On the eve of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Weimar Triangle, the Institute of Public Affairs and the Heinrich Böll Foundation Warsaw are publishing the results of a new public opinion survey conducted simultaneously in Poland, Germany and France. The findings show a clear social mandate for continued cooperation among the three countries but also reveal its greatest weakness: low visibility and insufficient presence in citizens’ everyday experience.
In each of the three countries, at least two-thirds of respondents want cooperation within the Weimar Triangle to remain at its current level or to be strengthened: 67% in Poland, 75% in Germany and 67% in France. Those who would prefer to weaken or end the format are clearly in the minority.
At the same time, awareness of the Weimar Triangle differs significantly across the three countries. In Poland, 69% of respondents have heard of it, compared with 48% in Germany and 30% in France. Nevertheless, 53% of Poles, 66% of Germans and 55% of French respondents consider its role in European integration and in shaping the EU agenda to be important.
“The biggest problem facing the Weimar Triangle today is not a lack of public support, but its political invisibility. Citizens are ready to accept this format if they understand its purpose and can see concrete results. The anniversary should therefore open a new stage of cooperation that is more visible, practical and accountable,” says Małgorzata Kopka-Piątek of the Institute of Public Affairs in Warsaw, author of the analysis.
The survey also reveals a strong shared sense of threat from Russia. 80% of Poles, 70% of Germans and 76% of French respondents regard Russia as a military threat to the EU. At the same time, the three societies differ in their assessment of the United States: 38% of Poles, 63% of Germans and 68% of French respondents see the US as an economic threat.
“The Weimar Triangle should not pretend that there is complete agreement where differences clearly exist. Its strength may lie precisely in its ability to coordinate positions despite those differences – on security, the economy or transatlantic relations. We need fewer general declarations and more concrete commitments for which governments can be held politically accountable,” emphasises Dr Jacek Kucharczyk, President of the Institute of Public Affairs.
Respondents also support cooperation that goes beyond summit diplomacy. Joint educational programmes are supported by 46% of Poles, 52% of Germans and 48% of French respondents. Funding for joint civic, cultural and media projects receives the support of 39%, 36% and 36%, respectively.
The survey results point to three particularly important directions for future action:
• permanent coordination of Polish, German and French positions ahead of key EU decisions;
• strengthening the parliamentary dimension of the Weimar Triangle, including through a permanent forum for cooperation between parliamentary committees, regular debates and joint expert hearings;
• establishing a “Weimar Fund” to support joint civic, educational, cultural and media projects, youth exchanges and local partnerships involving participants from all three countries.
“The durability of the Weimar Triangle will depend on whether it becomes an experience not only for governments, but also for societies. We need more joint projects involving civil society organisations, as well as schools, local governments, universities, media and cultural institutions. Only then will the format develop its own social base and become less dependent on the current political climate,” says Dr Jens Althoff, Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Warsaw, the survey partner. “This anniversary could and should be an opportunity to launch concrete projects. For example, it could be the perfect moment for a fresh initiative to expand the public service broadcaster ARTE into a genuine Weimar Triangle media platform, regularly offering programs for all three countries in all three languages,” he also proposes.
Support for the Weimar Triangle is embedded in a generally positive attitude towards EU membership. 63% of Poles, 61% of Germans and 53% of French respondents support their country’s membership in the European Union.
"After 35 years, the Weimar Triangle is not a rejected format, but an unfinished one. Citizens in all three countries are giving it a mandate to continue, but they expect this cooperation to deliver concrete results. Its future credibility will depend precisely on those results,” concludes Małgorzata Kopka-Piątek.
About the survey
The survey was conducted by Ipsos between 24 July and 4 August 2026 using the CAWI method in France, Germany and Poland, on representative quota samples of people aged 18–75: France N=1004, Germany N=1014, Poland N=1074. The survey concept, questionnaire and analysis of the results were developed by the Institute of Public Affairs in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation Warsaw.
Download the report here.
For press and media enquiries, please contact Małgorzata Kopka-Piątek (malgorzata.kopka@isp.org.pl).