Public trust in the European Union is now at its highest level since 2007, a new Eurobarometer study has found.
According to the study, more than half (52%) of EU citizens say that they trust the European Union, with a similar percentage (52%) trusting the European Commission, which is an 18-year high.
Some 43% of European citizens have a ‘positive image’ of the EU, with 38% neutral on the matter and 18% holding a negative view. More than three fifths (62%) say that they are optimistic about the EU’s future.
Defence and security
Concerns about defence and security weigh heavily on the minds of EU citizens, with 78% saying they are worried about the bloc’s defence and security over the next five years, while 81% are in favour of a common defence and security policy among EU Member States.
Some 77% cite the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a thread to EU security, with 27% believing that the invasion is the ‘most important issue’ at EU level. This is followed by the current international geopolitical (24%) and security and defence (20%).
Single currency
Support for the euro has reached a historic peak, with three quarters (74%) of respondents in the EU and some 83% in the euro area in favour of the single currency.
At the same time, however, perceptions about the European economy remain somewhat mixed, with 44% viewing it positively and 48% having a negative perceptions. Some 43% expect economic stability in the EU over the next 12 months.
Nearly nine in ten Europeans, or 88%, believe that more rules-based cooperation is needed at a global level, indicating a strong desire for unified action on shared challenges. Read more here.
