The survey of 11,021 people across the bloc found that a fifth of French voters categorized themselves as far left or far right in their political views | Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) France among most ‘extreme’ countries in Europe: survey A fifth of French voters identify themselves as far left or far right.

The French are among the most polarized people in the EU, according to a new survey published Friday by the Bertelsmann Foundation, an NGO.

The survey of 11,021 people across the bloc found that a fifth of French voters categorized themselves as far left or far right in their political views, compared to 7 percent across the EU. Some 36 percent of the French identified themselves as "centrist," compared to 62 percent across the EU.

The French are also less happy with their economic situation than the rest of the EU. A total of 66 percent reported being happy with the direction of policy in the country, compared to an EU average of 84 percent.

Of those who identified themselves as far right, 4 percent said they were happy with the direction of the country, compared to 70 percent who said they were not.

Two-thirds of French voters wanted to remain in the EU, while a majority of French far-right voters (63 percent) said they wanted to leave the bloc.

The Bertelsmann Foundation did not provide individual results for other countries surveyed.

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