Source: European Commission Spokesperson’s Service
In a troubled period marked by the coronavirus pandemic, trust in the EU remains stable and Europeans trust the EU to make the right decisions in response to the pandemic in the future.
In the new
Standard Eurobarometer survey released today, European citizens identify the economic situation, the state of Member States’ public finances and immigration as the three most pressing concerns
at EU level. Concern about the economic situation at the European level has not been this high since spring 2014.
The economic situation is also the main concern at national level, followed by health and unemployment. Concern about the economic situation is notably reflected in the perception of the current
state of the economy. 64% of Europeans think that the situation is ‘bad’ and 42% of Europeans think that their country’s economy will recover from the adverse effects of the coronavirus outbreak
in 2023 or later.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, health (22%) is the fourth most mentioned concern at EU level. Moreover, Europeans are divided in their assessment of the measures taken by the EU to fight
the pandemic overall (45% satisfied vs 44% not satisfied), while a majority of respondents in 19 Member States is satisfied with the measures taken by the EU in this context. However, 62% say they
trust the EU to make the right decisions in the future, and 60% remain optimistic about the future of the EU.
The most frequently mentioned priorities for the EU’s response to the coronavirus pandemic are: establish a strategy for facing a similar crisis in the future and develop financial means to find a
treatment or vaccine (each 37%). 30% think that developing a European health policy should be a priority.
