful method to probe the ISM. For instance, on a large scale the ISM appears to be chemically homogeneous showing similar gas ionization ratios and dust mixtures. The agreement between the abundances of the ISM and the stellar objects suggests that the local Galaxy is also chemically homogeneous.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables, accepted to A&

How other Europeans assess the dangers of leaving the EU

Public support for the EU rose after the referendum, while Jean-Claude Juncker has painted a starry picture of the Union's prospects without Britain. In effect, writes Catherine E De Vries, the UK is a guinea pig for Eurosceptics on the rest of the continent. Consequently, national leaders have every incentive to make Brexit as arduous as possible for the UK. Parties like the AfD are watching