How satisfied are Europeans with the EU?

Published on 01/10/2025 - 9:54 GMT+2

Do European Union citizens consciousness their priorities and main needs are met by the bloc? The latest survey by the European Parliament’s Spring 2025 Eurobarometer paints a reasonably affirmative representation of cautious support mixed with a wide request for much action.

Europeans inactive spot the European Union arsenic a unit for stableness successful a turbulent world, with astir three-quarters (73%) saying their state benefits from membership. This is 1 of the highest levels ever recorded.

Most radical besides consciousness similar the EU impacts their mundane lives, though this is not universally seen arsenic a bully thing. Half of respondents (50%) accidental the interaction is positive, 31% picture it arsenic neither bully nor bad, and 18% spot the EU’s power arsenic negative.

Meanwhile, assurance successful the EU is rising, arsenic somewhat much than fractional (52%) of Europeans said they person a affirmative representation of the bloc.

This is simply a level matched lone doubly successful the past 2 decades (in 2021 and 2022). Meanwhile, 42% judge that the EU is moving successful the close direction, up 7 percent points since aboriginal 2025.

Optimism astir the aboriginal is besides strong: two-thirds of citizens accidental they are hopeful astir what’s up for the EU, rising to 72% among 15- to 24-year-olds.

Economic challenges

But restitution is not the aforesaid arsenic contentment. When asked what the EU should absorption on, European respondents were precise clear. 

Cost of surviving and ostentation stay the apical concerns, cited by 41% of respondents. This is followed by defence and information (34%), and the combat against poorness and societal exclusion (31%). 

These 3 issues unsocial uncover the unit Europeans consciousness successful their regular lives: economical strain, planetary instability, and increasing inequality.

Crucially, galore citizens indicated that they don’t conscionable privation the EU to announcement these challenges; they privation it to bash more.

No less than 90% judge that EU subordinate states should beryllium much agreed successful tackling planetary challenges, and 68% argued that the EU itself should instrumentality connected a bigger relation successful protecting citizens from planetary crises and information threats. 

The tendency for a much susceptible and responsive EU cuts crossed age, gender, portion governmental cognition is 1 of the fewer points of near-universal statement crossed the continent.

And this request for stronger enactment is matched by a telephone for much antiauthoritarian control, arsenic an overwhelming 91% of Europeans judge the European Parliament should person afloat entree to accusation and tools needed to oversee EU spending.

Protecting democracies

At the aforesaid time, 85% enactment linking the allocation of EU funds to a country’s respect for the regularisation of instrumentality and antiauthoritarian principles. In different words, enactment for EU unity and concern is high, but citizens privation checks and balances, transparency, and fairness.

As for the EU’s semipermanent budget, lone 36% of respondents said they’ve heard astir the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), but they inactive person beardown opinions astir however it should work. 

More than three-quarters (78%) judge that much aboriginal projects should beryllium jointly funded astatine the EU level, alternatively than near to idiosyncratic countries. Meanwhile, 73% accidental they enactment creating caller EU-specific sources of revenue, specified arsenic taxes connected greenhouse state emissions oregon firm profits, to trim dependence connected nationalist contributions.

There is besides beardown enactment for ensuring that fund funds are well-managed. Over 90% of citizens considered transparency, efficiency, flexibility and traceability to beryllium indispensable aspects of however the EU fund should operate.