Brussels (Brussels Morning) – The European Parliament’s recent Eurobarometer survey reveals rising voter engagement and perception of EU significance, with defence and security emerging as key campaign priorities for upcoming elections.
The European Parliament issued its last Eurobarometer ahead of the June election on Wednesday. The outcomes of the survey, comprised of responses from 26,411 face-to-face interviews performed between Feb. 7 and Mar. 3, provide campaign supervisors with a handy snapshot of public opinion weeks out of the election.
According to Euronews, 71 per cent of respondents express they are “likely” to cast a vote to decide who represents them in the 720-member hemicycle. This denotes a 10-point increase corresponded to the lead-up to the 2019 elections. Back then, turnout achieved 50.66%, upending a years-long trajectory of declining participation.
By comparison, over eight out of ten Europeans 81 per cent think that voting is more significant in the current geopolitical circumstances. Six out of ten citizens (60%) are inquisitive in the upcoming EU elections from June 6 to 9, an expansion of 11 percentage points from the same point before the May 2019 vote.
Where does the EU Parliament rank favourably?
The survey reveals that France is the only EU country where attraction in the European parliamentary elections has not risen from 2019 to now. Moreover, France classifies last in the “positive image of the EU Parliament” indicator. People’s perception of the EU is flattering across the member states, with an average of 47%. Portugal is the nation where the EU is best perceived (69%), followed by Ireland and Sweden. On the contrasting end are the Czech Republic (33% positive perception), Austria, and France. Romania, with a 50% favourable perception, is above the EU average.
What percentage believe in EU membership benefits?
About 71 per cent of the citizens of the member states consider their country has benefited from EU membership. Overall, 73% of citizens state that EU actions have an influence on their daily lives. Greece, France, and Cyprus are the nations where respondents largely expressed that their standard of living has dropped in the last five years. Romania (with 46%) is at the EU average for this indicator.
How are defence and security shaping EU priorities?
The defence and security of the EU are cited as the top campaign priority in nine countries, with the highest outcomes in Denmark (56%), Finland (55%), and Lithuania (53%). Also, glancing to the future, EU citizens indicate defence and security (37%) as the main preferences in strengthening the EU’s global standing, followed by energy problems and food security/agriculture (both at 30%).
How do citizens perceive the EU’s role?
While four out of ten European residents say that the role of the EU has become more significant in recent years, 35% think it has remained the same, and 22% say it has diminished. Nationally, the prevalence of citizens in 15 countries considers that the EU’s position in the world has become more significant over the years, with proportions achieving 67% in Sweden, 63% in Portugal, and 60% in Denmark.
Almost three-quarters of European residents (73%, +3 percentage points corresponded to fall 2023) state that EU actions have an effect on their daily lives, including a fifth (20%) for whom they have a “very large” effect.
The latest Eurobarometer survey executed by the European Parliament before the June elections shows citizens’ awareness and consideration of the current geopolitical context. Interest in the elections, awareness of the election date, and the possibility of voting are all on the rise from the last survey in fall 2023. The increases are effective compared to the survey from spring 2019 (three months before the previous European elections).
