Eurobarometer: growing concern increases demand for European measures

The results of the European Parliament’s latest Eurobarometer survey, published on Wednesday, show that the global situation is causing concern among EU citizens. Geopolitical turmoil is having a major impact on Europeans’ perceptions: the majority (52%) are pessimistic about the future of the world, 39% about the future of the EU and 41% about the future of their country. The personal outlook seems more promising: more than three-quarters of the European population (76%) are optimistic about their own future and that of their family.

The challenges they face are many, as confirmed by the survey results. Concerns about security and safety feature heavily across all topics analysed, with the following issues topping the list: conflicts near the EU (72%), terrorism (67%), cyberattacks from third countries (66%), natural disasters exacerbated by climate change (66%) and uncontrolled migration flows (65%). At the same time, communication-related risks such as disinformation (69%), hate speech both online and in real life (68%), fake content generated by artificial intelligence (68%), insufficient data protection (68%) and threats to freedom of expression (67%) are also widespread concerns.

Call for a united Europe

Faced with so many challenges, European citizens want the European Union to step up. Sixty-six per cent want the EU to help ensure their security, highlighting the EU’s protective role in the current political climate. The population also considers unity to be essential: 89 per cent of those surveyed say that EU Member States should be more united, and 73 per cent agree that the European Union needs more resources to address current global challenges. They believe that, in order to strengthen its position in the world, the EU should focus on defence and security (40%), competitiveness, the economy and industry (32%) and energy independence (29%).

“Geopolitical tensions affect Europeans’ sense of everyday security. Citizens expect the European Union to protect, be prepared and act as one. That is exactly what a stronger and more assertive Europe must deliver. Europe is our strongest shield,” said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

The cost of living, a key priority

Rising prices continue to impact people’s standard of living. At national level, inflation, rising prices and the cost of living (41%) are once again the top priorities that Europeans want the European Parliament to address. The economy and job creation follow closely behind (35%), up five percentage points since May 2025. Although most respondents expect their standard of living to remain stable over the next five years, a significant proportion (28%) expect it to decline, especially in countries where economic uncertainty is most acute. The belief that their standard of living will decline is most widespread among the French (45%), Belgians and Slovaks (40% in both cases). At European level, citizens expect the EU to focus on strengthening its position in the world, with an emphasis on defence and security (40%, up 3 points since the last survey).

Meanwhile, citizens reaffirm the importance of fundamental and founding values. Peace is emerging as the value they most want the European Parliament to defend (52%), reflecting the current geopolitical climate. Democracy (35%), freedom of expression (23%), human rights (22%) and the rule of law (21%) also remain key expectations.

Growing support for EU membership

Attitudes towards the EU and its institutions remain positive, despite slight declines since May 2025. A relative majority maintain a favourable image of the EU (49%, -3 percentage points), and only 17% have a negative image. Thirty-eight per cent (-3 percentage points) have a positive image of the European Parliament, compared to only 20% who have a negative image. A large and growing majority of citizens consider their country’s membership of the EU to be a good thing (62%), two points more than when this question was last asked in February/March 2024.

From a socio-demographic point of view, young people remain among the most ardent supporters of the EU and have high expectations of its role. Young people aged between 15 and 30 tend to have a more favourable opinion of the EU and the Parliament than older citizens: 58% have a positive image of the EU (compared to 49-43% among older age groups) and 68% want the European Parliament to play a more important role (compared to 58-54%). Young Europeans are also strong advocates of greater unity among Member States in the current context (90%), more resources for the European Union (78%) and greater international influence for the EU (87%).

The full results are available on the Eurobarometer website.

Context

The autumn 2025 Eurobarometer survey, conducted by the research agency Verian on behalf of the European Parliament, was carried out between 6 and 30 November 2025 in the 27 EU Member States. The survey was conducted face-to-face, although in some countries (Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Malta, the Netherlands and Sweden) computer-assisted video interviews (CAVI) were also used. A total of 26,453 interviews were conducted. The EU results were weighted according to the population of each country.