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Eurobarometer: Greeks more pessimistic about their finances – Europeans’ attitude towards the pandemic

Strong support in the European Union and a broad consensus to better address global challenges such as the pandemic of coronavirus, at European level records his new research Eurobarometer .

Citizens are increasingly feeling the impact of the pandemic, both in their personal lives and in their financial situation, according to AMPE, while eight out of ten respondents say they are aware of the ways in which the EU is dealing with the effects of the pandemic.

At the end of the first quarter of 2021, 31% of Europeans have already seen their financial situation negatively affected during the pandemic. This percentage amounts to 50% for Greece. A further 26% expect this to happen – with respondents answering in this way by 30% in Greece. The total of 57% who answered in these two ways represents the majority of citizens at EU level, but respondents in Greece have a clearly more negative picture, with the percentage amounting to 80%.

Despite the economic impact of the pandemic, the majority of respondents (58%) believe that the health benefits of restrictive measures in their own country outweigh the economic damage which they probably brought about. 55% of the citizens in Greece seem to agree with this statement. Citizens in most EU countries are of the same opinion, suggesting a change in attitudes compared to the second half of 2020, when a small majority of citizens felt that the economic damage was more significant, according to an EP survey.

Eurobarometer: Moderate satisfaction with the measures

Europeans are well aware of the European Union’s efforts to combat the pandemic Covid-19 and its consequences: 84% of Greeks and 8 out of 10 Europeans have heard, seen or read something about EU measures or actions in response to the pandemic, while almost half of respondents (48%) at European level know what these measures. However, despite this high rate of information, only 48% of EU citizens on average say they are satisfied with the measures (41% in Greece), while 50% are dissatisfied, a percentage that amounts to 58% for Greece. Similarly, only 37% of respondents in Greece and 44% of EU citizens say they are satisfied with the degree of solidarity between Member States in the fight against the pandemic.

Despite the short-term fluctuations, as well as the differences observed between Member States, the positive assessment of the EU image remains at one of the highest levels recorded in the last decade. In Greece, 40% of respondents have a positive image, with 36% stating that they have a neutral image and 24% a negative one. On average in the EU, half of citizens (48%) have a positive image of the EU. An additional 35% have a neutral image, while only 17% say their image of the EU is negative. This research reaffirms the steadily growing and strong positive trend towards the image of the EU over the last ten years, despite the pandemic and its consequences for the lives of European citizens.

The combination of the sometimes critical attitude of citizens towards the implementation of certain anti-crisis measures with the long-term positive trend and fundamental support in the European Union also justifies the clear and always present call for EU reform: 64% of respondents in Greece (70% in the EU) say in this survey that they are generally in favor of the EU. However, less than a quarter of Europeans (23%) are in favor of the EU as it has been so far “- marking a drop of four points from November / December 2020. About half of respondents in Greece (49%) say they are” in favor of the EU, but not as it has been so far. ” This percentage is close to the corresponding rate in the EU (47%). Moreover, in Greece, only 15% are in favor of the EU “as it has been formed so far”.

Eurobarometer: The priorities and location of vaccines

77% of respondents in Greece (74% in the EU) want the EU to have more responsibilities in dealing with crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, including a 29% who “completely agree” with the idea (28% in the EU).

When asked about the areas in which the EU should give priority to the fight against the pandemic, in Greece, in the first place with 44% are equal the need to enable the Member States to support the businesses and the employees affected by the pandemic and the investing more resources in the economy for equitable and sustainable development in all EU Member States. Rapid access to safe and effective vaccines (33%) and in third place, the development of a European health policy (29%).

At EU level, respondents cite rapid access to safe and effective vaccines for all EU citizens as the most important (39%). The list of priorities is the allocation of more money to the development of treatments and vaccines (29%), the introduction of a European crisis management strategy (28%) and the development of a European health policy (25%).

Taking measures to support the economy and create jobs ranks higher in the list of priorities that MEPs should have in Greece with a percentage of 67%. Public health ranks second (60%), while measures against poverty and social exclusion rank third (54%).

At EU level, citizens want their elected representatives to prioritize public health (49%). They are followed by the fight against poverty and social exclusion (39%), measures to support the economy and job creation (also by 39%), as well as action against climate change (34%).

The European Parliament Eurobarometer for Spring 2021 was conducted from 1 March to 12 April in 27 EU Member States. The survey was conducted live and completed with online interviews where necessary, given the pandemic restrictions. A total of 26,669 interviews were conducted.

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