Eurobarometer: Citizens increasingly interested in EU elections, prioritise defence

Europeans citizens have a growing interest in EU elections, a more positive outlook on the European Parliament than ever before, and speak favourably of enhanced EU defence policy, Eurobarometer’s latest figures, released on Wednesday (17 April), reveal.

Some 41% of Europeans say they have a “positive” outlook on the European Parliament—up five percentage points compared to six months ago, while 56% would also like to see the Parliament play a more important role in their lives, up three percentage points from last September.

The Eurobarometer is an EU-wide survey that has been regularly tracking public opinion across 27 member states since 1973. As part of this new data wave, over 26,000 people were interviewed between February and March.

The Spring Survey results also “reveal a strong interest among citizens in the upcoming European elections” and are more likely to vote, the final report reads. 60% of respondents say they are interested in the next elections – up 11 percentage points compared to the same time five years ago, just months before the 2019 vote.

The study found that This general growing interest in Europe is tightly linked to overarching geopolitical tensions.

“Citizens understand what is at risk for the future of the EU,” Parliament spokesman Jaume Duch told journalists.

This increase in interest is even more significant in countries directly impacted by Russia’s war on Ukraine: Likelihood to vote in Czech Republic is up 28 percentage points compared to five years ago, to top 58%. It’s at 74% in Romania (+19 percentage points), 79% in Finland (+18 percentage points) and 70% in Poland (+18 percentage points).

Defence becomes key concern

Even the ‘Qatargate’ corruption scandal, which shook the Parliament in late 2022 and early 2023, seems to have left no trace in overall opinion levels.

That, Duch said, is linked to two things: “There has been nothing new [on this scandal] in the past few months, and it was not a systemic issue, but instead the behaviour of specific individuals”.

It’s also the first time EU defence and security have made it to the top three of Europeans’ key concerns—preceded only by fighting poverty and supporting public health.

“Defence and security, energy issues and food security and agriculture are seen as key areas to strengthen the EU’s role in the world, a role that is perceived stronger now than five years ago by a significant share of respondents,” the findings show – influenced by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and farmers’ protests that have shaken EU member states earlier this year.

37% of Europeans want to see defence policy develop so the EU can strengthen its position on the global stage. It is the issue that’s polling the highest, followed by energy (30%) and food security and agriculture (30%).

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

Read more with Euractiv

Madrid outraged at Basque far-left refusal to call ETA group 'terrorist'

The far-left separatist party EH-Bildu, favourite to win the Basque elections next Sunday, and the ruling socialist party PSOE (S&D) clashed on Tuesday after the former refused to describe the now defunct Basque group ETA as “terrorist”.