According to a new Eurobarometer survey published today, Europeans consider respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law (38%), as well as economic, industrial, and trading power (34%), to be the primary strengths of the EU. Also, good relationships and solidarity between the EU Member States (28%) were strengths.
Respondents identified areas that the EU should address as a priority, including the environment and climate change (33%), irregular migration (33%), security and defence (29%), and the war in Ukraine (25%).
50% of the respondents listed the war in Ukraine as the top challenge facing the EU.
Irregular migration, environmental issues, and climate change were the second and third most pressing challenges, respectively, with 41% and 35% of respondents identifying them as such.
When asked about the values best embodied by the EU compared to other countries, Europeans indicated respect for fundamental rights, values, and freedom of speech and expression (each at 53%).
Overall optimism about the future
The survey also found that 58% of Europeans are optimistic about the future of the EU, while 37% are pessimistic. Furthermore, 55% of respondents expressed confidence in the strength of the EU’s democracy in the next five years, while 41% were not confident. On the other hand, 64% of EU citizens are concerned about the EU’s security in the next five years. Finally, 51% are confident in the performance of the EU’s economy in the next five years, while 45% are more sceptical.
The Flash Eurobarometer 550 was conducted between 25 June and 2 July 2024 across the 27 Member States, interviewing 25,658 EU citizens online.
