Eurobarometer: Russia’s attack on Ukraine has boosted public support for the European Union

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has boosted public support for the EU, according to a European Parliament spring Eurobarometer survey released today

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Europeans consider their country’s EU membership a “good thing”. This is the highest result since 2007, when the corresponding percentage had risen to 58%. The majority of citizens in all countries except Greece and Slovakia view the EU membership positively, where most respondents (43% in Greece) answer that it is “neither good nor bad”. In Cyprus, 53% view the country’s participation in the EU positively.

52% of Europeans have a positive image of the EU, compared to 12% who have a negative one. This result is an increase of 3 points from November-December 2021, while at the same time, it is the best result recorded in a European Parliament survey since 2007. National results for a positive EU image range from 76% in Ireland to 32 % in GREECE. In Cyprus, 42% of respondents have a positive image of the EU.

In the EU, on average, 10% of respondents view Russia positively, compared to 30% in 2018. In Greece, 25% of respondents view Russia positively, while in Cyprus 36%. China is viewed positively by 22% of EU citizens. Europeans have a more positive view of the UK with 65%, followed by the US with 58%. Regarding Turkey, 28% of European citizens have a positive view, while the percentage of Greeks who view Turkey positively reaches 4% and in Cyprus 9%.

Most citizens perceive the war in Ukraine as a fundamental change: 61% of Europeans are not convinced that their lives will remain unchanged, compared to 86% of Greeks and 80% of Cypriots. According to a survey published last week by the European Commission, eight out of ten respondents (80%) agree with imposing financial sanctions on the Russian government, as well as on Russian companies and individuals – down from 70% in Greece and 54% in Cyprus. The majority of citizens in 22 Member States are satisfied with the EU response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Cyprus (48%) and Greece (44%) among the exceptions.

As inflation and the cost of living rose long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, four out of ten Europeans say they are already experiencing an impact on their standard of living (49% in Greece and 57% in Cyprus). As a clear sign of European resilience and unity, 59% of Europeans prioritize defending our common European values, such as freedom and democracy – even if it would affect prices and the cost of living. In both Greece and Cyprus, 48% of respondents believe that defending these values ​​should be a priority. However, in both countries the absolute majority also places very high on the relevant list price restraint and cost of living (51%) compared to the European average (39%).

Growing economic concerns are also reflected in issues where citizens would like the European Parliament to prioritize: the fight against poverty and social exclusion is cited as the first priority (38%), followed by public health (35%), which marks a significant decrease (by 7 points) in the last six months. European citizens chose democracy and the rule of law as their third priority (32%). In Greece, supporting the economy and creating new jobs is at the top of the priorities (60%), followed by the fight against poverty and social exclusion (59%) and public health (52%).

In terms of the core values ​​that citizens want the European Parliament to defend as a matter of priority, democracy is at the top of the list, with 38%. This is followed by the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide, as well as freedom of speech and thought (27%). In Greece, citizens chose solidarity between EU Member States and democracy as the top value (39% each answer). This was followed by the rule of law (33%) and freedom of speech and thought (30%).

The European Parliament’s Spring Eurobarometer 2022 data collection took place between 19 April and 16 May. The survey involved 26,580 Europeans from the 27 EU Member States. 503 people participated in Cyprus and 1,014 in Greece through a personal interview.

Source: AMPE