AUTUMN 2022 | EB 98.1

DG COMM | PUBLIC OPINION MONITORING UNIT

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

EUROBAROMETER

PARLEMETER 2022

IMPRESSUM

The report has been drafted for the European Parliament by Kantar

RESPONSIBLE

Philipp SCHULMEISTER, Head of Unit

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Dimitra TSOULOU MALAKOUDI (project leader), Monika ALPOEGGER, Matthias BÜTTNER, Yasser EL KOURA, Gonzalez VELASCO MONASTERIO, Verena ZIMMERMANN, Olaf ZÜHLKE

PRODUCTION

Katarzyna ONISZK

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Aleksandra BUDNIK

Manuscript completed in December 2022

Brussels, © European Union, 2022

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

This document was published by the Public Opinion Monitoring Unit within the Directorate–General for Communication (DG COMM) of the European Parliament.

To contact the Public Opinion Monitoring Unit please write to: dgcommpom@europarl.europa.eu

LINGUISTIC VERSION

Original: EN

DISCLAIMER

This document is prepared for, and primarily addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament to assist them in their parliamentary work. The content of the document is the sole responsibility of its author(s) and any opinions expressed herein should not be taken to represent an official position of the Parliament.

Document prepared by Pierre Dieumegard for Europe-Democracy-Esperanto The purpose of this "provisional" document is to allow more people in the European Union to become aware of documents produced by the European Union (and financed by their taxes). Without translations, people are excluded from the debate. This document “Parlemeter” was only in English in a pdf-file . From this initial file, we made a odt-file, prepared by Libre Office software, for machine translation to other languages. The results are now available in all official languages. It is desirable that the EU administration takes over the translation of important documents. “Important documents” are not only laws and regulations, but also the important information needed to make informed decisions together. In order to discuss our common future together, and to enable reliable translations, the international language Esperanto would be very useful because of its simplicity, regularity and accuracy. Contact us : Kontakto (europokune.eu) https://e-d-e.org/-Kontakti-EDE

Table of contents

TEN KEY TAKE AWAYS	4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY	5

CONTEXT	9

METHODOLOGY	15

I. CHALLENGES FOR EUROPEAN CITIZENS	17

1.1 Citizens’ current concerns	17

1.2 Attitudes towards the future	26

II. THE RISING COST OF LIVING	37

2.1 The financial situation of EU households	38

2.2 Future perspective	48

2.3 Satisfaction with current national and European measures	54

III. SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE	57

3.1 Citizens’ approval of the EU’s stance and actions in support of Ukraine	57

3.2 Satisfaction with Member States’ cooperation	69

3.3 Little confidence that life will continue unchanged	72

IV. EU AND EP IN CITIZENS’ EYES	79

4.1 Role and perception of the European Parliament	79

4.2 Perception of the EU	100

V. HEATING UP: CITIZENS’ INTEREST IN THE EU AND THE NEXT EUROPEAN ELECTIONS	124

5.1 Interest in EU affairs	124

5.2. European elections	142

CONCLUSIONS	158

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	159

TEN KEY TAKE AWAYS

1. POLYCRISIS MOOD.

The rising cost of living is currently the most pressing concern for 93% of Europeans; poverty and social exclusion follow (82%). Both the potential spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries and the climate change emergency remain leading worries for 81% of EU citizens.

2. PEACE AS EUROPE’S CORE (AND FOUNDING REASON).

More than seventy years after the Schuman Declaration, peace is back as the main perceived benefit of EU membership. 36% of Europeans say the European Union’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security are the principal benefits of EU membership, a six-point increase since Autumn 2021. Europeans also think that the EU facilitates better cooperation among Member States (35%) and contributes to economic growth (30%).

3. TOGETHER WE STAND.

European citizens continue to resiliently support Ukraine. 74% approve EU support following Russia’s invasion, in general, and 73% are in favour of the concrete actions taken, such as sanctions against the Russian government, as well as financial, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine.

4. DEMOCRACY IS KEY.

Defending democracy remains the most important value (36%) EU citizens want the European Parliament to stand up for. Protecting human rights in the EU and worldwide (29%), as well as freedom of speech and thought (28%) follow. Another value receiving increasing mention over time is solidarity among EU Member States and regions.

5. WINDS OF CHANGE, BUT WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.

Two out of three Europeans (65%) believe their lives will change as a result of the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, majorities are optimistic regarding the EU’s future (57%) and express satisfaction with cooperation among EU Member States throughout the conflict thus far (58%).

6. CRISES TAKE THEIR TOLL.

Almost half of the EU population interviewed (46%) claims personal living standards have already been negatively impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and cost-of-living crisis. Two in five (39%) expect to be affected over the next year, while 45% of European households say they are already encountering difficulties living with their present income.

7. FIGHT POVERTY FIRST.

With inflation and living costs rising, citizens want the European Parliament to focus on the fight against poverty and social exclusion (37%). Public health remains relevant to many citizens (34%), as does continuing action against climate change (31%). Supporting the economy and creating new jobs (31%) is also high on the list.

8. THE EU IS PART OF THE SOLUTION.

Recent crises are strengthening citizen support for the European Union: 62% see EU membership as a “good thing” – among the highest results on record since 2007. Two thirds (66%) consider their country’s EU membership important, and 72% believe that their country has benefited from it.

9. EU REPUTATION UNDER PRESSURE.

Nevertheless, citizens expect the EU to present solutions to mitigate the compounding effects of the crises we face. High support for the Union, as such, continues, but is founded on the experience gained over the past years that the EU would find solutions to tackle such crises successfully. The five-point decrease since Spring 2022 (52% to 47%) of citizens holding a positive image of the EU might be seen as a warning that the EU would indeed need to deliver soon.

10. EUROPEAN ELECTIONS ON THE HORIZON.

A majority (54%) expresses interest in the 2024 European elections, while 45% say they do not. If European elections were to be held next week, 67% would likely vote (giving a score from 7 to 10 on a 10-point scale).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The global polycrisis presents citizens with multiple, profound challenges. The Parliament’s Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer Survey clearly spells them out and demonstrates the substantial impact of the cost-of-living crisis on daily life. Yet, despite these worries, support for the EU remains high. Across the European Union, citizens are calling on the European Parliament to defend democracy, protect human rights and the freedom of thought. They also want it to prioritise the fight against poverty and social exclusion, “public health”, “action against climate change” and “support to the economy”.

RISING COST OF LIFING AS A CORE CONCERN

Among the many issues, the rising cost of living is currently the most pressing for nearly all respondents (93%) in this survey, across all age groups, genders, educational and socio-professional backgrounds. It is also the most pressing issue in all EU Member States but one, Sweden.

Regardless of the impact on one’s personal standard of living, Europeans cite “the rising cost of living” as their main worry. Even those encountering (nearly) no difficulties in paying bills are worried about the issue (91%), in comparison to 96% of those who deal with difficulties most of the time.

This issue affects all Member States, with the share of worried citizens exceeding 90% in all countries except Austria (89%), Slovenia (88%), Romania (82%), the Netherlands (81%), Denmark (77%) and Sweden (74%).

Very much in line with this finding is poverty and social exclusion, which is also high on Europeans’ minds (82%). For those saying that their personal standard of living has already declined, poverty and social exclusion is the second greatest worry

(90%). It is especially prevalent in Cyprus (94%) and Member States that were most affected by the Eurozone crisis, among them Greece (97%), Portugal (95%), Spain (93%) and Italy (92%).

“The spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries” is the third most frequently expressed concern (81%). Respondents in Malta (93%), Portugal (91%), Poland (91%) and Lithuania (90%) are among the most worried. This fear is particularly prevalent among women and older generations. Finally, climate change remains a leading issue for 81% of EU citizens, yet - significantly - not just among younger respondents. In fact, 81% of those aged 55 and above consider it to be worrisome to them and their close ones, even though they are less likely to consider it a main EP priority than younger Europeans. Levels of concern range between 44% in Estonia and 93% in Malta.

STANDARD OF LIVING IS ALREDY HEAVILY IMPACTED

Looking at the financial situation of citizens, the survey shows that the fallout from the polycrisis, including the war in Ukraine, Covid-19 pandemic and rising inflation, is being felt increasingly. Almost half of EU citizens (46%) say that their “standard of living has already been reduced”, with another 39% expecting an impact over the next year, and only 14% expecting no change at all.

The living standard of citizens with lower educational levels has already been affected significantly (56% compared to 34% of those still studying).

It is important to note that the share of citizens already affected varies substantially among Member States: It is lowest in Sweden (24%) and Finland (27%) and highest in Cyprus (70%), Greece (66%), Malta (65%) and France (62%). Yet, even in Nordic countries, where its current impact is limited, majorities either already feel a decline in living standards or expect it to occur in the near future. 45% of European households claim to already be encountering difficulties, while 54% say they are still living comfortably. Again, there are strong differences among countries, with the share of people encountering difficulties being much lower in countries like Sweden (13%), Denmark (13%), Finland (16%), the Netherlands (16%) and Luxembourg (19%) in contrast with others such as Greece (79%) and Bulgaria (75%). Another telling indicator of growing economic constraints is the increase in the share of citizens facing bill-paying difficulties “most of the time” or “sometimes”, a nine percentage point increase (30% to 39%) since Autumn 2021 and +6 pp since Spring 2022.

Looking at the measures taken to tackle the rising cost of living, one in three Europeans is satisfied with the measures taken both at the national government and EU level. Satisfaction ranges between 66% in Malta and 15% in Estonia for national measures and between 55% in Ireland and 13% in Estonia for EU ones.

APPROVAL FOR EU SUPPORT TO UKRAINE REMAINS STABLE AND HIGH

A key survey insight is the continuingly resilient backing of European citizens for Ukraine: 74% of respondents approve of the EU’s support following Russia’s invasion, in general, and 73% approve the concrete “actions taken by the European Union to support Ukraine”, such as sanctions against the Russian government as well as financial, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. In all Member States, the share of people approving the EU’s support is higher than those expressing disapproval, with the highest levels in Sweden (97%), Finland (95%), the Netherlands (93%), Portugal (92%), and Denmark (92%).

Looking at potential correlations between public support for Ukraine and individual financial situations, a number of interesting insights emerge: citizens in Member States with higher GDPs per capita are more likely to approve of EU support to Ukraine. On the other hand - and perhaps even more tellingly considering where the majority of European citizens personally stand on this question - approval of the EU’s support to Ukraine remains high irrespective of national inflation rates and unemployment levels. Even a majority of EU citizens encountering financial difficulties support the EU standing with Ukraine: 70% of those whose standard of living has declined approve (compared to 79% of those whose income has not yet decreased and 73% experiencing no change/increase). Support is also quite stable regardless of age group, gender and political affiliation.

Member State efforts to coordinate responses to the consequences of the invasion are largely appreciated. 58% of EU citizens are satisfied with cooperation levels among countries, while 37% are not. Approval is particularly high in Ireland (84%), Portugal (83%), Denmark (83%), Sweden (81%) and Finland (80%). Respondents in Greece (34%), Cyprus (40%) and Slovakia (41%) are among the least satisfied. Of those who are satisfied with Member State cooperation aiming to address the consequences of the war in Ukraine, 68% want the EP to play a more important role, while those who hold a positive image of the EU and EP are also more likely to be satisfied with Member State cooperation levels.

Given the grim economic outlook in Europe and predominant worry over the rising cost of living, citizens understandably feel that “things are not going in the right direction”, neither in their respective countries (62%) nor in the EU (51%). Most Europeans (65%) also do not feel confident that their lives will continue as they are. In countries with smaller GDPs per capita, in particular, citizens are more likely to feel that their lives might change. For example, in Greece, just 10% are confident that their lives will remain the same, whereas half of the respondents in Ireland are confident in this. Citizens who experience difficulties paying bills most of the time, in general, express less confidence in a stable future: only 21% are confident, in comparison with 35% among those who (almost) never encounter them. The former are also more likely to feel that things are going in the wrong direction in their lives personally and are less optimistic regarding the future of the EU as a whole. But even those living comfortably mostly believe that their lives may change (59%). Despite this, a majority of Europeans (57%) remain optimistic on the future of the EU. The most optimistic outlooks are expressed by Irish (84%) and Danish (81%) respondents. This is also particularly the case among young Europeans.

PERCEPTION OF THE EU AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REMAINS POSITIVE OVERALL

The perception of the EU is positive among 47% of Europeans, neutral for 38% and negative for 14%. After achieving record results in the Spring 2022 survey, the EU’s positive image has gone back to 2020 and 2021 levels. In most Member States, a majority holds a positive image of the EU, with few exceptions where a neutral opinion is predominant. A negative image of the EU is the minority view in all European countries. Similar conclusions can be drawn when it comes to the image of the EP. It has steadily improved in the past years, and especially since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, peaking in the Spring 2022 survey at 39%. As of the autumn of 2022, the EP’s positive image is back to 2020 and 2021 levels at 36%. The result is highest in Malta (62%), Ireland (58%) and Sweden (53%) and lowest in Greece (27%), Estonia (27%), Slovenia (26%) and France (22%), where “neutral” is the most mentioned answer. A majority of Europeans would like to see the European Parliament play a more important role (55%, -3 pp compared to Spring 2022 and Autumn 2021). This is the most popular answer in 23 Member States, with the highest shares in Cyprus (87%), Greece (75%) and Spain (75%). Europeans who are, in general, more positive about the EU and the EP also want the Parliament to play a stronger role, as is the case for citizens who voted in previous European, national or local elections.

Even more pertinent in the current geo-political context, is the perception that EU membership is a “good thing” remains high (62%, -3 pp) and continuous to stay around its highest levels since 2007. Most citizens in all countries except for Greece and Slovakia – where a more neutral perception is predominant – see their country’s membership of the EU as a “good thing”. The highest percentages are in Luxembourg (90%) and Ireland (83%), while Lithuania (+17 pp), Malta (+17 pp), Finland (+6 pp) and Slovakia (+5 pp) see the largest increases in comparison to Autumn 2021.

In addition to the perception of EU membership being a “good thing”, two-thirds of Europeans (66%) also consider their country’s EU membership as “important”. A very high share of Europeans (72%) would also say that their country has benefited from being an EU member. This indicator has not changed since Autumn 2021, supporting signs of overall resilience in the EU population. This is also the majority view in all Member States, with proportions exceeding 90% in Malta (95%), Ireland (92%), Lithuania (91%) and Luxembourg (91%). This result has remained relatively stable in most countries, with the most significant increases observed in Malta (+6 pp), Finland (+6 pp) and Sweden (+4 pp). Younger respondents, regular voters as well as citizens who think voting is important are more likely to say their country has benefited from being a member of the EU.

Another significant piece of insight given the current context is that respondents give the EU’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security (36%) as the main reason why their country has benefited from EU membership. Results for this indicator have increased by 6 points since October/November 2021, the largest observed among the items asked in this question. The largest increases are in Latvia (+16 pp), Lithuania (+15 pp), the Netherlands (+13 pp), Estonia (+12 pp), Malta (+11 pp) and Poland (+11 pp). This indicates the effect the Russian war against Ukraine may be having. Other reasons given that stand out, among others, include cooperation between EU countries (35%, +3 pp) and the EU’s contribution to the respective country’s economic growth (30%, =). Interestingly, the latter shows the greatest increases in countries where respondents report the most financial difficulties, such as in Bulgaria (+7 pp), Greece (+7 pp), Cyprus (+5 pp) or Slovakia (+5 pp), indicating further reinforcement of the argument that citizens see the EU as part of the solution when facing mounting difficulties.

When it comes to the values Europeans want the EP to defend, democracy (36%, -2 pp since Spring 2022), the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (29%, +2 pp) and freedom of speech and thought (28%, +1 pp) make up the top three at the EU level. These values have been consistently mentioned most since Autumn 2021, underlining the strong message citizens are sending regarding their expectations of the EP. Democracy as a value that requires safeguarding is more likely to be mentioned by Europeans who “have a positive image” of the EU and EP, and would like the latter’s role to be more important. This segment thinks positively of EU membership and is of the opinion that voting in European elections is important.

The policy priorities expressed for the European Parliament also bear witness to the overall political context: Once again, after Spring 2022, the fight against poverty and social exclusion comes out on top at 37% (-1 pp since Spring 2022), followed by “public health” (34%, -1 pp), action against climate change (31%, =) and support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (31%, +1 pp). The fight against poverty is a higher priority for respondents with lower education levels and who deal with greater financial difficulties. The fight against climate change remains, as observed in previous surveys, more likely to be a priority for younger respondents and students. Public health (42% to 34%) as well as migration and asylum (23% to 11%) have both become less important now compared to Autumn 2021.

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS ON THE HORIZON

Conducted one and a half years ahead of the May 2024 European elections, the European Parliament’s 2022 Autumn Eurobarometer Survey also looks at European citizens’ attitudes of the latter. The 2024 European elections remain important and significantly more so in comparison to the same time before the 2019 elections.

Voting in European elections is of high importance to 46% of Europeans, medium importance to 39% and low importance to 14%. It is seen as key civic duty (score 10) for close to a quarter of respondents (24%). Comparing and contrasting with results a year and a half before the 2019 European elections shows that the importance of voting in European elections has increased by 4 points, from 42% in Autumn 2017 to 46% in Autumn 2022, with some significant variations in a number of countries. The highest increases are in Portugal (+19 pp), Greece (+17 pp), Croatia (+17 pp) and Czechia (+14 pp). Proportions have decreased - to a far lower degree - in Bulgaria (-5 pp), Germany (-4 pp), France (-4 pp) and Lithuania (-4 pp). Over half of citizens (54%) are interested in the 2024 European elections, while 45% say they are not, at the same level as in the autumn of 2017, when interest stood at 55%. Since then, it has varied significantly in most countries: rising the most in Greece (+14 pp), Croatia and Portugal (+9 pp in both countries), while the largest decreases are in Finland (-14 pp), Estonia (-13 pp) and the Netherlands (-13 pp). Lastly, while the likelihood to vote in the next European elections has slightly decreased since Spring 2022, it remains high overall at 67% at the EU level. The likelihood to vote ranges from 49% in Estonia and 51% in Cyprus to over eight in ten in Sweden (85%), the Netherlands (83%) and Denmark (82%).

CONTEXT

Fieldwork

The fieldwork for the European Parliament’s Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer survey was carried out by Kantar Public between 12 October and 7 November in all 27 EU Member States. To correctly interpret the survey results, it is essential to take the political and societal context at the time of fieldwork into consideration. All national results for the questions asked in this survey – and in continuation also the European average results – must be seen in the light of the situation and public debate at the time of fieldwork.

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Public discourse at the time of fieldwork was dominated by the war in Ukraine, which started on the 24th February 2022 when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. Just at the beginning of the fieldwork, Russia intensified its missile and drone attacks on the capital Kyiv and other major cities. This came after Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attacking a bridge linking Crimea to mainland Russia. The heavy air strikes at Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv and other Ukrainian cities caused death and destruction, with many towns and villages across Ukraine remaining without heating, electricity and water as attacks were often targeting vital civilian infrastructure. During the fieldwork period, calls regarding the establishment of a special war crimes tribunal were mounting, given the deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure as well as growing evidence of other war crimes.

From the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression, the EU has provided humanitarian, political, financial and military support to Ukraine. The EU agreed very rapidly on several packages of sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion1 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/eu-and-world/sanctions-restrictive-measures/sanctions-adopted-following-russias-military-aggression-against-ukraine_en which included an embargo on Russian coal and the cutting-off of certain Russian banks from SWIFT, an international payment system. On the 6th October, EU leaders agreed on the eighth package of sanctions, responding to Russia’s continued escalations, including the illegal annexation Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions based on sham “referenda”, mobilising additional troops, and issuing open nuclear threats. The eighth package introduced amongst other measures new export and import bans, aimed at depriving Russia’s military and industry of key components and technologies needed to wage its war on Ukrainian territory. The package also laid the basis for the required legal framework to implement the oil price cap envisaged by the G7.2 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_5989 In addition, at the time of fieldwork, Poland, the Baltic States and Ireland had already made a proposal for a ninth package of sanctions against Moscow, including restrictions on Belarus for supporting Russia’s war efforts.

Since the start of the war, Team Europe (consisting of the European Union, the EU Member States — including their implementing agencies and public development banks — as well as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) has mobilised €19.7 billion of financial support for Ukraine.

A large part of the support comes in the form of macro-financial assistance. In addition, work on a more strategic and predictable approach to EU financial support for Ukraine in 2023 was ongoing during the time of fieldwork. Following the European Council meeting of 20-21 October 2022, the Commission proposed a support package for Ukraine of €18 billion for 2023.3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_6699 On 25 October, EC President Von der Leyen and German Chancellor Scholz opened the International Expert Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine in Berlin to discuss long-term assistance with international donors.4 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/59728/2022-10-2021-euco-conclusions-en.pdf In March 2022, the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive5 https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-countries-start-implementing-temporary-protection-directive-for-ukrainians assisting people fleeing the war. Since then, Ukrainian refugees are entitled to a residence permit as well as access to education and to the labour market. This temporary protection was extended in October and is now valid until March 2024.

During the fieldwork period, EU countries agreed to jointly train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers on European soil to address Ukraine’s urgent military training needs and to allow the country to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders. In addition, assistance measures under the European Peace Facility (EPF) worth €16 million to support capacity building of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were approved.6 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-establishes-military-assistance-mission-support-ukrainian-armed-forces-and-endorses_en Towards the end of the fieldwork period, Russian authorities issued warnings that Ukraine would be ready to launch a “dirty bomb” which some analysts interpreted as Russia preparing the ground for further escalations of the war.

Russia’s war of aggression has also triggered disruptions of agricultural production, supply chains and trade that have driven world food and fertiliser prices to unprecedented levels. On Saturday the 29th October, Russia announced that it will suspend its participation in an earlier agreement on grain exports, weaponising food in its war against Ukraine. However, on the 2nd November, grain shipments from Ukraine resumed after Russia agreed to re-join the UN-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative, ending a stand-off that threatened to reignite a global food crisis, as many countries worldwide heavily rely on food exports from Ukraine.

On the 19th October, the European Parliament awarded “the brave people of Ukraine, represented by their president, elected leaders and civil society” the 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, a prize awarded each year by the European Parliament to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.7 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20221017IPR43706/the-ukrainian-people-awarded-the-european-parliament-s-2022 sakharov-prize

Economic context

The consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has been reinforcing global inflation, according to the EC’s Autumn 2022 Economic Forecast.8 https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/economic-forecast-and-surveys/economic-forecasts/autumn-2022-economic-forecast-eu-economy-turning-point_en#media The EU is among the most exposed advanced economies, due to its geographical proximity and heavy reliance on gas imports from Russia. The energy supply crisis adds to pre-existing inflationary pressure and supply chain bottlenecks, not least caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and China’s continued zero Covid-19 policy.

All of these factors are eroding households’ purchasing power and impacting production. Economic sentiment has fallen markedly. Growth is set to significantly contract at the turn of the year plunging several Member States into recession, the forecast report predicts.

Likewise, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its World Economic Outlook report9 https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2022/10/11/world-economic-outlook-october-2022 underlines that there is a growing risk for the global economy to slide into a recession next year. Global economic activity is experiencing a broad and sharper-than-expected slowdown, with inflation rates higher than seen in several decades. The cost-of-living crisis, tightening of financial conditions in most regions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic all weigh heavily on the outlook. Global growth is forecast to slow from 6.0 percent in 2021 to 3.2 percent in 2022 and 2.7 percent in 2023. This is the weakest growth profile since 2001 except for the global financial crisis and the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMF report further states that the shock from the energy crisis is structural in Europe, and therefore unlikely to be a passing phenomenon.

The euro area annual inflation rate was 10.6% in October 2022, up from 9.9% in September, according to data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In October, the highest contribution to the annual euro area inflation rate came from energy (+4.44 percentage points (pp)), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (+2.74 pp). European Union annual inflation was 11.5% in October 2022, up from 10.9% in September. A year earlier, the rate was 4.4%. The lowest annual rates were registered in France (7.1%), Spain (7.3%) and Malta (7.4%). The highest annual rates were recorded in Estonia (22.5%), Lithuania (22.1%) and Hungary (21.9%).10 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/15265521/2-17112022-AP-EN.pdf/b6953137-786e-ed9c-5ee2-6812c0f8f07f The effects of inflation are increasingly reflected in consumer buying habits, with people giving up on holidays or certain activities, looking for more bargains and buying cheaper products.

On the 27th October, the European Central Bank (ECB) raised interest rates by 0.75 percentage points to their highest level since 2009, implementing a third major policy rate increase in a row.11 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2022/html/ecb.mp221027~df1d778b84.en.html The ECB’s reference interest rate now stands at 2%.

Despite the challenging environment, the labour market has continued performing strongly, with employment at the highest in decades. The forceful economic expansion experienced with the easing of Covid-19 measures pulled a net additional two million people into employment in the first half of 2022, raising the number of employed persons in the EU to an all-time high of 213.4 million. The unemployment rate remained at a record-low of 6.0% in September. Labour markets are expected to react to the slowing of economic activity with a lag, but to remain resilient. Employment growth in the EU is forecast at 1.8% in 2022, before coming to a standstill in 2023 and moderately edging up to 0.4% in 2024.12 https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/economic-forecast-and-surveys/economic-forecasts/autumn-2022-economic-forecast-eu-economy-turning-point_en#media In September 2022, the euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 6.6%, down from 6.7% in August 2022 and down from 7.3% in September 2021. The EU unemployment rate was 6.0% in September 2022, stable compared with August 2022 and down from 6.7% in September 2021.13 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/15228148/3-03112022-AP-EN.pdf/0fb6330c-11bf-3e4a-3590-a1b74ff5104b

Overall, the economic outlook remains surrounded by an exceptional degree of uncertainty as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues and the potential for further economic disruptions is far from exhausted. The largest threat comes from adverse developments on the gas market and the risk of shortages, especially in the winter of 2023-24.

Legislative context on EU level

The fieldwork period was characterised by ongoing discussion among all legislative actors on how to deal with the energy crisis the EU is facing. On the 18th October, EC President Ursula von der Leyen presented a new emergency regulation to tackle high gas prices in the EU and to ensure supply security for the winter months to come. The draft legislation put forward plans to set up joint purchases of gas and established solidarity rules among Member States to cope with potential shortages. The Commission also proposed to develop a new gas trading benchmark for LNG before April 2023.14 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_6225 However, the Commission’s package did not include an immediate cap on gas prices because of political disagreements among Member States and concerns about the consequences for the security of supply.

On the 26th October, Executive Vice-President Timmermans presented the Cleaner Air and Water act. As an “interim” goal, the European Commission proposed to reduce the annual limit value for nitrogen oxide from 40 to 20 micrograms while the goal of zero air pollution is to be achieved by 2050 at the latest. On the 27th October, the European Council and Parliament validated the Commission’s proposal concerning emissions standards for new vehicles, including the end of combustion engines by 2035, an important step for achieving the EU’s climate targets.15 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20221024IPR45734/deal-confirms-zero-emissions-target-for-new-cars-and-vans-in-2035

On the 12th October, the European Commission recommended the EU27 to grant Bosnia and Herzegovina the status of EU candidate and on the 18th October, the European Parliament urged the Council of the European Union to adopt a decision on Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area by the end of 2022.16 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20221014IPR43207/end-discrimination-and-admit-bulgaria-and-romania-to-schengen-meps-demand

Discussions and negotiations with Poland and Hungary over the rule of law conditionality for disbursement of EU funds continued during the fieldwork period.

Other major events on a national or international level

In Iran, the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini while in police custody sparked demonstrations and their violent suppression. Largely led by women and schoolgirls, the protests calling for political change continued during the time of fieldwork.

Preparations for the COP 27 climate change conference, starting on the 6th November in Sharm el-Sheikh/ Egypt, were ongoing during the fieldwork period. In the run up to the conference, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service published a report, stating that temperatures in Europe have risen more than twice the global average over the last 30 years, and that it is the fastest warming region on the planet.17 https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/temperatures-europe-increase-more-twice-global-average “Last Generation” climate activists called attention to the devastating effects of climate change, by vandalising works of art, blocking roads and engaging in other measures of civil disobedience.

Chinese President Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as China’s leader following a weeklong Communist Party congress. He also promoted some of his closest Communist Party allies, cementing his position.

On the 30th October, tens of thousands of Czechs demonstrated in Prague against rising extremism and populism, two days after a coalition of far-right political movements, fringe groups and the Communist party held a protest in the same location. Many in the crowd voiced support for Ukraine in the war against Russia, in contrast to the earlier protest when participants who oppose the European Union and NATO called for direct talks with Moscow about gas supplies.

In the UK, the Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation after only 45 days in office and was succeeded by Rishi Sunak on the 25th October who became the first British Prime Minister with Indian heritage.

Elections

Just ahead of fieldwork, parliamentary elections were held in Latvia and Bulgaria.

Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on the 1st October 2022, following the end of the term of the 13th Saeima elected in 2018. The New Unity party of incumbent Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš received the highest percentage of the vote (19%) and won the most seats (26). On the 3rd October 2022, President Egils Levits authorized Kariņš to lead discussions to form a coalition government. 59% of eligible voters cast their ballot as compared to 55% in the previous election.18 https://sv2022.cvk.lv/pub/velesanu-rezultati

Early parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on the 2nd October 2022. The snap election was called after the fall of the Petkov Government, a four-party coalition, in June 2022. This was the third parliamentary snap election since 2021, with the previous elections having been held in April, July, and November 2021. GERB and its long-time leader Boyko Borisov won the latest elections but the new parliament remains fragmented and the political situation in the country fragile. Continued political crisis and instability has brought nationwide turnout down to 39,5%.19 https://results.cik.bg/ns2022/rezultati/index.html

Presidential elections in Austria: On the 9th October, incumbent Alexander Van der Bellen was reelected as President of Austria in the first round. Running as an independent candidate but stemming from the Austrian Green party, Van der Bellen in his campaign focussed on being “the safe choice in stormy times.”

Van der Bellen won his second six-year term with 56,7 % of the votes. Six other candidates were on the ballot, of which the right-wing Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ) came second with 17,7% of the votes. All other candidates scored below 10%. Turnout was at 65,2%.20 https://bundeswahlen.gv.at/2022/

Presidential elections in Slovenia: On the 23rd October, conservative foreign minister Anže Logar (34%) won the first round of the presidential election against lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar (26,9%), a left-liberal former information commissioner. Left leaning candidate Milan Brglez (15.45%) ranked third among the seven candidates, followed by candidates Vladimir Prebilič (10.60%), Sabina Senčar (5.94%), Janez Cigler Kralj (4.37%) and Miha Kordiš (2.81%). Turnout was at 51,7%. In the runoff vote on the 13th November, Nataša Pirc Musar won, becoming Slovenia’s first female president.21 https://volitve.dvk-rs.si/vp2022/en/#/rezultati

Parliamentary elections in Denmark: Legislative elections were held in Denmark on the 1st November 2022. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Social Democrat party came first achieving one of their best results in 20 years with 27,5% of the vote and gaining 50 seats, 22 https://www.thedanishparliament.dk/news/2022/election-result-2022 and this despite Frederiksen’s controversial decision to cull all mink during the pandemic that had triggered the snap elections. The strong showing of the Social Democrat party, leading the left-leaning bloc to secure the 90 seats needed for a majority in the 179-seat parliament, has hampered Frederiksen’s plan to break the blocs, and form a grand coalition across the traditional left-right divide, arguing that political unity is needed at a time of international uncertainty. The election came only a couple of weeks after the sabotage of two pipelines carrying gas from Russia to Germany through Danish waters, impacting the sense of security among Danes. Other than that, domestic issues including tax cuts and the need to fight inflation and soaring energy prices were important issues in the campaigns. Once a pivotal topic, immigration was less of a topic, partly because the Social Democrats tough stance on migration deprived right-leaning parties of a possible rallying point. Voter turnout was at 84,1%. Negotiations to form a government were ongoing at the time of fieldwork.

Italy’s first female Prime Minister: On the 22nd October, Giorgia Meloni was appointed Prime Minister after her far-right party Brothers of Italy had won the elections earlier in September 2022. The right-wing coalition (including Lega and Forza Italia) emerged triumphant from the election, with 44% of the vote and Meloni’s party taking 26%.23 https://elezioni.interno.gov.it/camera/scrutini/20220925/scrutiniCI

On the 3rd November, PM Meloni travelled to Brussels to meet EU top institutional representatives, including European Commission President von der Leyen, European Council President Michel and European Parliament President Metsola. In her meetings, PM Meloni signalled that Italy’s stance on migration had changed and noted that the defence of external borders had become the main priority.

On the 15th October, the Hungarian government published a national consultation survey asking citizens to agree or disagree with the government’s opposition to the EU’s sanction policy against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has frequently railed against the sanctions.

METHODOLOGY

Methodology used for this survey

The methodology used in this Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer, carried out in wave 98.1, is that of Eurobarometer surveys as carried out for the European Parliament’s Directorate-General for Communication (Public Opinion Monitoring Unit). The survey was carried out by Kantar Public between the 12th October and the 7th November 2022 in all 27 EU Member States. 26 431 interviews were conducted in total. EU results were weighted according to the size of the population in each country.

Eurobarometer surveys are conducted face-to-face in people’s homes or on their doorstep, in the national language. In all countries, CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) was used.

In Denmark and Czechia, some interviews were conducted via computer assisted video interview (CAVI) technique. The interviewer administrates the questionnaire to the respondent via video, where both parts can see each other: the conditions of interviews are very similar to that of face-to-face.

Caveat

In this survey, several trend questions are compared with the European Parliament’s Spring 2022 Parlemeter from Eurobarometer wave 97.3, conducted in April-May 2022. Because of COVID-19, it was not possible to conduct face-to-face interviews in all countries. At that time, in Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Malta, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden, face-to-face mode was complemented with online interviews.

Some other questions are compared with the European Parliament’s Autumn 2021 Parlemeter from Eurobarometer wave 96.2, conducted in November-December 2021. At that time, in Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Malta, Slovenia and Finland, face-to-face mode was complemented with online interviews. In Latvia all interviews were conducted online.

This change in mode can have an impact on the results, in particular for questions with spontaneous choices. By definition, these codes are not shown on the first screen displayed to the respondent, only appearing in a second screen if the respondent decides not to choose one of the initially prompted items. As a consequence, spontaneous answers are only marginally selected by those who participate in the survey online.

It is important to take this into consideration when analysing evolutions.

Nonetheless, national evolutions have multiple explanations, with contextual changes playing a major role.

Following the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), respondents were asked whether or not they would agree to be asked questions on issues that could be considered “sensitive”.

Note: In this report, EU countries are referred to by their official abbreviation. The abbreviations used in this report correspond to:

Belgium	BE	Lithuania	LT
Bulgaria	BG	Luxembourg	LU
Czechia	CZ	Hungary	HU
Denmark	DK	Malta	MT
Germany	DE	The Netherlands	NL
Estonia	EE	Austria	AT
Ireland	IE	Poland	PL
Greece	EL	Portugal	PT
Spain	ES	Romania	RO
France	FR	Slovenia	SI
Croatia	HR	Slovakia	SK
Italy	IT	Finland	FI
Republic of Cyprus	CY*	Sweden	SE
Latvia	LV

European Union – weighted average for the 27 Member States	EU27

BE, FR, IT, LU, DE, AT, ES, PT, IE, NL, FI, EL, EE, SI, CY, MT, SK, LV, LT	euro area

BG, CZ, DK, HR, HU, PL, RO, SE	non euro area

* Cyprus as a whole is one of the 27 European Union Member States. However, the ‘acquis communautaire’ has been suspended in the part of the country which is not controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. For practical reasons, only the interviews carried out in the part of the country controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus are included in the ‘CY’ category and in the EU27 average.

I. CHALLENGES FOR EUROPEAN CITIZENS

1.1 Citizens’ current concerns

The first chapter of the report examines the concerns of EU citizens, as well as their perceptions of the current situation in the EU, their country and their own life. It shows that there are numerous issues that worry Europeans, above all the rising cost of living, but also poverty, climate change and the war on the EU’s border. This has an impact on how they see the current situation in their country and the EU. The last year has seen some turbulence in citizens’ outlook, but despite being less positive than they were six months ago, attitudes remain resilient and optimism in the future of the EU remains high.

European citizens say they are worried about a number of different issues, with at least six in ten saying they are very or slightly worried about each of the eight issues included in the question.

Above all, respondents are worried about the rising cost of living, for example increasing food and energy prices (93%, including 63% who are ‘very worried’). There are three other issues which at least eight in ten citizens say they are concerned about: poverty and social exclusion (82%, including 45% ‘very worried’), climate change (81%, including 46% ‘very worried’) and the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries (81%, including 42% ‘very worried’). Furthermore, at least seven in ten are worried about the risk of a nuclear incident (74%), the risks to common European values such as freedom and democracy (72%) and migration (70%).

The rising cost of living, for example increasing food and energy prices Poverty and social exclusion Climate change The spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries The risk of a nuclear incident The risks to our common European values such as freedom and democracy Migration The spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 or monkey pox Total « Worried » Total « Not worried » Don’t know QA18 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? (% - EU27) In every country, more than seven in ten respondents say they are worried about the rising cost of living, and nearly all respondents are worried in Greece (100%), Cyprus (99%), Italy and Portugal (both 98%). More than eight in ten are ‘very worried’ in Greece (86%), Cyprus (85%) and Portugal (84%). Respondents are least likely to be concerned about the rising cost of living in Sweden (74%), Denmark (77%), the Netherlands (81%) and Romania (82%).

There is widespread concern about poverty and social exclusion across Member States. In five countries, more than nine in ten respondents are worried about this: Greece (97%), Portugal (95%), Cyprus (94%), Spain (93%) and Italy (92%). There are also seven countries where more than half of respondents are ‘very worried’, led by Portugal (75%), Greece (74%) and Cyprus (71%).

Map ( % - Total “Worried”) Map Legend QA18.4 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? The rising cost of living, for example increasing food and energy prices (% - Total ‘Worried’) By contrast, this is the case for less than half of respondents in Sweden (48%) and the proportion is less than seven in ten in Denmark (53%), Czechia (65%) and Estonia (67%).

Total « Worried » Total « Not worried » Don’t know QA18.8 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? (% - Poverty and social exclusion) Overall, 81% of EU citizens say they are worried about climate change. This is the case for more than half of respondents in nearly every country, with the highest proportions seen in Malta (93%), Italy and Portugal (both 92%). The exception is Estonia, where less than half of respondents (44%) are concerned about climate change. The proportion that say they are ‘very worried’ is highest in Cyprus (68%), Malta (62%), France and Portugal (both 59%).

Total « Worried » Total « Not worried » Don’t know QA18.1 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? (% - Climate change)

At least six in ten respondents in every country say they are worried about the war in Ukraine spreading to other countries. The highest proportions are seen in Malta (93%), Poland, Portugal (both 91%) and Lithuania (90%), while the lowest proportions are found in the Netherlands (62%), Denmark (65%) and Sweden (67%). Respondents are most likely to say they are ‘very worried’ about the spread of the war to other countries in Portugal (66%), Malta (63%), Cyprus (62%) and Latvia (60%).

Map Legend QA18.5 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? The spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries (% - Total ‘Worried’) Respondents in Malta are most likely to say they are worried about the risk of a nuclear accident (93%), followed by those in Portugal (89%), Italy and Lithuania (both 88%). In Cyprus, as many as 70% say they are ‘very worried’. In Sweden, less than half (47%) are worried about the risk of a nuclear accident, and the proportion is also relatively low in the Netherlands (54%), Denmark (55%) and Finland (58%).

Total « Worried » Total « Not worried » Don’t know QA18.3 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? (% - The risk of nuclear incident) More than half of respondents in every country say they are worried about the risks to our common European values such as freedom and democracy. At least eight in ten say they are worried in Hungary (85%), Portugal (82%), Cyprus (81%), Italy and Poland (both 80%), while the proportion is lowest in Estonia (53%), Denmark and the Netherlands (both 57%).

Total « Worried » Total « Not worried » Don’t know QA18.7 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? (% - The risks to our common European values such as freedom and democracy) There is wide variation between Member States in the proportion of respondents that say they are worried about migration. This is highest in Cyprus (93%), Malta (92%), Greece (86%), Italy (83%) and Portugal (81%). In fact, more than half of respondents are ‘very worried’ about migration in in Cyprus (80%), Malta (58%) and Greece (53%).

By contrast, less than half of respondents are worried about migration in Denmark (37%) and Sweden (45%).

Total « Worried » Total « Not worried » Don’t know QA18.2 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? (% - Migration) There is wide variation between Member States in the proportion of respondents that say they are worried about the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 or monkey pox. This is highest in Italy (85%), Portugal (83%), Cyprus (79%) and Hungary (78%). By contrast, this is the case for less than half of respondents in Denmark (29%), Sweden (33%), the Netherlands (37%), Estonia (42%) and Germany (47%).

The socio-demographic analysis shows that women are more worried than men about most of the issues. For example, 78% of women are worried about the risk of a nuclear accident, compared with 69% of men. There are also clear differences in relation to the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries (84% vs. 78%), the spread of infectious diseases (67% vs. 59%), risks to our common European values (75% vs. 69%) and poverty and social exclusion (84% vs. 79%).

Total « Worried » Total « Not worried » Don’t know QA18.6 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? (% - The spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 or monkey pox) On most of the issues, older people are more worried than younger people. The difference is greatest in relation to migration: among those aged 55+, 74% are worried about migration, but this proportion decreases steadily, to 61% amongst those aged 15-24. There are two exceptions to this general pattern. Younger people are slightly more worried about climate change (84% of 15-24 year olds vs. 81% in older age groups), while all age groups are equally worried about the rising cost of living.

Respondents who left education earlier are more likely to be worried about most of the issues. This can be seen most clearly with regards to the spread of infectious diseases. Among those who left education at the age of 15 or less, 76% are worried about this issue, compared with 66% of those who left education aged 16-19 and 56% of those who left at the age of 20 or above. A similar pattern also applies to the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries, poverty and social exclusion, migration and the risk of a nuclear accident.

Respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying bills are less likely to be worried about several of the issues. For example, 78% are worried about poverty and social exclusion, compared with 88% of those who have difficulties paying bills from time to time and 91% who have difficulties most of the time. The same pattern also applies to worries about migration, the risks to our common European values, the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries and the spread of infectious diseases.

If respondents have a positive image of the European Parliament, they are more likely to be worried about climate change than those whose image of the European Parliament is negative (88% vs. 71%). The same pattern applies to a lesser extent to the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries (82% vs. 77%) and the spread of infectious diseases (65% vs. 59%). By contrast, those with a positive image of the European Parliament are less likely to be worried about migration (67% vs. 76% of those with a negative image of the European Parliament). Finally, citizens who are more worried about poverty and social exclusion and about the cost of living are more likely to want the EP to play a more important role.

QA18 To what extent are you currently worried or not about each of the following issues for your life and those of your close ones? (% - EU27)

Climate change	Migration	The risk of a nuclear incident	The rising cost of living, for example increasing food and energy prices	The spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries	The spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 or monkey pox	The risks to our common European values such as freedom and democracy	Poverty and social exclusion
EU27	81	70	74	93	81	62	72	82
Gender
Man	80	68	69	92	78	59	69	79
Woman	82	71	78	94	84	67	75	84
Age
15-24	84	61	66	93	76	57	66	77
25-39	81	66	70	93	78	57	71	81
40-54	81	70	74	93	81	61	74	83
55+	81	74	77	94	84	68	73	83
Education (End of)
15-	81	77	81	96	88	76	75	89
'16-19	79	73	76	94	82	66	74	84
20+	83	65	69	90	78	56	70	77
Still studying	85	59	65	92	76	55	65	79
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	77	75	80	96	86	66	75	91
From time to time	83	75	79	95	84	71	78	88
Almost never	81	65	69	91	78	58	69	78
Image of European Parliament
Positive	88	67	74	92	82	65	74	82
Neutral	80	69	73	93	81	62	70	82
Negative	71	76	73	94	77	59	74	84
Role of the European Parliament
More important	87	68	76	93	83	66	75	84
Less important	71	74	72	91	78	58	70	80
No change	81	68	73	94	79	59	64	78

1.2 Attitudes towards the future

As described in the previous section, citizens are worried about a range of current issues. It is therefore not surprising that the proportion of citizens who think things are going in the right direction in the EU has decreased since April-May 2022. Around three in ten (31%) have a positive view about the direction of the EU, a decrease of 12 percentage points. The proportion who feels things are going in the wrong direction has increased by 11 points to 51%. These changes have reversed the positive shift seen between November-December 2021 and April-May 2022, and as a result the position is now similar to a year ago.

Don’t know 9 (=) Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) 9 (+1) Things are going in the wrong direction 51 (+11) Things are going in the right direction 31 (-12) (Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022) D73.2 - At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? The European Union (% - EU27) Citizens have also become less optimistic about the direction their own country is going. Around one in four (24%, -13 percentage points since April-May 2022) think their country is headed in the right direction. A clear majority (62%) now think things are going in the wrong direction, an increase of 13 percentage points since April-May 2022 and the highest proportion ever recorded.

Overall, respondents remain more positive about the direction of the EU than the direction of their country (31% vs. 24%), continuing the longer-term trend.

Don’t know 6 (=) Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) 8 (=) Things are going in the wrong direction 62 (+13) Things are going in the right direction 24 (-13) (Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022) D73.1 - At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? (OUR COUNTRY) (% - EU27) Citizens are more positive when they consider their life personally, although views have also become more negative on this measure in the last six months. More than six in ten (63%) feel that things in their personal life are going in the right direction (-7 pp since April-May 2022) while 24% (+4 pp) say things are going in the wrong direction.

Don’t know 5 (+1) Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) 8 (°2) Things are going in the wrong direction 24 (+4) Things are going in the right direction 63 (-7) (Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022) D73.4- At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? Your life personally (% - EU27) There are only three Member States where a majority of respondents think things are going in the right direction in their country: Luxembourg, Malta (both 65%) and Ireland (46%). In the remaining 24 countries, the majority think things in their country are going in the wrong direction, with this view most widespread in Slovakia, Spain (both 72%), Croatia (71%), France and Poland (both 70%).

In all 27 EU Member States, respondents have become less optimistic since April-May 2022, although the decrease is marginal (less than three percentage points) in Greece and Croatia. In four countries, the proportion who think things are going in the right direction in their country has decreased by more than 20 percentage points: Denmark (29%, -31 percentage points), Portugal (30%, -25 pp), Estonia (29%, -22 pp) and Belgium (24%, -21 pp).24 Throughout the report, a change from the previous wave is considered a positive or negative change if it is +/- 3 percentage points or more. A change of less than 3 percentage points is considered stable or no change.

As a result of these changes the negative view is now the majority opinion in Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland.

D73.1 At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? (OUR COUNTRY) (%)

EU27	HR	EL	MT	AT	BG	LU	SK	IT	CY	LV	ES	RO	SI	CZ	FR	PL	LT	NL	DE	IE	HU	FI	SE	BE	EE	PT	DK
Things are going in the right direction	Oct/Nov 2022	24	21	211	65	37	15	65	18	25	16	37	18	24	34	32	17	19	28	24	29	46	26	27	26	24	29	30	29
Δ Apr/May 2022	V13	V1	V2	V3	V4	V5	V5	V6	V7	V7	V8	V10	V10	V10	V12	V12	V13	V17	V17	V19	V19	V20	V20	V20	V21	V22	V25	V31
Things are going in the wrong direction	Oct/Nov 2022	62	71	6B	13	43	65	19	72	62	64	41	72	68	39	61	70	70	50	65	53	36	68	59	63	65	46	43	48
Δ Apr/May 2022	▲13	▲2	▲4	V1	▲2	▲5	▲3	▲10	▲7	▲14	▲1	▲12	▲10	▲2	▲11	▲18	▲15	▲20	▲17	▲18	▲15	▲19	▲16	▲14	▲17	▲20	▲20	▲20
Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous)	Oct/Nov 2022	8	3	9	18	16	8	12	4	5	16	13	7	3	20	4	7	4	16	10	12.	9	4	7	7	6	12	11	18
Δ Apr/May 2022	=	V1	V2	▲3	▲2	V2	▲2	V4	V3	V6	▲5	V2	▲I	▲6	▲2	V2	=	V3	▲1	▲1	▲5	▲1	=	▲3	▲2	V3	=	▲9
Don’t know	Oct/Nov 2022	6	5	3	4	4	12	4	6	8	4	9	3	5	7	3	6	7	6	1	6	9	2	7	4	5	13	16	5
Δ Apr/May 2022	=	=	=	▲1	=	▲2	=	=	▲3	V1	▲2	=	V1	▲2	V1	V4	V2	=	V1	=	V1	=	▲4	▲3	▲2	▲5	▲5	▲2

In five countries, a majority of respondents think that things are going in the right direction in the EU: Malta (65%), Luxembourg, Ireland (both 48%), Latvia (47%) and Lithuania (40%). Opinion is divided in Portugal (35% right direction vs. 35% wrong direction). In the remaining 21 countries respondents are most likely to say things in the EU are going in the wrong direction, and this is particularly the case in Greece, Belgium (both 62%) and Spain (60%).

In Malta, optimism that things are going in the right direction in the EU has increased since April-May 2022 (65%, +3 percentage points). However optimism has decreased in 23 Member States, most notably in Denmark (31%, -26 pp), Portugal (35%, -23 pp), Estonia (29%, -21 pp) and Belgium (25%, -20 pp). Results have remained stable in the other three countries.

As a result of these changes the negative view is the majority opinion in Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden.

D73.2 At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? The European Union (%)

EU27	MT	BG	EL	▲T	SK	LU	RO	HR	CY	ES	IT	CZ	PL	L▼	FR	HU	SI	LT	NL	DE	IE	Fl	SE	BE	EE	PT	DK
Things are going in the right direction	Oct/Nov 2022	31	55	35	24	36	26	48	30	30	19	25	31	36	40	47	23	33	34	40	37	31	48	15	35	25	29	35	31
Δ Apr/May 2022	▼12	▲3	▼1	▼1	▼2	▼3	▼4	▼6	▼7	▼7	▼8	▼8	▼9	▼10	▼11	▼12	▼12	▼14	▼15	▼16	▼17	▼17	▼19	▼19	▼20	▼21	▼23	▼26
Things are going in the wrong direction	Oct/Nov 2022	51	9	38	62	45	55	32	50	55	56	60	55	55	42	26	59	58	35	30	44	48	31	55	43	62	37	35	49
Δ Apr/May 2022	▲11	▼5	▲2	▲5	=	▲3	▲5	▲6	▲4	▲9	▲9	▲10	▲10	▲7	▲2	▲18	▲12	▲4	▲15	▲9	▲15	▲12	▲12	▲5	▲15	▲17	▲16	▲12
Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous)	Oct/Nov 2022	9	14	8	10	14	6	15	4	6	19	9	5	5	7	10	6	5	21	19	13	13	9	7	10	6	11	12	21
Δ Apr/May 2022	▲1	=	▼1	▼3	▲1	▼4	▲1	=	=	▼2	▼1	▼3	▲2	▲1	▲3	▼2	▲1	▲6	▲1	▲6	=	▲4	▲3	▲5	▲2	▼2	▲2	▲11
Don’t know	Oct/Nov 2022	9	12	18	14	5	13	5	8	9	6	6	9	4	11	17	12	4	111	11	6	8	11	13	12	7	23	1B'	8
Δ Apr/May 2022	=	▲2	=	▼1	▲1	L4	▼2	=	▲3	=	=	▲1	▼2	=	▲6	▼4	▼1	▲4	▼1	▲1	▲1	▲1	▲4	▲8	▲3	▲6	▲5	▲3

In every Member State, a majority of respondents think that things are going in the right direction in their personal life. Respondents are most likely to say this in Luxembourg (82%), Ireland and Sweden (both 80%), while less than half think their life is going in the right direction in Portugal (46%), Poland (47%) and Romania (49%).

In two countries, optimism that things are going in the right direction in respondents’ personal life has increased since April-May 2022: Slovakia (60%, +4 percentage points) and Austria (71%, +3 pp). In 23 countries, there has been a decrease in the proportion that think their life is going in the right direction, and six countries show a decline of more than 10 percentage points: Portugal (46%, -19 pp), Belgium (54%, -18 pp), Poland (46%, -17 pp), Hungary (50%, -13 pp), Finland (62%, -12 pp) and Malta (76%, -12 pp). There has been no change in Greece or Sweden.

D73.4 – At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? (% - Your life personally)

EU27	SK	AT	EL	SE	BG	HR	CY	LT	DE	ES	LV	LU	RO	SI	CZ	EE	NL	DK	IE	FR	IT	MT	FI	HU	PL	BE	PT
Things are going in the right direction	Oct/Nov 2022	63	60	71	70	80	53	52	68	72	76	67	73	82	49	79	71	71	77	75	80	61	50	76	62	50	47	54	46
Δ Apr/May 2022	V7	A4	A3	=	V2	V3	V3	V3	V3	V4	V5	V5	V5	V5	V5	V6	V6	V6	V7	V7	V7	V7	V12	V12	V13	V17	V18	V19
Things are going in the wrong direction	Oct/Nov 2022	24	23	13	16	10	17	34	13	11	13	23	12	7	40	9	22	11	11	12	9	26	36	5	15	41	36	35	28
Δ Apr/May 2022	A4	V5	V4	V3	V3	=	A3	A2	A3	A2	A4	=	A3	A3	V1	A6	A4	A2	A1	A4	A7	A5	A3	V1	A11	A11	A13	A9
Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous)	Oct/Nov 2022	8	11	14	11	8	13	8	16	15	9	8	8	9	5	9	3	8	10	11	6	8	8	16	14	6	7	5	12
Δ Apr/May 2022	A2	V1	A2	A2	A4	V2	=	A1	V1	A3	A2	A2	A3	A2	A4	=	V1	A3	A5	A2	A1	=	A9	A8	A1	A4	A2	A4
Don’t know	Oct/Nov 2022	5	6	2	3	2	17	6	3	4	2	2	7	2	6	3	4	10	2	2	5	5	6	3	9	3	10	6	14
Δ Apr/May 2022	A1	A2	V1	A1	A1	A5	=	=	A1	V1	V1	A3	V1	=	A2	=	A3	A1	A1	A1	V1	A2	=	A5	A1	A2·	A3	A6

The socio-demographic analysis illustrates that respondents who stayed in education longer and those with fewer financial difficulties are more likely to say things are going in the right direction in the EU. Specifically, respondents who left education at the age of 20 or above are more likely to say things are going in the right direction in the EU (36%), compared with those who left education by the age of 15 (22%). Respondents who never or almost never have difficulties paying bills are more likely to think things are going in the right direction (35%) than those who have difficulties most of the time (16%).

There are also differences by age group. 15-24 year olds are the only group that express an equal share of positive and negative views about how things are going in the EU (both 39%). By contrast, 40-54 year olds are twice as likely to say things are going in the wrong direction in the EU (56%) as to say they are going in the right direction (28%).

Looking at socio-professional groups, managers are the most likely to say things are going in the right direction at the EU level (40%), while unemployed respondents and housepersons are the least likely to say things are going in the right direction (both 21%).

Finally, respondents who follow European politics are more likely to think things are going in the right direction in the EU (37%) than those who do not (23%).

D73.2 - At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? The European Union (%)

Things are going in the right direction	Things are going in the wrong direction	Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous)	Don't know
EU27	31	51	9	9
Age
15-24	39	39	9	13
25-39	33	53	8	6
40-54	28	56	8	8
55+	29	51	10	10
Education (End of)
15-	22	58	8	12
16-19	29	55	8	8
20+	36	46	10	8
Still studying	39	41	9	11
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	32	51	9	8
Managers	40	43	11	6
Other white collars	35	51	8	6
Manual workers	27	57	8	8
House persons	21	61	6	12
Unemployed	21	62	8	9
Retired	28	50	10	12
Students	39	41	9	11
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	16	71	5	8
From time to time	27	58	7	8
Almost never / never	35	45	10	10
Follow European politics
Follow	37	47	10	6
Not follow	23	56	8	13

The socio-demographic analysis shows fewer differences at the national level than at the EU level. For example, findings are similar by age group in relation to respondents thinking things are going in the right direction in their country.

There is a slight difference by level of education, with those who left education at the age of 20 or above more likely to say things are going in the right direction in their country (27%), compared with those who left education by the age of 15 (20%). Of the socio-professional groups, managers are the most likely to say things are going in the right direction at the national level (30%), with unemployed respondents (18%), housepersons and manual workers (both19%) the least likely to say this.

There is a clear difference in relation to financial difficulties. Respondents who never or almost never have difficulties paying bills are more likely to think things are going in the right direction in their country (28%) than those who have difficulties paying bills most of the time (13%).

Attitudes to the situation at the national and EU level are related. Of those who think things are going in the right direction at the EU level, 61% also think things are going well in their country. By contrast, 90% of those who have a negative view of things at the EU level also think things are going in the wrong direction at the national level.

D73.1 At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? (OUR COUNTRY) (% - EU)

Things are going in the right direction	Things are going in the wrong direction	Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous)	Don't know
EU27	24	62	8	6
Age
15-24	27	57	8	8
25-39	24	65	7	4
40-54	22	66	7	5
55+	25	60	8	7
Education (End of)
15-	20	67	6	7
16-19	23	65	7	5
20+	27	59	9	5
Still studying	27	56	8	9
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	25	62	8	5
Managers	30	56	10	4
Other white collars	25	64	7	4
Manual workers	19	70	6	5
House persons	19	69	6	6
Unemployed	18	71	6	5
Retired	26	58	8	8
Students	27	56	8	9
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	13	79	4	4
From time to time	20	69	6	5
Almost never / never	28	57	9	6
Things in the EU are going in …
Right direction	61	33	4	2
Wrong direction	8	90	1	1
Neither	7	29	61	3

In the socio-demographic analysis, younger respondents are more likely to say that things are going in the right direction in their life personally. The proportion ranges from 73% among 15-24 year olds to 59% among those aged 55+.

Once again, there are differences by level of education and financial situation. Those who left education aged 20 or above are more likely to say that things are going in the right direction in their life personally (71%) those who left at the age of 16-19 (59%) or at 15 or below (49%). Respondents who never or almost never have difficulties paying bills are more likely to think things are going in the right direction in their life (74%) than those who have difficulties most of the time (32%).

Of the socio-professional groups, managers are the most likely to say things are going in the right direction in their life personally (76%), while the proportion is lowest among unemployed respondents (38%).

D73.4 At the present time, would you say that, in general, things are going in the right direction or in the wrong direction, in…? Your life personally (%-EU)

Things are going in the right direction	Things are going in the wrong direction	Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous)	Don't know
EU27	63	24	8	5
Age
15-24	73	17	7	3
25-39	65	25	6	4
40-54	60	27	8	5
55+	59	25	10	6
Education (End of)
15-	49	35	10	6
16-19	59	28	8	5
20+	71	17	8	4
Still studying	76	15	6	3
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	68	20	8	4
Managers	76	14	7	3
Other white collars	68	21	7	4
Manual workers	57	31	7	5
House persons	47	38	11	4
Unemployed	38	44	12	6
Retired	60	24	10	6
Students	76	15	6	3
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	32	54	9	5
From time to time	49	35	10	6
Almost never / never	74	15	7	4

Given the decrease over the last six months in the proportion who think things are going in the right direction in the EU, it is no surprise that optimism in the future of the EU has also fallen. However, the majority of European citizens remain optimistic.

Just under six in ten Europeans (57%, -5 percentage points since April-May 2022) say they are optimistic about the future of the EU, while 39% (+5 pp) are pessimistic.

Optimism about the future of the EU is still at a relatively high level when compared with findings over the last ten years or so. However, the latest results show a decline in optimism since April-May 2022, and this is part of a steady decline since 2020, coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022) Don’t know 4 (=) Total “Not optimistic” 39 (°5) Total “Optimistic” 57 (-5) SD22 Would you say that you are very optimistic, fairly optimistic, fairly pessimistic or very pessimistic about the future of the EU? (% - EU27) With the exception of Greece, Cyprus and France, the majority of respondents in each Member State say they are optimistic about the future of the EU. At least three quarters of respondents think this way in Ireland (84%), Denmark (81%) and Malta (77%).

In Greece, 41% are optimistic and 56% pessimistic about the future of the EU. In Cyprus 44% are optimistic and 53% pessimistic, while in France 44% are optimistic and 51% pessimistic.

Optimism about the future of the EU has increased in Croatia (70%, +5 percentage points) and Romania (59%, +3 pp). However, it has declined in 10 countries, with the largest drops seen in Spain (57%, -12pp), Belgium (54%, -10 pp) and France (44%, -10 pp). Results have remained stable in 15 Member States.

As a result of these changes, optimism has become the minority opinion in France.

Evolution Oct/nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Apr/May 2022 SD22 Would you say that you are very optimistic, fairly optimistic, fairly pessimistic or very pessimistic about the future of the EU? (% - Optimistic) The socio-demographic analysis illustrates some differences in optimism about the future of the EU. Those aged 15-24 (64%) are more likely to be optimistic about the future of the EU, particularly compared to those aged 55+ (55%). The analysis also shows that the longer a respondent remained in education, the more likely they are to be optimistic: 65% who completed education aged 20 or older are positive about the future of the EU, compared with 45% who completed education aged 15 or younger.

Amongst socio-professional groups, managers (70%) and students (67%) are the most likely to be optimistic, particularly compared to housepersons and unemployed respondents (both 45%). Respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying bills (63%) are much more likely to be optimistic than those who have difficulties most of the time (34%).

Respondents who have a positive image of the EU (85%) are notably more likely to feel optimistic about its future than those with a neutral (43%) or negative (9%) view of the EU. Respondents who follow European politics (66%) are also more likely to feel optimistic about the future of the EU than those who do not follow such news (47%).

SD22 Would you say that you are very optimistic, fairly optimistic, fairly pessimistic or very pessimistic about the future of the EU? (% - EU)

Total “Optimistic”	Total “Non optimistic”	Don’t know
EU27	57	39	4
Age
15-24	64	31	5
25-39	59	38	3
40-54	58	40	2
55+	55	40	5
Education (End of)
15-	45	49	6
16-19	55	41	4
20+	65	32	3
Still studying	67	29	4
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	58	38	4
Managers	70	28	2
Other white collars	63	35	2
Manual workers	54	43	3
House persons	45	49	6
Unemployed	45	49	6
Retired	54	40	6
Students	67	29	4
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	34	61	5
From time to time	53	43	4
Almost never / never	63	33	4
Image of the EU
Total “Positive”	85	13	2
Neutral	43	50	7
Total “Negative”	9	89	2
Follow European politics
Follow	66	32	2
Not follow	47	46	7

II. THE RISING COST OF LIVING

The previous chapter highlighted the rising cost of living as the biggest current worry for European citizens. This is likely due to rising inflation and reflects the findings of the recent Standard Eurobarometer (EB97), which showed that the cost of living has grown dramatically as an area of concern over the last two years. This chapter looks at the issue more closely, by examining households’ current financial situation and how their standard of living has been affected by global events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The chapter then assesses expectations for living conditions and the economic situation in a year’s time.

While the rising cost of living has been a concern for some time, the main change seen in this report is that future expectations have become much more pessimistic. If Europeans have not already seen a reduction in their standard of living, they mostly expect to see one in the next year. There has also been a large increase in the proportion that expect their own living conditions, and the situation of their national economy, to be worse in a year’s time.

The chapter also gauges satisfaction with measures taken to tackle the rising cost of living. Given the level of concern expressed by citizens about the rising cost of living, it is not surprising that many are critical of the measures being taken to address this issue, at both national and EU level.

The way that households are managing financially is a critical issue in its own right, but it also has implications for other issues. As we will see throughout the report, respondents’ financial situation is one of the key socio-demographic characteristics that affect attitudes on various issues, including attitudes to the EU and the European Parliament and towards voting in European elections.

Eurostat data clearly show that inflation has started increasing as a consequence of the pandemic and has been further exacerbated as a result of the war in Ukraine. This is particularly the case for energy prices, which have risen by over 35 points compared to the same time last year. Europeans’ living situation have been significantly affected as a result.

Energy: -38,7% Food : +17,8% All items : +11,5% Inflation in the European Union

2.1 The financial situation of EU households

When considering their financial income, there is a broad split among European citizens between those who are living comfortably and those who are living with difficulties. Just over half (54%) say they are living comfortably, including 8% who are living ‘very comfortably’ and 46% ‘rather comfortably’. By contrast, 45% say they are living with difficulties, including 36% who are living with ‘some difficulties’ and 9% with ‘a lot of difficulties’.

Living with a lot of difficulties with your present income 9 Living with some difficulties with your present income 36 Refusal (SPONTANEOUS) 1 Don’t know 1 Living very comfortably with your present income 8 Living rather comfortably with your present income 46 (Oct/Nov 2022) QA16 Thinking about your household’s income, how would you describe your current situation? (% - EU27) There are large differences between countries. In 16 Member States, the majority of respondents say they are living comfortably. The proportion is highest in Sweden (87%), Denmark (86%), Finland (84%), the Netherlands (82%) and Luxembourg (80%). By contrast, in 11 countries the majority say they are living with difficulties. Respondents are most likely to say this in Greece (79%) and Bulgaria (75%), followed by Romania (64%), Slovakia (63%) and Hungary (62%).

Map Legend QA16 Thinking about your household’s income, how would you describe your current situation? (% - ‘Living with difficulties’) In the socio-demographic analysis, men are more likely than women to say they are living comfortably with their present income (57% vs. 51%). There is no clear difference by age.

There is a large difference by level of education. Respondents who finished their education at the age of 20 or above are much more likely to say they are living comfortably (69%), compared with those who left at the age of 16-19 (47%) or at the age of 15 or below (39%). There are also wide variations by socio-professional category: the proportion that say they are living comfortably ranges from 79% among managers to 22% among unemployed people.

QA16 Thinking about your household’s income, how would you describe your current situation? (%-EU)

Total “Living comfortably”	Total “Living with difficulties”	Don’t know
EU27	54	45	0
Gender
Man	57	41	1
Woman	51	48	0
Age
15-24	55	41	3
25-39	55	44	0
40-54	52	47	0
55+	55	44	0
Education (End of)
15-	39	61	0
16-19	47	52	0
20+	69	30	0
Still studying	56	39	3
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	65	34	0
Managers	79	20	0
Other white collars	57	42	0
Manual workers	45	54	0
House persons	35	64	0
Unemployed	22	77	0
Retired	54	46	0
Students	56	39	3

Around one in ten Europeans (9%) say that, during the last twelve months, they have had difficulties paying their bills most of the time. Three in ten (30%) say they have difficulties from time to time, while six in ten (60%) say they never or almost never have these difficulties.

Refusal (SPONTANEOUS) 1 (=) From time to time 30 (+4) Most of the time 9 (+2) Almost never / Never 60 (-6) (Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022) D60 During the last twelve months, would you say you had difficulties to pay your bills at the end of the month...? (% - EU27) Respondents in Greece (35%) are by far the most likely to say that they have difficulties paying bills most of the time, followed by those in Bulgaria, Cyprus (both 18%) and Portugal (17%). At the other extreme, at least eight in ten respondents say they never or almost never have difficulties in Denmark, Sweden (both 91%), the Netherlands (83%), Luxembourg (82%) and Finland (80%).

Almost never / never Most of the time From time to time Refusal (SPONTANEOUS) D60 During the last twelve months, would you say you had difficulties to pay your bills at the end of the month...? (%) In the socio-demographic analysis, respondents who finished their education early are much more likely to say that they have difficulties paying bills most of the time. The proportion is 16% among those who left education at the age of 15 or below, compared with 5% among those who left education at the age of 20 or above. There are also wide variations by socio-professional category. The proportion that say they have difficulties paying bills most of the time is lowest among managers (3%), and is less than one in ten among most groups, but is much higher among unemployed people (31%) and housepersons (20%). Results are similar by age groups and between men and women.

D60 During the last twelve months, would you say you had difficulties to pay your bills at the end of the month...? (% - EU)

Most of the time	From time to time	Almost never / Never	Refusal (Spontaneous)
EU27	9	30	60	1
Gender
Man	9	28	62	1
Woman	9	33	57	1
Education (End of)
15-	16	39	45	0
16-19	10	36	54	0
20+	5	21	73	1
Still studying	6	28	62	4
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	9	25	64	2
Managers	3	18	78	1
Other white collars	6	34	60	0
Manual workers	9	40	50	1
House persons	20	39	41	0
Unemployed	31	37	32	0
Retired	8	26	66	0
Students	6	28	62	4

More than eight in ten Europeans say that they have already seen a reduction in their standard of living or expect this to happen in the next year.

Respondents were asked to think about their personal standard of living, thinking about issues such as the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising inflation and prices. Almost half of citizens (46%) say that their standard of living has already been reduced and they expect this to still be the case over the next year. Around four in ten (39%) say that their standard of living has not yet been reduced, but think that it will be the case over the next year. One in seven (14%) say that they don’t expect any change or impact on their standard of living.

Your standard of living has increased 1 You don’t expect any change or impact on your standard of living 14 Your standard of living has not yet been reduced, but you think that it will be the case over the next year 39 (Oct/Nov 2022) Don’t know / No answer 0 Your standard of living has already been reduced and you expect this to still be the case over the next year 46 QA17 Many elements, such as the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising inflation and prices, affect the global economy, including the European Union Member States. Thinking about your personal standard of living (e.g. the goods and services you can afford), which one of these statements comes closest to your personal situation? (% - EU27)

The Eurobarometer in April-May 2022 (EB 97.3) asked a similar question that focused specifically on the impact on standards of living of the war in Ukraine. The results were similar, with four in ten EU citizens (40%) saying that their standard of living had already been reduced and almost half (47%) expecting this over the next year. These findings confirm that the rising cost of living has already been a major concern throughout 2022, and is expected to continue into 2023.

In 14 Member States, the majority position is that respondents have already seen a reduction in their standard of living and expect this to continue in the next year. This is particularly likely to be the case in Cyprus (70%), Greece (66%), Malta (65%) and France (62%).

In 12 countries, the most common position is that respondents say that their standard of living has not yet been reduced, but think that it will be the case over the next year. The proportion is highest in Slovakia (50%), Luxembourg (49%), Hungary and Sweden (both 47%). In Slovenia, equal proportions say they have already seen a reduction in their standard of living, as say it has not yet been reduced but expect it do so in the next year (both 39%).

Respondents are most likely to say that they don’t expect any change or impact on their standard of living in the Netherlands (30%), Sweden (27%), Finland (25%) and Denmark (22%).

Total “Already been reduced” Total “Not yet been reduced but will be” Total “Not changed / increased” Don’t know / No answer QA17 Many elements, such as the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising inflation and prices, affect the global economy, including the European Union Member States. Thinking about your personal standard of living (e.g. the goods and services you can afford), which one of these statements comes closest to your personal situation? (%) A geographical analysis of the results indicates that respondents in southern areas of Europe are more likely to say they have already seen a reduction in their standard of living, compared with those in northern areas of Europe.

Map Legend QA17 Many elements, such as the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising inflation and prices, affect the global economy, including the European Union Member States. Thinking about your personal standard of living (e.g. the goods and services you can afford), which one of these statements comes closest to your personal situation? (% -Your standard of living has already been reduced and you expect this to still be the case over the next The socio-demographic analysis shows differences by age and level of education, although in every group it is only a minority that say they don’t expect any change or impact on their standard of living.

In terms of age group, respondents aged 15-24 are least likely to say they have already seen a reduction in their standard of living (37% vs. 46%-49% in older age groups) and are most likely to say they don’t expect any change or impact on their standard of living (17% vs. 13%-15%).

Respondents who finished their education early are more likely to say they have already seen a reduction in their standard of living. The proportion ranges from 56% among those who left education at the age of 15 or below, to 41% among those who left education at the age of 20 or above.

In terms of socio-professional category, unemployed respondents are the most likely to say they have already seen a reduction in their standard of living (61%), while this is lowest among students (34%) and managers (36%).

As might be expected, respondents who have difficulties paying bills most of the time are also more likely to say they have already seen a reduction in their standard of living (77%), compared with those who rarely or never have difficulties (35%).

QA17 Many elements, such as the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising inflation and prices, affect the global economy, including the European Union Member States. Thinking about your personal standard of living (e.g. the goods and services you can afford), which one of these statements comes closest to your personal situation? (%)

Your standard of living has already been reduced and you expect this to still be the case over the next year	Your standard of living has not yet been reduced, but you think that it will be the case over the next year	You don't expect any change or impact on your standard of living	Your standard of living has increased	Don't know / No answer
EU27	46	39	14	1	0
Age
15-24	37	43	17	1	2
25-39	46	40	13	1	0
40-54	49	37	13	1	0
55+	46	38	15	1	0
Education (End of)
15-	56	32	11	1	0
16-19	49	38	12	1	0
20+	41	41	16	1	1
Still studying	34	45	18	1	2
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	44	40	14	1	1
Managers	36	45	18	1	0
Other white collars	43	43	13	1	0
Manual workers	51	36	12	1	0
House persons	54	34	11	0	1
Unemployed	61	26	12	1	0
Retired	48	36	15	1	0
Students	34	45	18	1	2
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	77	14	7	1	1
From time to time	57	32	10	1	0
Almost never / never	35	46	17	1	1

2.2 Future perspective

Citizens have become much more pessimistic about their living conditions and the situation of their national economy. Four in ten Europeans (40%) expect their living conditions to be worse in a year’s time, a large increase since November-December 2021 (+18 percentage points). A similar proportion (42%, -12 pp) expect their living conditions to be the same in a year’s time, while just 13% think they will be better (-8 pp).

Better Worse The same Don’t know Oct/Nov 2022 Nov/Dec 2021 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 - Nov/Dec 2021 SD21.1 In one year’s time, do yo think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? Your living conditions (% - EU27) In 12 Member States, the majority of respondents think that their living conditions will get worse in a year’s time. The proportion is highest in Slovakia (57%), Czechia, Greece (both 53%) as well as Germany and Portugal (both 49%). In the other 15 countries, the majority view is that living conditions will stay the same, and this view is most prevalent in Finland (64%), Denmark, the Netherlands (both 58%) and Ireland (54%).

There are only three countries where more than one in five respondents think their living conditions will be better in a year’s time: Romania (23%), Croatia (22%) and the Netherlands (21%).

In 12 Member States, the majority of respondents think that their living conditions will get worse in a year’s time. The proportion is highest in Slovakia (57%), Czechia, Greece (both 53%) as well as Germany and Portugal (both 49%). In the other 15 countries, the majority view is that living conditions will stay the same, and this view is most prevalent in Finland (64%), Denmark, the Netherlands (both 58%) and Ireland (54%).

Better Worse The same Don’t know SD21.1 In one year’s time, do yo think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? (% - The situation of the (NATIONALITY) economy) In 21 Member States, the proportion that think their living conditions will be better in a year’s time has decreased since November-December 2021. The largest decreases are seen in Estonia (13, -17 percentage points), Malta (13%, -14 pp), Portugal (9%, -11 pp), Germany (8%, -10 pp) and Italy (18%, -10 pp). In the remaining six Member States, results have remained stable.

Oct/Nov 2022 Nov/Dec 2021 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 - Nov/Dec 2021 SD21.1 In one year’s time, do yo think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? Your living conditions (% - Better) The majority of Europeans (60%) think that the situation of their national economy will be worse in a year’s time, a large increase on the proportion that said this in November-December 2021 (+23 pp). Around a quarter think the situation of their national economy will be about the same in a year’s time (24%, -12 pp), while just 11% (-11 pp) think it will be better.

Oct/Nov 2022 Nov/Dec 2021 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 - Nov/Dec 2021 Better Worse The same Don’t know SD21.2 In one year’s time, do yo think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? The situation of the (NATIONALITY) economy (% - EU27) In every Member State, the majority of respondents think that the situation of their national economy will get worse in a year’s time. The proportion ranges from 74% in Germany and 72% in both Czechia and Slovakia, to 46% in both Ireland and Luxembourg and 45% in Denmark.

Respondents are most likely to expect the situation of their national economy to stay the same in Denmark, Spain (both 34%) and Hungary (33%).

In every country, no more than one in five respondents expect the situation of their national economy to be better in a year’s time. Respondents are most likely to hold this view in Malta, Romania (both 19%), Italy (18%) and Denmark (17%).

Better Worse The same Don’t know SD21.2 In one year’s time, do yo think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? The situation of the (NATIONALITY) economy (% - EU) In 23 Member States, there has been a decrease since November-December 2021, in the proportion that think the situation of the national economy will be better in a year’s time. The largest decreases can be seen in Estonia (8%, -21 percentage points), Germany (6%, -20 pp), Sweden (12%, -17 pp), Finland (9%, -17 pp), Italy (18%, -16 pp), Ireland (14%, -14 pp) and Portugal (7%, -14 pp). Results are stable in the other four countries (Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Slovakia).

Oct/Nov 2022 Nov/Dec 2021 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 - Nov/Dec 2021 SD21.2 In one year’s time, do yo think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? The situation of the (NATIONALITY) economy (% - Better) In the socio-demographic analysis, respondents in every group are more likely to think their living conditions will be worse in a year’s time than to think they will be better. There is a clear difference by age group, with 15-24 year olds the most likely to think their living conditions will be better in a year’s time (25%) and those aged 55+ the least likely to say this (7%).

Respondents who left education at the age of 20 or above are more likely to think their living conditions will be better in a year’s time (15%) and are less likely to think they will be worse (34%), compared with those who left at the age of 15 or below (9% and 46% respectively).

In relation to difficulties in paying bills, there is no difference in the proportion that think things will be better in a year’s time. However, those who have difficulties paying bills most of the time are more likely to say their living conditions will be worse (63%), compared with those who rarely or never have difficulties (33%).

SD21.1 In one year’s time, do yo think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? Your living conditions (% - EU)

Better	Worse	The same	Don’t know
EU27	13	40	42	5
Age
15-24	25	29	41	5
25-39	19	39	38	4
40-54	12	43	40	5
55+	7	43	45	5
Education (End of)
15-	9	46	39	6
16-19	12	45	38	5
20+	15	34	47	4
Still studying	24	28	43	5
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	12	63	20	5
From time to time	14	49	32	5
Almost never / never	13	33	50	4

Results are generally consistent across the various socio-demographic groups, in terms of expectations for the national economy in a year’s time. Looking at age groups, respondents aged 15-24 are more likely to think the situation of the national economy will be better in a year’s time (16%) than those aged 55+ (9%).

Respondents who have difficulties paying bills most of the time are more likely to say the situation of the national economy will be worse (72%), compared with those who rarely or never have difficulties (58%).

Responses to this question are related to those on living conditions. Among those who expect their living conditions to be better in a years’ time, 56% also expect the national economy to be better.

SD21.2 In one year’s time, do yo think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? The situation of the (NATIONALITY) economy (% - EU)

Better	Worse	The same	Don’t know
EU27	11	60	24	5
Age
15-24	16	50	27	7
25-39	12	61	24	3
40-54	10	63	23	4
55+	9	61	24	6
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	8	72	16	4
From time to time	11	61	24	4
Almost never / never	11	58	26	5
Expectations situation of living conditions
Better	56	29	13	2
Worse	3	91	5	1
Same	6	42	49	3

2.3 Satisfaction with current national and European measures

A third of citizens (33%) say they are satisfied with the measures taken so far to tackle the rising cost of living by their national government, while almost two-thirds (64%) are not satisfied, including 27% who are ‘not at all satisfied’.

The same proportion (33%) are satisfied with the measures taken by the EU to tackle the rising cost of living, with 56% not satisfied, including 22% that are ‘not at all satisfied’.

Overall, respondents are less likely to have a negative view of the measures taken by the EU than by their national government (64% and 56% not satisfied respectively), although more respondents give a ‘don’t know’ response in relation to the EU (11%) than for their national government (3%).

The (NATIONALITY) government The EU Total “Satisfied” Total “Not satisfied” Don’t know QA19 How satisfied or not are you with the measures taken so far to tackle the rising cost of living (for example the rising food or energy prices) by...? (% - EU27) In three Member States, a majority of respondents say they are satisfied with the measures taken so far to tackle the rising cost of living by their national government: Malta (66%), Luxembourg (62%) and Ireland (60%). In the other 24 Member States, the majority are not satisfied, and this is highest in Slovakia (82%), Estonia (81%), Greece and Cyprus (both 79%).

Total “Satisfied” Total “Not satisfied” Don’t know QA19.1 How satisfied or not are you with the measures taken so far to tackle the rising cost of living (for example the rising food or energy prices) by...? (% - The (NATIONALITY) government) In five Member States, a majority of respondents say they are satisfied with the measures taken by the EU to tackle the rising cost of living: Ireland (55%), Malta (52%), Luxembourg, Poland (both 47%) and Denmark (39%). In the other 22 Member States, the majority are not satisfied, and this is highest in Greece (77%), Cyprus (76%), Estonia (65%), Belgium and Slovakia (both 64%).

Total “Satisfied” Total “Not satisfied” Don’t know QA19.2 How satisfied or not are you with the measures taken so far to tackle the rising cost of living (for example the rising food or energy prices) by...? (% - The EU) In the socio-demographic analysis, results vary by level of education and financial situation, and this applies both to measures taken by the national government and the EU. For example, respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying bills are more likely to be satisfied with the measures taken by their national government (36%) and by the EU (34%) than those who have difficulties most of the time (21% and 20% respectively). On both issues, mangers are most likely to be satisfied, while housepersons and unemployed respondents are least satisfied.

Respondents whose overall image of the EU is positive are more likely to be satisfied with the measures taken by the EU (48%), compared with those who have a negative image of the EU (7%). They are also more likely to be satisfied with measures taken by the national government (46% of those with a positive image of the EU vs. 13% of those with a negative image).

If respondents expect their national economy to be better in a year’s time, they are more likely to be satisfied with measures taken by their government (55% vs. 26% of those who expect the economic situation to be worse). They are also more likely to be satisfied with measures taken by the EU (52% among those who expect the economy to be better vs. 26% of those who expect it to be worse).

QA19 How satisfied or not are you with the measures taken so far to tackle the rising cost of living (for example the rising food or energy prices) by...? (% - EU)

The (NATIONALITY) government	The EU
Total “Satisfied”	Total “Not satisfied”	Total “Satisfied”	Total “Not satisfied”
EU27	33	64	33	56
Age
15-24	27	69	28	62
25-39	32	66	32	60
40-54	36	61	34	52
55+	36	57	37	47
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	31	66	32	58
Managers	40	57	38	50
Other white collars	34	63	36	53
Manual workers	29	69	31	61
House persons	27	71	23	66
Unemployed	26	72	25	64
Retired	34	62	31	57
Students	36	57	37	47
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	21	77	20	72
From time to time	31	67	32	60
Almost never / never	36	60	34	53
Image of the EU
Total “Positive”	46	51	48	40
Neutral	26	71	23	66
Total “Negative”	13	86	7	87
Expectation situation of national economy
Better	55	43	52	40
Worse	26	72	26	63
Same	42	55	41	50

III. SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

This chapter looks at the attitudes of Europeans towards the war in Ukraine and the part played by the EU and Member States. Despite the many challenges facing Europe, there is widespread approval of the EU’s support for Ukraine and the specific actions that it has taken. Most Europeans are also satisfied with the cooperation between EU Member States in addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

Most citizens perceive the Russian war in Ukraine as having a fundamental impact on their lives, with only a minority believing that their lives will continue unchanged as a result.

3.1 Citizens’ approval of the EU’s stance and actions in support of Ukraine

Three in four EU citizens (74%) say they approve of the EU’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, and this includes 33% who ‘strongly approve’ and 41% that ‘somewhat approve’. Around one in four (23%) disapprove of the EU’s support, including 16% who ‘somewhat disapprove’ and 7% who ‘strongly disapprove’.

(Oct/Nov 2022) Somewhat approve 41 Somewhat disapprove 16 Strongly disapprove 7 Don’t know / No answer 3 Strongly approve 33 QA13 Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? (% - EU27) In all countries more people approve than disapprove of the EU’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. The proportion that approve of the EU’s support is highest in Sweden (97%), Finland (95%), the Netherlands (93%), Denmark and Portugal (both 92%). Levels of disapproval are highest in south-eastern areas of Europe, such as in Greece (48%), Slovakia (46%), Bulgaria (44%) and Cyprus (42%).

Map Legend QA13 Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? (% - Total ‘Approve’)

Looking at potential relationships between public support for Ukraine and citizens’ economic situation, a number of interesting insights emerge: First off, there is a positive correlation between citizens’ approval of EU support for Ukraine and their respective countries’ GDP per capita. In other words, countries with a higher GDP per capita are more likely to approve of EU support for Ukraine. The chart shows a moderate and positive correlation coefficient (0.39) with a confidence level of being statistically significant in more than 95% of the cases.

Positive correlation : r(25) = 0.39, p<0.5 Percentage of citizens approving EU support for Ukraine GDP per capita in PPS* QA13 GDP per capita and approval of EU’s support for Ukraine On the other hand, and perhaps even more telling in view of where the majority of European citizens personally stand in this question, there is no significant relationship between a country’s rate of inflation and people’s approval of EU support for Ukraine. Similarly, a country’s unemployment rate does not affect how likely its citizens are to approve of EU support for Ukraine. None of the two correlation coefficients are relevant (-0.08 for inflation; and -0.17 for unemployment) and are both not statistically significant (p=>0.05).

No correlation with inflation : r(25) = -0.08, p= 0.68 No correlation with unemployment: r(25) = -0.17, p= 0,41 Inflation Unemployment Inflation and unemployment rate Percentage of citizens approving of EU support for Ukraine Eurostat: HICP – October 2022 (annual rate of change) URL : https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/PRC_HICP_MANR__custom_4056416/default/table [Data retrieved 06 December 2022] Eurostat: Unemployment – September 2022 (seasonaly adjusted) https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/UNE_RT_MSDEFAULTVIEW/default/table [Data retrieved 25 November 2022] QA13 Inflation/unemployment levels and approval of EU’s support for Ukraine Even a majority of EU citizens having difficulties paying bills approves the EU standing with Ukraine (66%) and only 31% disapprove.

Don’t know / No answer 3 Total “Disapprove” 31 Total “Approve” 66 QA13 Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ? Base = D60. During the last twelve months, would you say you had difficulties to pay your bills at the end of the month… ? - Most of the time & from time to time QA13 & D60 Two-thirds of those with difficulties paying bills approve of EU’s support for Ukraine

The socio-demographic analysis shows that higher educated respondents, i.e. those who left education at the age of 20 or above, are more likely to approve of the EU’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion (81%), compared with those who left at the age of 16-19 (71%) or aged 15 or below (66%). Among socio-professional groups, the proportion that approve of the EU’s support is highest among managers (84%) and lowest among housepersons (63%). Younger respondents are slightly more likely to approve of the EU’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion (77% of 15-24 year olds vs. 73%-75% in older age groups).

Approval of the EU’s support for Ukraine is higher among respondents whose overall image of the EU is positive (91% vs. 38% of those whose image of the EU is negative).

QA13, Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? (% - EU)

Total “Approve”	Total “Disapprove”	Don’t know / No answer
EU27	74	23	3
Age
15-24	77	20	3
25-39	75	22	3
40-54	74	23	3
55+	73	24	3
Education (End of)
15-	66	30	4
16-19	71	26	3
20+	81	17	2
Still studying	79	17	4
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	73	24	3
Managers	84	14	2
Other white collars	76	21	3
Manual workers	69	28	3
House persons	63	33	4
Unemployed	68	27	5
Retired	74	22	4
Students	79	17	4
Image of the EU
Total “Positive”	91	8	1
Neutral	67	28	5
Total “Negative”	38	59	3

Respondents were then asked to think in more detail about the different actions taken by the EU to support Ukraine since the start of the war, such as sanctions against the Russian government or financial, military or humanitarian support.

Around three in four EU citizens (73%) say they approve of the EU’s action to support Ukraine, and this includes 31% who ‘strongly approve’ and 42% that ‘somewhat approve’. Around one in four (24%) disapprove of the EU’s actions, including 16% who ‘somewhat disapprove’ and 8% who ‘strongly disapprove’.

(Oct / Nov 2022) Somewhat approve 42 Somewhat disapprove 16 Strongly disapprove 8 Don’t know / No answer 3 Strongly approve 31 QA14 Let’s now think in more detail about the different actions taken by the European Union to support Ukraine since the start of the war, such as sanctions against the Russian government or financial, military or humanitarian support: do you approve or disapprove of these actions? (% - EU27) There is variation in the levels of approval for the EU’s actions to support Ukraine. In 24 countries, a majority of respondents approve of the EU’s actions, with more than nine in ten approving in Sweden, Finland (both 96%), the Netherlands (93%), Denmark (92%) and Ireland (91%). However, the majority disapprove of the EU’s actions in Greece (51%) and Slovakia (49%), while in Cyprus there are equal proportions that approve and disapprove (both 48%). Levels of disapproval are also relatively high in Bulgaria (45%), Hungary (41%) and Austria (40%).

Once again, the lowest levels of approval for the EU’s actions to support Ukraine are concentrated in south-eastern areas of Europe.

Map Legend QA14 Let’s now think in more detail about the different actions taken by the European Union to support Ukraine since the start of the war, such as sanctions against the Russian government or financial, military or humanitarian support: do you approve or disapprove of these actions? (% - Total ‘Approve’) As before, looking at how citizens’ economic situation relates to public support for Ukraine, there is a positive correlation between citizens’ approval of EU support for Ukraine and their respective countries’ GDP per capita. The correlation coefficient included in the chart below shows a moderate positive correlation (0.39) that is statistically significant with more than 95% of confidence.

Positive correlation : r(25) = 0.39, p < 0.05 Percentage of citizens approving EU actions in support of Ukraine GDP per capita in PPS* Eurostat – GDP per capita in purchasing power standard (PPS) – 2021 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/TEC00114/default/table [Data retrieved 25 November 2022] * The purchasing power standard (PPS) is an artificial currency unit used by Eurostat for country comparisons to eliminate price level differences between the Member States. QA14 GDP per capita and approval of EU’s specific actions in support of Ukraine At the same time, however, there is no significant relationship between a country’s rate of inflation and people’s approval of the EU’s actions to support Ukraine. Similarly, a country’s unemployment rate does not affect how likely its citizens are to approve of EU’s actions in support of Ukraine. None of the two correlation coefficients are relevant (-0.07 for the inflation; and -0.2 for the unemployment) and they are also not statistically significant (in both cases the p-value is higher than 0.05).

Inflation Unemployment Inflation and unemployment rate Percentage of citizens approving of EU support for Ukraine Eurostat: HICP – October 2022 (annual rate of change) URL : https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/PRC_HICP_MANR__custom_4056416/default/table [Data retrieved 06 December 2022] Eurostat: Unemployment – September 2022 (seasonaly adjusted) https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/UNE_RT_MSDEFAULTVIEW/default/table [Data retrieved 25 November 2022] QA14 Inflation/unemployment levels and approval of EU’s specific actions in support of Ukraine Even a majority of citizens whose living standard has been reduced approve of EU’s specific measures to support Ukraine (67%). In comparison, 79% of those whose income has not yet been reduced, and 74% of those with no changes/increase in their living standard approve the measures to support Ukraine.

Approve Disapprove Already reduced living standard Not yet reduced living standard but will be Not changed / increased living standard Base = QA17. Many elements, such as the consequences of the Covld-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising inflation and prices, affect the global economy, including the European Union Member States. Thinking about your personal standard of living (e.g. the go and services you can afford), which one of these statements comes closest to your personal situation? QA14 Let’s now think in more detail about the different actions taken by the European Union to support Ukraine since the start of the war, such as sanctions against the Russian government or financial, military or humanitarian support: do you approve or disapprove of these actions? Further socio-demographic analysis shows that respondents who left education at the age of 20 or above are more likely to approve of the EU’s actions to support Ukraine (80%), compared with those who left at the age of 16-19 (69%) or aged 15 or below (64%). Among socio-professional groups, the proportion that approve of the EU’s support is highest among managers (82%) and students (79%), while it is lowest among housepersons (63%).

Approval of the EU’s actions is higher among respondents whose overall image of the EU is positive (90% vs. 36% of those whose image of the EU is negative). Attitudes to the EU’s actions are also closely related to overall levels of approval for the EU’s support for Ukraine. Among those who approve of the EU’s support for Ukraine, 93% also approve of the specific actions taken by the EU.

QA14 Let’s now think in more detail about the different actions taken by the European Union to support Ukraine since the start of the war, such as sanctions against the Russian government or financial, military or humanitarian support: do you approve or disapprove of these actions? (%)

Total “Approve”	Total “Disapprove”	Don’t know / No answer
EU27	73	24	3
Education (End of)
15-	64	31	5
16-19	69	28	3
20+	80	18	2
Still studying	79	17	4
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	70	26	4
Managers	82	16	2
Other white collars	76	22	2
Manual workers	69	28	3
House persons	63	32	5
Unemployed	67	30	3
Retired	73	24	3
Students	79	17	4
Image of the EU
Total “Positive”	90	9	1
Neutral	67	29	4
Total “Negative”	36	61	3
Approval of EU support to Ukraine
Approve	93	6	1
Disapprove	15	83	2

3.2 Satisfaction with Member States’ cooperation

As well as approving of the EU’s support for Ukraine, the majority of Europeans are positive towards the way Member States have cooperated. Almost six in ten citizens (58%) say they are satisfied with the cooperation between EU Member States in addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine, while almost four in ten (37%) are not satisfied.

(Oct / Nov2022) Total “Not satisfied” 37 Don’t know / No answer 5 Total “Satisfied” 58 QA15 How satisfied or not are you with the cooperation between EU Member States in addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine? (% - EU27) In 23 Member States, a majority of respondents are satisfied with the cooperation between EU Member States in addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Satisfaction is highest among respondents in Ireland (84%), Denmark, Portugal (both 83%), Sweden (81%) and Finland (80%).

In four Member States, the majority are not satisfied: Greece (61%), Cyprus (56%), Slovakia (54%) and Bulgaria (50%).

Total “Satisfied” Total “Not satisfied” Don’t know / No answer QA15 How satisfied or not are you with the cooperation between EU Member States in addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine? (%) In the socio-demographic analysis, satisfaction with the cooperation between EU Member States in addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine is higher among respondents who left education at the age of 20 or above (64%) than among those who left at the age of 16-19 (54%) or aged 15 or below (51%). Among socio-professional groups, satisfaction is highest among managers (66%), students (63%) and other white collar workers (62%), while it is lowest among housepersons (48%).

Respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying bills are also more likely to be satisfied (62%) than those who have difficulties most of the time (41%). Younger respondents are slightly more likely to be satisfied than older respondents (62% of 15-24 year olds vs. 56% of those aged 55+).

Satisfaction with the cooperation between EU Member States is higher among respondents whose overall image of the EU is positive (77% vs. 19% of those who image of the EU is negative).

Once again, attitudes are closely related to overall levels of approval for the EU’s support for Ukraine. Among those who approve of the EU’s support for Ukraine, 72% are satisfied with the cooperation between EU Member States, compared with 14% among those who disapprove of the EU’s support for Ukraine. Of those who are satisfied with the cooperation between Member States, 68% want the EP to play a more important role.

QA15 How satisfied or not are you with the cooperation between EU Member States in addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine? (% - EU)

Total “Satisfied”	Total “Not satisfied”	Don’t know / No Answer
EU27	58	37	5
Age
15-24	62	31	7
25-39	59	37	4
40-54	57	39	4
55+	56	39	5
Education (End of)
15-	51	42	7
16-19	54	41	5
20+	64	32	4
Still studying	63	30	7
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	55	42	3
Managers	66	31	3
Other white collars	62	35	3
Manual workers	54	42	4
House persons	48	43	9
Unemployed	53	39	8
Retired	56	38	6
Students	63	30	7
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	41	52	7
From time to time	55	41	4
Almost never / never	62	33	5
Role of the European Parliament
More important	68	30	2
Less important	40	56	4
No change	62	29	9
Approval of EU support to Ukraine
Approve	72	24	4
Disapprove	14	83	3

3.3 Little confidence that life will continue unchanged

Only a third of citizens (33%) are confident that their life will continue unchanged as a result of the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences (-4 percentage points since April-May 2022). Just 4% (no change) are ‘very confident’ that this will be the case. The majority (65%, +4 pp) say that they are not confident that this will be the case, with 22% being ‘not at all confident’ (+4 pp).

(Oct / Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022) Not at all confident 22 (+4) Not very confident 43 (=) Don’t know 2 (=) Very confident 4 (=) Fairly confident 29 (-4) QA12 Thinking about the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences on your life, how confident do you feel that your life will continue unchanged? (% - EU27) Ireland (50%) is the only EU Member State where the majority of respondents are confident their life will continue unchanged as a result of the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences, although in Malta equal proportions are confident and not confident (both 48%).

At the other end of the spectrum, only 10% in Greece, 16% in Slovakia and 17% in both Cyprus and Lithuania think their life will continue unchanged.

In general, respondents in eastern areas of Europe are less confident that their life will continue unchanged as a result of the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences. This applies in particular to some of the countries that border Ukraine or Russia, such as the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Map Legend QA12 Thinking about the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences on your life, how confident do you feel that your life will continue unchanged? (% - Total ‘Not confident’) Since April-May 2022, confidence about life continuing unchanged has increased in four EU Member States: Bulgaria (30%, +5 percentage points), Czechia (21%, +4 pp), Slovakia (16%, +4 pp) and Croatia (36%, +3 pp). However, optimism has declined in 12 countries, most notably in Denmark (45%, -16pp), Spain (24%, -11 pp), Germany (32%, -8 pp) and Portugal (33%, -8 pp). There has been no change or almost no change in eleven countries.

As a result of these changes, the negative view is now dominant in Denmark.

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 QA12 Thinking about the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences on your life, how confident do you feel that your life will continue unchanged? (% - Total ‘Confident’) Looking at the relationship between the economic situation in Member States and citizens’ confidence that their life will continue unchanged, it is perhaps not surprising that in countries with a smaller GDP per capita citizens are more likely to feel that their life might change. For example, in Greece, just 10% are confident that their lives will remain the same, whereas half of the Irish are positive that their life will not change. As shown in the chart below, a correlation is found when analysing the two variables together. The correlation coefficient (0.49) shows a positive and statistically significant relationship between the variables (p-value < 0.01).

Percentage of citizens being confident that live will continue unchanged GDP per capita in PPS* Eurostat - GDP per capita in purchasing power standard (PPS) -” 2021 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/TECOO1_14/default/table [Data retrieved 25 November 2022] * The purchasing power standard (PPS) is an artlticial currency unit used by Eurostat for country comparisons to eliminate price level differences between the Member States. QA12 GDP per capita and confidence that life will continue unchanged

Results from the socio-demographic analysis show men are slightly more likely than women to be confident their life will continue unchanged as a result of the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences (36% vs 31%). Those aged 15-24 are the most likely to have this confidence, particularly compared to those aged 55+ (40% vs 32%).

Managers and students (both 40%) are more likely to be confident than other socio-professional groups, particularly housepersons (25%) and unemployed respondents (26%). The fewer financial difficulties a respondent experiences, the more likely they are to be confident their life will continue unchanged as a result of the war in Ukraine: 35% who experience the least difficulties are confident, compared with 21% who experience the most financial difficulties.

Respondents who are positive about the EU’s actions to support Ukraine, and about co-operation between Member States, are more confident that their life will continue unchanged. For example, 40% of those who approve of the EU’s actions since the start of the war are confident that their life will continue unchanged, compared with 18% of those who disapprove of these actions.

Respondents who think recent events, including the war in Ukraine, will have no impact on their standard of living are more likely to be confident that their life will continue unchanged (54%), compared with those whose standard of living has not yet been impacted but who think it will happen in the next year (38%) and those whose standard of living has already been impacted (23%).

QA12 Thinking about the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences on your life, how confident do you feel that your life will continue unchanged? (%-EU)

Total “ Confident ”	Total “Not Confident”	Don’t know
EU27	33	65	2
Gender
Man	36	63	1
Woman	31	67	2
Age
15-24	40	57	3
25-39	35	64	1
40-54	33	66	1
55+	32	66	2
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	33	65	2
Managers	40	59	1
Other white collars	38	61	1
Manual workers	31	68	1
House persons	25	74	1
Unemployed	26	73	1
Retired	31	67	2
Students	40	57	3
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	21	78	1
From time to time	34	65	1
Almost never / never	35	63	2
Approval of EU support to Ukraine
Approve	40	59	1
Disapprove	18	81	1
Your standard of living has …
Already been reduce	23	76	1
Not yet be reduced but will be	38	61	1
Not changed / increased	54	45	1

All in all, a clear majority of citizens who approve of the EU’s actions and support to Ukraine want the EP to play a more important role (62% of those who approve EU’s support to Ukraine, and 62% of those who approve specific EU actions). There is also a majority that would like the EP to play a more important role (51%) among those who believe that their life will change.

Less important role of the EP More important role of the EP Those who approve EU’s support to Ukraine Those who approve EU’s actions taken to support Ukraine Those that are not confident their live will continue unchanged QA4 In the light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine citizens want the EP to play a more important role Base = QA13 Thinking about the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences on your life, how confident do you feel that your life will continue unchanged? Base = QA14 Let’s now think in more detail about the different actions taken by the European Union to support Ukraine since the start of the war, such as sanctions against the Russian government or financial, military or humanitarian support: do you approve or disapprove of these actions? Base = QA12 Thinking about the war in Ukraine and its potential consequences on your life, how confident do you feel that your life will continue unchanged?

IV. EU AND EP IN CITIZENS’ EYES

This chapter focuses on citizens’ perceptions of the EU and the European Parliament. It starts by examining perceptions of the role of the European Parliament, the core values and priorities it should defend and the image that it has among citizens. The second half of the chapter moves on to focus on perceptions of the EU, including the importance of membership of the EU and the benefits it brings.

The previous survey in April-May 2022 showed the image of the European Parliament and the EU at record high levels. While these very high levels have not been sustained in he current survey, the longer-term picture remains positive, with attitudes remaining at the encouraging levels recorded over the last year or so, despite the challenges of the war in Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising cost of living.

In a sign of European resilience and unity, Europeans see the defence of common European values such as democracy as a priority, alongside values such as the protection of human rights, freedom of speech and thought and the rule of law. In terms of political priorities, citizens want the European Parliament to focus on the fight against poverty and social exclusion, the issue of public health, as well as the economy and job creation.

Close to three quarters of Europeans say that their country has benefited from being a member of the EU, a stable indicator supporting the signs of overall resilience among the EU population. The main reason why their country has benefited from EU membership is the EU’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security, a result that has increased significantly since October/November 2021, and the largest observed among the items asked in this question. Among the other reasons given for benefit the cooperation between EU countries and the EU’s contribution to the country’s economic growth stand out.

4.1 Role and perception of the European Parliament

This section focuses on the image of the European Parliament among citizens, how its future role is perceived, and how citizens view its priorities and core values. The image of the European Parliament has remained at a high level, with strong demands for its role to be enhanced. Furthermore, there is widespread support for the European Parliament to defend values such as democracy and to prioritise issues such as poverty and social exclusion, and these values and priorities have remained stable despite the challenges facing Europe.

The European Parliament should defend democracy as a matter of priority. This continues to be the number one value for citizens (36%, -2 percentage points since April-May 2022). At least one in five think the European Parliament should prioritise defending the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (29%, +2 pp), freedom of speech and thought (28%, +1 pp), the rule of law (24%, + 2 pp), solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions (23%, +3 pp) and equality between women and men (21%, -2 pp). All other values are mentioned by fewer than one in five respondents.

Results have remained consistent since April-May 2022. Just two items show a change of more than two percentage points: solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions (23%, +3 pp) and the respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States (17%, +3 pp).

Oct / Nov 2022 Apr / May 2022 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Apr / May 2022 Democracy The protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide Freedom of speech and thought The rule of law Solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions Equality between women and men Tolerance and respect for diversity in society Human dignity including the prohibition of the death penalty, torture or slavery The respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States Freedom of movement The fight against discrimination and or the protection of minorities Solidarity between the EU and poor countries in the world Freedom of religion and belief The right to seek asylum from persecution Other (Spontaneous) None (Spontaneous) Refusal (Spontaneous) Don't know QA5ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - EU27) When compared to results from Autumn 2021, collected before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, some more notable increases can be observed. Democracy, solidarity between EU Member States and its regions and the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide have all risen by four percentage points whilst the respect for national identities and cultures (+3 pp) and the rule of law (+2 pp) have also increased. Most remaining values for the EP to defend as a matter of priority have remained very stable since before Russia’s invasion, with the only decrease observed for the equality between men and women (-3 pp).

Human dignity, including the prohibition of the death penalty, torture or slavery; 17% Freedom of movement 16% Tolerance and respect for diversity in society: 16% The fight against discrimination and for the protection of minorities: 14% The respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States: 14% Democracy: 36% The protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide: 29% Freedom of speech and thought: 29% The rule of law: 24% Solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions: 23% Equality between women and men: 21% The respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States: 17% Tolerance and respect for diversity in society: 17% Human dignity, including the prohibition of the death penalty,torture or slavery: l7% Freedom of movement: l5% The fight against discrimination and for the protection of minorities: 14% Solidarity between the EU and poor countries in the world: 13% Freedom of religion and belief: 8% The right to seek asylum from persecution: 5% QA5ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) In 13 countries, respondents think the European Parliament should defend democracy as a matter of priority. The protection of human rights is considered the top priority (or joint top priority) in nine countries. Freedom of speech and thought is the most mentioned (or joint most mentioned) value in four Member States. The rule of law ranks joint top in Slovenia and Bulgaria.

Freedom of movement is the joint highest answer in Bulgaria, while France (41%) is the only country where equality between men and women is the most mentioned priority. Respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States is ranked joint highest in Estonia.

Democracy The respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States Freedom of movement Equality between women and men Democracy The rule of law Freedom of speech and thought QA5ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - The most mentioned answer by country) Democracy ranks in the top three values in 21 countries. However, the proportions that mention it vary considerably, from 51% in Sweden, 48% in Germany and 45% in Finland, to 20% in Croatia and Slovakia.

Defending the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide ranks in the top three in 22 countries. This value is most widely mentioned in Sweden (49%), Cyprus (44%) and the Netherlands (42%), and least mentioned in Italy (21%) and Bulgaria (23%).

Freedom of speech and thought ranks in the top three in 13 countries. Mentions range from 34% in France, 33% in Czechia and 32% in Austria to 15% in both Bulgaria and Portugal.

In Bulgaria (37%) and Slovenia (31%), the rule of law is the joint highest priority value to defend, but it is also widely mentioned in Greece (38%) and Cyprus (37%). By contrast, 12% in France and 15% in both Lithuania and Portugal think this should be a priority.

Respondents in Greece (39%), Bulgaria (34%), Czechia (32%) and Portugal (31%) most often think solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions should be defended as a priority, and this value is mentioned by at least 15% in each country.

Equality of men and women is the most mentioned value by respondents in France (39%) and is also mentioned by 31% in Spain and 30% in Belgium. By contrast, 9% in Greece and Latvia think this should be a priority.

In addition, freedom of movement is much more likely to be chosen as a priority in Bulgaria (37%) than in other countries. The proportions saying that respect for national identities,cultures and traditions in the EU Member States are particularly high in Estonia (31%) and Bulgaria (30%).

QA5ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (%)

EU27	BE	BG	CZ	DK	DE	EE	IE	EL	ES	FR	HR	IT	CY	LV	LT	LU	HU	MT	NL	AT	PL	PT	RO	SI	SK	FI	SE
Democracy	36	29	23	42	39	48	22	25	41	36	27	20	39	32	27	29	32	41	35	36	35	32	27	21	23	20	45	51
The protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide	29	26	23	33	35	32	30	31	32	24	26	28	21	44	39	38	31	32	28	42	28	26	36	27	31	29	32	49
Freedom of speech and thought	28	31	15	33	26	31	31	23	28	29	34	28	29	23	29	26	23	20	17	27	32	19	15	21	30	31	29	31
The rule of law	24	17	37	24	16	34	22	18	38	25	12	24	17	37	20	15	18	28	32	20	27	26	15	25	31	29	33	18
Solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions	23	21	34	32	19	25	19	18	39	15	17	27	29	28	23	27	28	19	17	28	17	26	31	26	17	22	20	17
Equality between women and men	21	30	10	14	24	13	10	26	9	31	39	15	20	24	9	10	19	10	21	20	22	13	22	13	18	13	17	23
Tolerance and respect for diversity in society	17	18	18	10	19	17	15	18	11	16	20	20	16	7	11	20	14	19	16	24	18	14	16	13	23	14	15	13
Human dignity, including the prohibition of the death penalty, torture or slavery	17	17	12	12	21	19	12	11	17	15	19	16	19	18	8	12	15	12	18	17	18	17	20	13	14	12	21	26
The respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States	17	15	30	25	19	11	31	20	23	12	13	25	21	22	22	23	19	21	16	19	20	19	22	21	17	26	15	11
Freedom of movement	15	15	37	21	17	7	26	28	8	14	11	25	19	8	12	16	13	21	16	7	13	25	6	26	21	28	15	10
The fight against discrimination and for the protection of minorities	14	19	7	6	11	12	10	17	17	14	14	14	18	15	10	13	16	18	24	18	16	12	22	11	8	14	10	10
Solidarity between the EU and poor countries in the world	13	12	14	9	10	11	7	10	21	16	13	19	13	17	10	12	17	14	17	9	13	11	22	19	12	10	5	12
Freedom of religion and belief	8	10	9	4	7	4	11	11	5	5	11	9	9	6	5	6	6	7	13	9	9	11	5	15	7	17	5	4
The right to seek asylum from persecution	5	5	4	1	6	4	5	8	3	5	6	4	5	3	3	7	8	7	8	5	9	8	5	8	2	4	4	8
Don’t know	1	0	1	2	1	0	2	1	0	1	2	0	1	0	3	1	0	1	4	0	1	1	5	2	2	0	0	0

Compared to April-May 2022, prioritising the defence of democracy has become more important to respondents in four countries: Malta (35%, +8 percentage points), Hungary (41%, +4 pp), Czechia (42%, +3 pp) and Poland (32%, +3 pp). By contrast, prioritising democracy is less widely mentioned in nine Member States, most notably Belgium (29%, -8 pp), the Netherlands (36%, -8 pp), Slovenia (23%, -7 pp) and Sweden (51%, -7 pp). There has been no change in the remaining 14 countries.

Oct / Nov 2022 Apr / May 2022 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Apr / May 2022 QA5ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - Democracy) The socio-demographic analysis focuses on the top six values that citizens think the European Parliament should prioritise defending. It illustrates that men are more likely than women to think that priorities should include democracy (39% vs. 34%) and the rule of law (27% vs. 20%), but the reverse is true in the case of equality between men and women (16% vs. 26%). Those aged 15-24 are the most likely to say the priority should be freedom of speech and thought (31%) and equality between men and women (26%), but they are the least likely to mention democracy (27%), solidarity between Member States and between regions (19%) or the rule of law (18%).

Respondents who finished their education when they were 20 or older are more likely to think the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide should be a value the European Parliament defends as a priority (33%), compared with those who finished their education when they were 15 or younger (23%).

Respondents who think their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing are more likely than those who think it is a bad thing to say the European Parliament should prioritise solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions (27% vs. 14%). Differences can also be seen for democracy (39% a good thing vs. 27% a bad thing) and the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (31% vs. 24%).

Finally, respondents with a positive image of the European Parliament are more likely than those with a negative image to say priority should be given to democracy (41% vs. 31%) and solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions (29% vs. 17%). However, freedom of speech and thought is more likely to be considered a priority by those with a negative image (34%) than those with a positive image (24%).

QA5ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - EU)

Equality between women and men	Solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions	The protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide	Freedom of speech and thought	Democracy	The rule of law
EU27	21	23	29	28	36	24
Gender
Man	16	25	27	30	39	27
Woman	26	22	30	26	34	20
Age
15-24	26	19	30	31	27	18
25-39	22	23	30	29	35	23
40-54	20	24	30	28	37	24
55+	20	25	27	27	39	25
Education (End of)
15-	23	21	23	27	36	22
16-19	21	24	27	29	35	24
20+	19	25	33	28	39	26
Still studying	24	18	32	31	28	18
Image of European Parliament
Positive	19	29	31	24	41	27
Neutral	23	22	28	29	34	22
Negative	20	17	26	34	31	24
Opinion about country’s membership of the EU
A good thing	21	27	31	26	39	25
A bad thing	20	14	24	33	27	21
Neither a good thing nor a bad thing	22	20	26	32	32	22

Citizens think the fight against poverty and social exclusion (37%, -1 percentage point since April-May 2022) should be the main priority for the European Parliament to address, followed by public health (34%, -1 pp), action against climate change (31%, no change) and support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (31%, +1 pp). At least one in five think a priority should be democracy and the rule of law (27%, -5 pp), the future of Europe (27%, -2 pp), the EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders (24%, -3 pp) and the fight against terrorism and organised crime (20%, no change).

The only notable change since April-May 2022 is the decrease in the proportion mentioning democracy and the rule of law as a priority value (27%, -5 pp).

Oct / Nov 2022 Apr / May 2022 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Apr / May 2022 The fight against poverty and social exclusion Public health Action against climate change Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs The future of Europe Democracy and the rule of law The EU's defence and security, including the protection of the EU's external borders The fight against terrorism and organised crime The EU's autonomy in the fields of industry and energy Humanitarian aid and development assistance Consumer rights Agricultural policy Gender equality inclusion and diversity Migration and asylum The digitalisation of the European economy and society Other (Spontaneous) None (Spontaneous) Don't know QA6ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (Max. 4 answers) (% - EU27) It is also interesting to compare citizens’ priorities previous to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the situation just three months into the war, and the present view after nine months since the outbreak of the conflict: The issue of public health has continuously decreased compared to a year ago. While the fight against poverty and social exclusion is also on a downward trend, support to the economy and creation of new jobs has increased as a priority for citizens.

Overall, the standing of a majority of priorities has changed significantly following the outbreak of the war but has now returned to pre-war levels to some degree. This is the case for the future of Europe, democracy and the rule of law, as well as the EU’s defence and security.

Other priorities experienced a significant increase or decrease in terms of popularity at the beginning of the invasion and have remained at the same level since then. This includes action against climate change (-9 pp, then stable), the fight against terrorism and organised crime (-3 pp, then stable), as well as the EU’s autonomy in the fields of industry and energy (+6 pp, then stable).

Action against climate change : 39% Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs : 32% Democracy and the rule of law : 25% The future of Europe: 24% Nov 2021 May 2022 Nov 2022 The fight against poverty and social exclusion : 37% Public health : 34% Action against climate change : 31% Support to the economy and the creation of the new jobs : 31% The future of Europe : 27% Democracy and the rule of law : 27% The EU’s defence and security, including the protection of the EU’s external borders: 24% The fight against terrorism and organised crime : 20% The EU’s autonomy in the fields of industry and energy : 17% QA6ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (Max. 4 answers) (% - EU27) The priority topics for the European Parliament to address vary considerably across the EU. In seven countries, respondents most want to see the fight against poverty and social exclusion prioritised. In five countries respondents most want to see public health prioritised. Action against climate change is the top priority in six countries, while in five Member States, the priority is support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (higher than in April-May 2022 where it was the top priority only in Greece).

In Germany and Finland the top priority is democracy and the rule of law, while in Poland the EU’s defence and security is the top priority. The highest priority in Czechia is the EU’s autonomy in the fields of industry and energy.

The fight against poverty and social exclusion is one of the three most mentioned topics in 21 countries, and across the EU proportions range from 59% in Portugal, 58% in Greece and 50% in Lithuania to 25% in Malta, 26% in Finland and 27% in Estonia.

Public health ranks in the top three topics in 17 countries. It is mentioned most frequently in Cyprus (53%), Spain (49%), Portugal and Greece (both 44%), but by fewer than one in five in Germany, Sweden (both 17%) and Czechia (18%).

The proportion of respondents who mention action against climate change is highest in Sweden (55%), the Netherlands (52%) and Denmark (47%) and lowest in Latvia (9%), Estonia and Bulgaria (both 10%).

Support for the economy and the creation of new jobs is the priority topic for 55% in Greece, 49% in Portugal and 48% in Lithuania, compared with 15% in the Netherlands, 16% in Sweden and 18% in Denmark.

In Finland (42%) and Germany (41%), democracy and the rule of law is considered the priority topic for the European Parliament. It is also mentioned by 44% in Sweden, while respondents are least likely to choose this as a priority in Portugal (12%) and Lithuania (13%).

The future of Europe is mentioned most frequently in Czechia (38%), Germany (36%) and Finland (35%). At the other end of the scale, it is mentioned by 12% in Cyprus and 17% in Portugal.

The proportion of respondents who think a priority topic is the EU’s defence and security ranges from 44% in Lithuania, 42% in Czechia and 40% in Finland to 11% in Portugal and 12% in France.

The EU’s autonomy in the fields of industry and energy is considered the top priority in Czechia (49%) and is also chosen by 30% in Estonia.

None of the other topics rank first in any country. However, it is worth noting respondents in Sweden (38%) are much more likely than those in other countries to mention the fight against terrorism and organised crime, while those in Malta are most likely to prioritise consumer rights (34%). Respondents in Slovakia are more likely than those in other countries to prioritise agricultural policy (30%), while a high proportion in Sweden mention gender equality, inclusion and diversity (32%). Migration and asylum is chosen much more frequently in Cyprus (32%) than in other countries.

The fight against poverty and social exclusion Public health Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs The EU’s defence ans security, including the protection of the EU’s external borders Action against climate change The EU autonomy in the fields of industry and energy Democracy and the rule of law QA6ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (Max. 4 answers) (% - The most mentioned answer by country)

In 13 countries, respondents are now less likely to say the fight against poverty and social exclusion should be addressed as a priority than they were in April-May 2022. The largest declines can be observed in Croatia (40%, -8 percentage points), Portugal (59%, -7 pp), Austria (33%, -7 pp), and Malta (25%, -7 pp). There have been increases in three countries: Sweden (40%, +8 pp), Poland (28%, +4 pp) and Czechia (28%, +4 pp). Figures remain unchanged in the remaining 11 countries.

Oct / Nov 2022 Apr / May 2022 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Apr / May 2022 QA6ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (Max. 4 answers) (% - The fight against poverty and social exclusion) In 14 Member States, respondents are now less likely to say public health should be addressed as a priority, compared with April-May 2022. The largest decreases can be found in Luxembourg (25%, -12 percentage points), Portugal (44%, -9 pp) and Greece (44%, -8 pp). Mentions of public health have increased slightly in Denmark (21%, +3 pp), and have remained unchanged in the remaining 12 countries.

Oct / Nov 2022 Apr / May 2022 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Apr / May 2022 QA6ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (Max. 4 answers) (% - Public Health) The socio-demographic analysis focuses on the top eight priorities as defined by respondents and shows that some of the largest differences are based on education levels. The longer a respondent remained in education, the more likely they are to say the European Parliament should prioritise democracy and the rule of law, action against climate change, the future of Europe and the EU’s defence and security, and the less likely they are to say the priority should be public health or the fight against poverty and social exclusion.

A similar pattern can be seen in relation to respondents’ financial situation. The fewer their financial difficulties, the more likely they are to prioritise democracy and the rule of law, action against climate change, the future of Europe and the EU’s defence and security, and the less likely they are to say the priority should be the fight against poverty and social exclusion or support to the economy and the creation of new jobs. Those more worried about poverty and social exclusion and about the cost of living are more likely to want the EP to play a more important role.

The analysis also illustrates that women are more likely than men to say the fight against poverty and social inclusion (40% vs. 34%) and public health (37% vs. 30%) should be prioritised by the European Parliament. Men are more likely than women to want to prioritise democracy and the rule of law (29% vs. 24%).

The main differences by age are that younger respondents are more likely than older age groups to mention action against climate change, while older respondents are more likely to mention public health, the EU’s defence and security and the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

Respondents who think their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing are more likely to want to see action against climate change addressed as a priority (37% vs 18% of those who think EU membership is a bad thing), and the same can be seen for the future of Europe (31% vs 18%). The fight against terrorism and organised crime is mentioned more frequently by those who think EU membership is a bad thing (24% vs. 18% of those who think it is a good thing).

Finally, respondents with a positive view of the European Parliament are more likely than those with a negative view to say Parliament should prioritise democracy and the rule of law (31% vs 23%), action against climate change (38% vs 22%) and the future of Europe (32% vs 22%). Those who prioritise democracy and the rule of law are also more likely to want the European Parliament to play a more important role.

QA6ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (Max. 4 answers) (% - EU)

Public health	Action against climate change	The fight against poverty and social exclusion	Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs	The future of Europe	The fight against terrorism and organised crime	Democracy and the rule of law	The EU’s defence and security, including the protection of the EU’s external borders
EU27	34	31	37	31	27	20	27	24
Gender
Man	30	31	34	31	29	19	29	25
Woman	37	32	40	30	26	20	24	22
Age
15-24	30	40	34	32	31	14	24	19
25-39	33	33	36	32	29	17	28	21
40-54	33	30	38	34	25	20	26	24
55+	36	29	38	28	26	22	27	26
Education (End of)
15-	44	24	43	32	22	21	20	18
16-19	35	27	36	34	28	20	26	25
20+	29	38	36	27	28	20	30	26
Still studying	29	43	37	30	30	14	26	17
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	36	21	46	35	19	20	22	17
From time to time	37	27	39	35	26	18	23	20
Almost never / never	31	35	34	28	29	20	29	26
Image of European Parliament
Positive	30	38	35	32	32	17	31	27
Neutral	36	30	37	31	26	20	25	22
Negative	34	22	39	29	22	23	23	22
Opinion about country’s membership of the EU
A good thing	31	37	37	31	31	18	29	26
A bad thing	31	18	34	29	18	24	22	20
Neither a good thing nor a bad thing	39	25	37	32	23	21	23	21
Role of the European Parliament
More important	33	35	37	31	30	19	29	23
Less important	32	24	35	31	24	22	25	24
No change	34	32	38	35	27	21	24	28

Citizens are twice as likely to have a positive image of the European Parliament as to have a negative image. More than a third of citizens (36%, -3 percentage points since April-May 2022) have a positive image of the European Parliament. Fewer than one in five (17%, +1 pp) have a negative image while 45% (+2 pp) say their image is neutral.

The changes since the last survey have reversed the positive shift seen between November-December 2021 and April-May 2022, and as a result the position is now similar to a year ago. Over the longer term, the gap between those with a positive image and a negative image (now +19 points) is wider than for most of the last ten years or so.

Nov 2011 EB76.3 Nov. - Dec. 2012 EB78.2 June 2013 EB79.5 Nov. - Dec 2014 EB82.4 Sept. 2015 EB84.1 Sept. - Oct 2016 EB86.1 Sept. - Oct. 2017 EB88.1 Apr. 2018 EB89.2 Sept. 2018 EB90.1 Oct. 2019 EB92.2 Nov. - Dec. 2020 EB94.2 Nov. - Dec. 2021 EB96.2 Apr. - May 2022 EB97.3 Oct. - Nov. 2022 EB98.1 Total “Positive” Neutral Total “Negative” Don’t know QA3 In general, do you have a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image of the European Parliament? (% - EU) In 25 Member States, the positive view of the European Parliament is more widespread than the negative view. Views are most positive in Malta (62%), Ireland (58%), Sweden (53%), Luxembourg, Denmark and Portugal (all 51%). In just two countries, respondents are more likely to have a negative view than a positive view: France (26% negative vs. 22% positive) and Greece (28% vs. 27%).

Overall, a neutral view is dominant in 17 countries, while a positive image is the most common response in eight countries. In Italy and the Netherlands, opinion is split (with equal shares of positive and neutral responses).

Total “Positive” Neutral Total “Negative” Don’t know QA3 In general, do you have a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image of the European Parliament? (%)

In five countries, respondents are now more likely to have a positive image of the European Parliament than in November-December 2021, with the largest increase seen in Sweden (53%, +12 percentage points). The proportion with a positive image has declined in 12 countries, most notably Poland (39%, -12 pp) and has remained stable in the remaining 10 countries.

As a result of these changes the positive view is now the minority view in France.

Oct / Nov 2022 Apr / May 2022 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Apr / May 2022 QA3 In general, do you have a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image of the European Parliament? (% - Total ‘Positive’) The socio-demographic analysis shows clear differences by level of education and financial situation. Respondents who completed education aged 20 or older have a more positive view of the European Parliament than those who completed education aged 15 or younger (42% vs. 27%). Respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying bills are more likely to hold a positive view than those who have difficulties most of the time (40% vs. 23%).

The proportion that hold a positive view of the European Parliament is consistent by age group, although older respondents are more likely to hold a negative view (20% of those aged 55 or over, compared with 10% of those aged 15-24). A positive image of the European Parliament is more widely held by managers (49%), particularly compared with housepersons (24%), manual workers (28%) and unemployed respondents (28%).

EU citizens who follow European politics (47%) are also more likely to have a positive image of the European Parliament than those who do not (22%).

The analysis also illustrates that respondents with a positive image of the EU are more likely to also have a positive image of the European Parliament (65% vs 4% of those with a negative image of the EU). In addition, citizens who think things in the EU are going in the right direction (61%) are more likely to have a positive image of the European Parliament than those who think things are going in the wrong direction (21%).

QA3 In general, do you have a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image of the European Parliament? (% - EU)

Total “Positive”	Neutral	Total “Negative”	Don’t know
EU27	36	45	17	2
Age
15-24	36	50	10	4
25-39	36	46	17	1
40-54	36	44	19	1
55+	35	43	20	2
Education (End of)
15-	27	46	23	4
16-19	33	45	21	1
20+	42	41	16	1
Still studying	40	50	7	3
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	41	35	23	1
Managers	49	39	12	0
Other white collars	40	44	15	1
Manual workers	28	49	21	2
House persons	24	52	21	3
Unemployed	28	48	20	4
Retired	35	43	20	2
Students	40	50	7	3
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	23	42	32	3
From time to time	32	48	18	2
Almost never / never	40	43	16	1
Image of the EU
Total “Positive”	65	30	4	1
Neutral	12	72	14	2
Total “Negative”	4	23	72	1
Things in the EU are going in …
Right direction	61	34	4	1
Wrong direction	21	49	29	1
Neither	39	50	9	2
Follow European politics
Follow	47	37	16	0
Not follow	22	54	21	3

There is widespread support for the European Parliament to have a more prominent role. More than half of citizens (55%, -3 percentage points since November-December 2021) would like to see the European Parliament play a more important role, while 28% (+1 pp) want a less important role for the European Parliament.

No change / As it is now (Spontaneous) 9 (+1) Less important 28 (+1) (Oct/Nov 2022 – Nov/Dec 2021) More important 55 (-3) QA4 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role? (% - EU27) The desire for a more important role for the European Parliament has decreased in the last year (-3 pp since November-December 2021), and this continues a gradual negative shift since November-December 2020. However, the longer term trend is positive, with current ratings still higher than most surveys before 2019.

Nov 2011 EB76.3 Nov. - Dec. 2012 EB78.2 June 2013 EB79.5 Nov. - Dec 2014 EB82.4 Sept. 2015 EB84.1 Sept. - Oct 2016 EB86.1 Sept. - Oct. 2017 EB88.1 Apr. 2018 EB89.2 Sept. 2018 EB90.1 Oct. 2019 EB92.2 Nov. - Dec. 2020 EB94.2 Nov. - Dec. 2021 EB96.2 Oct. - Nov. 2022 EB98.1 Feb.-Mar. 2019 EB91.1 More important Less important No change / As it is now (Spontaneous) Don’t know QA4 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role? (% - EU)

The desire for a more important role for the European Parliament is seen in 23 Member States, where a relative majority of citizens want a more influential institution, ranging from 87% in Cyprus to 39% in Estonia and in Sweden. In three countries, a majority of respondents would like the European Parliament to play a less important role in the future: Slovakia (53% less important), Czechia (50%) and Denmark (36%). In Austria, there is an equal balance of those wanting a more or less important role (both 39%).

It is useful to compare responses to this question on the role of the European Parliament with those on its general image among citizens. The broad message across the EU is that those who have a positive image of the European Parliament are much more likely to want it to play a more important role. Following the relationship between these two views, those who have a negative image of the institution are more likely to want it to play a less important role. At the same time, individual situations can be found at country level, such as in Greece, where the image of the European Parliament is not particularly high, although respondents would like it to play a more important role. By contrast, the overall image is positive in Denmark and Sweden, but it is below average in terms of wanting to see a more prominent role.

More important Less important No change / As it is now (Spontaneous) Don’t know QA4 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role? (%)

Oct / Nov 2022 Nov / Dec 2021 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Nov/Dec 2021 QA4 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role? (% - More important)

Compared with November-December 2021, support for a more important role for the European Parliament has grown by at least three percentage points in three countries: Estonia (39%, +8 pp), Greece (75%, +5 pp) and Lithuania (66%, +3 pp). There are 15 Member States where support for a more important role for the European Parliament has fallen since November-December 2021. The most substantial decreases can be found in Ireland (54%, -14 pp), Slovenia (57%, -12 pp) and Denmark (29%, -11 pp).

From a socio-demographic point of view, younger respondents are more likely to want a more prominent role for the European Parliament (58% of 15-24 year olds compared with 53% of those aged 55 or over), with a smaller proportion wanting a less important role (20% vs. 30%).

Additionally, more educated respondents express a stronger desire for a more important role for the European Parliament (61% of those who left education at the age of 20 or over), as do managers (64%) and students (61%). Respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying bills are also more likely to want a more prominent role for the European Parliament (57% compared with 48% of those who have difficulties most of the time).

As noted above in the country analysis, there is a link between respondents’ overall image of the European Parliament and the desire for a more prominent role. Overall, almost eight in ten of those with a positive image of the institution want it to play a more important role (78%), compared with around three in ten of those with a negative image (29%).

QA4 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role? (% - EU)

More important	Less important	No change / As it is now (Spontaneous)	Don’t know
EU27	55	28	9	8
Age
15-24	58	20	10	12
25-39	56	28	9	7
40-54	55	30	8	7
55+	53	30	9	8
Education (End of)
15-	51	28	8	13
16-19	51	33	9	7
20+	61	24	9	6
Still studying	61	16	11	12
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	57	28	10	5
Managers	64	22	10	4
Other white collars	58	28	8	6
Manual workers	50	34	8	8
House persons	51	27	11	11
Unemployed	52	29	7	12
Retired	51	31	9	9
Students	61	16	11	12
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	48	34	8	10
From time to time	52	32	8	8
Almost never / never	57	26	10	7
Image of European Parliament
Positive	78	9	10	3
Neutral	48	30	11	11
Negative	29	63	3	5

4.2 Perception of the EU

This section of the report examines attitudes to the EU and how they have changed over time. In particular, citizens are asked to consider how they view membership of the EU: whether it is a good or bad thing and why.

Just as attitudes towards the European Parliament have remained positive over the last year, the image of the EU also maintains a strong position, with a clear majority of citizens positive about EU membership and seeing it as important for their country.

Underpinning these positive views are clear perceptions of the benefits that EU membership brings. The three main benefits are seen as the EU’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security, improved co-operation between Member States, and economic growth at the national level.

The image of the EU has become more negative over the past six months, with 47% of citizens saying they have a positive view of the EU (-5 percentage points since April-May 2022). The proportion with a negative view is 14% (+2 pp), while 38% are neutral (+2 pp). These changes have reversed the positive shift seen between November-December 2021 and April-May 2022, although the picture is still relatively positive when looking at longer term trends, with a gap between the positive and negative views of 33 percentage points.

Total “Positive” Neutral Total “Negative” Don’t know D78 In general, does the EU conjure up for you a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image? (% - EU) In each EU Member State, a positive image of the EU is more prevalent than a negative image, and in 23 countries a positive image is the most common response. In Slovakia, Spain, Greece and Slovenia the neutral view is dominant.

Total “Positive” Neutral Total “Negative” Don’t know D78 In general, does the EU conjure up for you a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image? (%) Respondents are most likely to have a positive image of the EU in Ireland (70%), Luxembourg (67%), Portugal (65%), Malta (64%), Denmark and Sweden (both 63%). A negative view is most common in Greece (29%), Slovakia (25%), Czechia and Austria (both 22%).

Malta (64%, +6 percentage points) and Denmark (63%, +3 pp) are the only countries that show a clear increase in positive views of the EU since April-May 2022. In 15 countries, respondents are now less likely to say they have a positive image of the EU, with the largest decreases seen in Poland (53%, -9 pp), Slovenia (43%, -9 pp), Belgium (43%, -8 pp) and Portugal (65%, -8 pp). The positive view has remained relatively stable in the remaining countries.

When compared to Autumn 2021, however, the increases in Malta (+12 pp) and Denmark (+10 pp) become bigger whilst net increases are also noted in Slovakia (+5 pp), Romania, Austria and Luxembourg (+4 pp). A net decrease is recorded in 10 Member States and a number of decreases observable since Spring 2022 are softened, such as in Poland (-5 pp) and Portugal (-2 pp). In Belgium, the decrease in cancelled out (+ 2pp). Since before Russia’s invasion, Slovenia (-9 pp), Spain (-6pp) and Germany (-5 pp) are the countries with the largest net decrease in the positive image of the EU.

The socio-demographic analysis shows large differences based on education level, occupation and financial situation. Respondents who completed education aged 20 or older are more likely to have a positive image than those who completed at 15 or younger (57% vs. 35%). Managers (61%) and students (56%) are the most likely to have a positive image of the EU, particularly compared to housepersons and unemployed respondents (both 34%). The analysis also shows respondents with the least financial difficulties are more likely to have a positive image (53%), compared with those who experience the most difficulties (31%).

There is also variation by age group, with respondents aged 15-24 more likely to have a positive image of the EU (53% vs, 45% of those aged 55+).

Participants who follow European politics (57%) are more likely to have a positive image of the EU than those who do not (35%).

D78 In general, does the EU conjure up for you a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image? (% - EU)

Total “Positive”	Neutral	Total “Negative”	Don’t know
EU27	47	38	14	1
Age
15-24	53	38	8	1
25-39	48	39	13	0
40-54	46	38	16	0
55+	45	37	17	1
Education (End of)
15-	35	43	20	2
16-19	42	41	17	0
20+	57	32	11	0
Still studying	56	36	7	1
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	49	33	18	0
Managers	61	29	10	0
Other white collars	50	37	13	0
Manual workers	40	44	16	0
House persons	34	46	19	1
Unemployed	34	45	20	1
Retired	46	37	16	1
Students	56	36	7	1
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	31	36	31	2
From time to time	39	44	16	1
Almost never / never	53	35	11	1
Follow European politics
Follow	57	32	11	0
Not follow	35	46	18	1

More than six in ten Europeans (62%, -3 percentage points since April-May 2022) think their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing, while one in ten (10%, +2 pp) think EU membership is a bad thing for their country and around one in four (27%, +1 pp) are neutral.

As with other issues, there has been a negative shift in the last six months, and this has reversed the positive trend that was observed between November-December 2021 and April-May 2022. However, again in common with other measures, the current position remains positive when looking at longer-term trends. Results in recent years have been among the most positive recorded over the past 15 years.

A good thing A bad thing Neither a good thing nor a bad thing Don’t know QA7 Generally speaking, do you think that (OUR COUNTRY)’s membership of the EU is...? (% - EU) Although it is the majority view in 25 Member States, there is considerable variation between countries. Respondents are most likely to think that EU membership is a good thing for their country in Luxembourg (90%), Ireland (83%), Lithuania and Malta (both 79%), compared with 42% in Austria, 43% in Greece and 44% in Slovakia. In Slovakia and Greece, the dominant view is that membership is neither good nor bad for their country (47% and 44% respectively).

Romania (23%) and Austria (20%) are the only countries where at least one in five think EU membership is a bad thing for their country.

A positive view of EU membership is most common in northern and south-western areas of Europe, and least common in southern and particularly south-eastern Europe.

Map Legend QA7 Generally speaking, do you think that (OUR COUNTRY)’s membership of the EU is...? (% - A good thing) In five Member States there has been an increase in positive views of EU membership since April-May 2022, the largest being in Malta (79%, +5 percentage points). In 13 countries, respondents are now less likely to say their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing, with the largest decreases seen in Estonia (66%, -10 pp), Slovenia (58%, -9 pp), Germany (70%, -7 pp) and Poland (65%, -7 pp). The positive view has remained relatively stable in the remaining nine countries.

A good thing Neither a good thing nor a bad thing A bad thing Don’t know QA7 Generally speaking, do you think that (OUR COUNTRY)’s membership of the EU is...? (%) As observed in previous years, the current socio-demographic analysis illustrates support for EU membership is stronger amongst younger respondents. Support is highest amongst those aged 15-24 (68%), and lowest amongst those 55+ (60%).

The analysis also shows that those who remained in education the longest (72%) are much more likely to think their country’s EU membership is a good thing than those who left school aged 16-19 (55%) or aged 15 and younger (51%). Support is also high amongst managers (76%) and students (73%), particularly when compared with housepersons (48%).

Support for EU membership is much higher amongst those who rarely/never have difficulties paying bills (70%) compared with those who have trouble from time to time (52%) or most of the time (43%).

These patterns are similar to those observed above in relation to respondents’ overall image of the EU, and responses to the two questions are closely linked. Respondents who have a positive image of the EU mostly think their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing (89%), whereas only 16% think this if their image of the EU is negative.

QA7 Generally speaking, do you think that (OUR COUNTRY)’s membership of the EU is...? (% - EU)

A good thing	A bad thing	Neither a good thing nor a bad thing	Don’t know
EU27	62	10	27	1
Age
15-24	68	7	23	2
25-39	63	10	27	0
40-54	61	10	28	1
55+	60	10	29	1
Education (End of)
15-	51	11	35	3
16-19	55	12	32	1
20+	72	7	20	1
Still studying	73	6	20	1
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	63	10	26	1
Managers	76	7	17	0
Other white collars	63	9	27	1
Manual workers	54	13	32	1
House persons	48	10	40	2
Unemployed	58	10	30	2
Retired	60	10	28	2
Students	73	6	20	1
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	43	18	36	3
From time to time	52	12	35	1
Almost never / never	70	7	22	1
Image of the EU
Total “Positive”	89	2	9	0
Neutral	46	8	45	1
Total “Negative”	16	41	41	2

Two-thirds of citizens (66%) say it is important for them that their country is a Member State of the EU (-4 percentage points since April-May 2022).25 Respondents were asked to use a scale from 1 to 10, where ‘’1’’ means “not at all important” and 10 means “extremely important”. In this analysis, “important” includes those giving a score of 7-10, “not important” a score of 1-4 and “moderately important” a score of 5 or 6. Around one in ten (11%, +2 pp) feel it is not important, and just over one in five (22%, +2 pp) are neutral. Since Autumn 2021, however, this represents a net-increase (+5 pp) of the percentage of citizens who say it is important that their country is a Member State of the EU when nearly a quarter were neutral (24%, -2pp) and 14% (-3 pp) stated that it wasn’t important.

(Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2021) Total “Not important” (1-4) 11 (+2) Total “Neutral” (5-6) 22 (+2) Don’t know 1 (=) Total “Important” (7-10) 66 (-4) QA8 How important is it for you that (OUR COUNTRY) is a Member State of the European Union? Please use a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “not at all important” and 10 means “extremely important”? (% - EU27) A majority of respondents in each Member State say it is important to them that their country is a member of the EU, although proportions vary considerably: from 89% in Luxembourg, 83% in Ireland, and 82% in both Lithuania and Malta, to 48% in Slovakia and 54% in each of Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania. Czechia (21%) is the only country where as many as one in five say it is not important to them that their country is a member of the EU.

In South-Eastern countries such as Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria as well as some eastern European countries such as Czechia and Slovakia, the importance of respondents’ countries being a Member State of the EU is less marked than in other countries. Respondents in countries in northern areas of Europe are more likely to see their country’s membership of the EU as important.

Map Legend QA8 How important is it for you that (OUR COUNTRY) is a Member State of the European Union? Please use a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “not at all important” and 10 means “extremely important”? - Total ‘Important (7-10) (%) The previous survey (April-May 2022) reported some large increases in the proportions that think their country’s membership of the EU is important. Since then, the findings for individual countries have mostly become more negative or have remained stable.

In 14 countries, the importance of membership has decreased by at least three percentage points, with the largest seen in Portugal (75%, -10 pp), Estonia (62%, -9 pp), Belgium (66%, -8 pp) and Slovenia (59%, -8 pp). There have been small increases in two countries: Luxembourg (89%, +3 pp) and Sweden (73%, +3 pp).

In comparison to before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine however, in Autumn 2021, a net-decrease is only recorded in Slovenia (-4 pp) with a net-increase in a total of 20 Member States, the largest of which being in Lithuania (+20 pp), Malta (+18 pp) and Luxembourg (+17 pp).

Oct / Nov 2022 Apr/May 2022 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Apr / May 2022 QA8 How important is it for you that (OUR COUNTRY) is a Member State of the European Union? Please use a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “not at all important” and 10 means “extremely important”? (% - Total ‘Important)

The socio-demographic analysis shows that the majority in each group say it is important to them that their country is a member of the EU, but these views are held more strongly by those with higher education levels and fewer financial difficulties. This echoes the results from the previous question where these groups were more likely to think their country’s membership of the EU was a good thing.

Specifically, around three-quarters (76%) of those who completed education aged 20 or older think their country’s EU membership is important, compared with 62% who completed aged 16-19 and 53% who completed aged 15 or younger. Of the socio-occupational groups, managers (79%) and students (77%) are the most likely to say EU membership is important, particularly compared with housepersons (53%).

Respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying bills (73%) are more likely to say it is important to them their country is a member of the EU, compared with those who have trouble from time to time (60%) or most of the time (48%).

There is some variation by age group, with those aged 15-24 (71%) most likely to say their country’s membership of the EU is important (compared with 65% of those aged 55+).

Not surprisingly, nine in ten (90%) respondents with a positive image of the EU say their country’s membership is important to them, compared with 23% of those with a negative image.

QA8 How important is it for you that (OUR COUNTRY) is a Member State of the European Union? Please use a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “not at all important” and 10 means “extremely important”? (%- EU)

Total “Important”	Total “Neutral”	Total “Not important”	Don’t know
EU27	66	22	11	1
Age
15-24	71	20	7	2
25-39	68	21	11	0
40-54	66	22	11	1
55+	65	22	12	1
Education (End of)
15-	53	30	14	3
16-19	62	24	13	1
20+	76	16	8	0
Still studying	77	17	4	2
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	68	18	13	1
Managers	79	15	6	0
Other white collars	69	21	10	0
Manual workers	60	26	13	1
House persons	53	33	12	2
Unemployed	58	26	14	2
Retired	65	22	12	1
Students	77	17	4	2
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	48	30	19	3
From time to time	60	27	12	1
Almost never / never	73	18	8	1
Image of the EU
Total “Positive”	90	9	1	0
Neutral	53	36	9	2
Total “Negative”	23	30	46	1

Reflecting their views on membership of the EU being a good thing, more than seven in ten EU citizens (72%, no change since November-December 2021) think that, on balance, their country has benefited from being part of the EU. Just over one in five (22%, -1 pp) say their country has not benefited from its membership.

In every EU Member State, more than half of respondents say that their country has benefited from being a member of the EU, and this applies to more than nine in ten respondents in Malta (95%), Ireland (92%), Luxembourg and Lithuania (both 91%). This proportion is lowest in Austria (55%), followed by Bulgaria (60%), Italy (61%) and France (63%). Austria has the highest proportion of those who think their country has not benefited from EU membership (38%).

The findings for individual Member States have mostly remained stable since November-December 2021. Just six Member States register a change of at least three percentage points in the proportion that say their country has benefited from EU membership. In three countries, there has been an increase: Malta (95%, +6 percentage points), Finland (78%, +6 pp) and Sweden (75%, +4 pp). Decreases are seen in Ireland (92%, -3 pp), Croatia (80%, -3 pp) and Cyprus (68%, -3 pp).

Oct / Nov 2022 Nov /Dec 2021 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Nov/Dec 2021 QA9 Taking everything into account, would you say that (OUR COUNTRY) has on balance benefited or not from being a member of the EU? (% - Benefited)

Socio-demographic differences closely mirror those already seen in relation to whether EU membership is seen as a good thing. The view that their country has benefited from EU membership is strongest among those who finished education at the age of 20 or above (81%) compared with those who left education at the age of 15 or below (60%).

By socio-professional group, the proportion is highest among managers (84%) and students (81%) and lowest among housepersons (59%). Respondents who rarely or never have difficulties with bills (77%) are more likely to think their country has benefited from EU membership, compared with those who have difficulties most of the time (55%).

The familiar age difference applies, with younger people more likely to see the benefits of EU membership than older people (77% of 15-24 year olds compared with 68% of those aged 55 or over).

QA9 Taking everything into account, would you say that (OUR COUNTRY) has on balance benefited or not from being a member of the EU? (% - EU)

Benefited	Not benefited	Don’t know
EU27	72	22	6
Age
15-24	77	15	8
25-39	74	21	5
40-54	72	23	5
55+	68	25	7
Education (End of)
15-	60	30	10
16-19	67	27	6
20+	81	15	4
Still studying	81	12	7
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	75	20	5
Managers	84	14	2
Other white collars	76	20	4
Manual workers	66	29	5
House persons	59	30	11
Unemployed	65	26	9
Retired	67	24	9
Students	81	12	7
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	55	36	9
From time to time	65	28	7
Almost never / never	77	8	5

The EU’s contribution to peace and stability is seen as its main benefit, and this has increased in importance in the last year.

There are three main reasons that citizens consider as to why their country has benefited from membership of the EU: the fact that the EU contributes to maintaining peace and strengthening security (36%, +6 percentage points since November-December 2021), that the EU improves cooperation between their country and other countries of the EU (35%, +3 pp) and that the EU contributes to their country’s economic growth (30%, no change). In this survey, all respondents were asked to consider the main benefits of EU membership, regardless of their overall view of whether their country has benefited or not.

The EU contributes to maintaining peace and strengthening security Membership of the EU improves co-operation between (OUR COUNTRY) and the other countries of the EU The EU contributes to economic growth in (OUR COUNTRY) The EU gives (NATIONALITY) people a stronger say in the world The EU brings (NATIONALITY) people new work opportunities Membership of the EU improves co-operation between (OUR COUNTRY) and countnes outside the EU The EU improves (NATIONALITY) people's standard of living The EU helps (OUR COUNTRY) to tackle climate change The EU contributes to democracy in (OUR COUNTRY) The EU helps (OUR COUNTRY) in the fight against terrorism (NATIONALITY) people have a significant influence in decisions made at EU level You are generally in favour of the EU (SPONTANEOUS) Other (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know Oct / Nov 2022 QA10ab Regardless of whether you think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited or not from being a member of he EU, which of the following are the main reasons why people think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited from being a member of the EU? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - EU27)

The next most important benefits of EU membership are that the EU brings people new work opportunities (23%, -1 pp) and that the EU gives people in their country a stronger say in the world (23%, +3 pp).

The EU’s contribution to economic growth is ranked highest (or joint highest) as a benefit of EU membership in nine Member States, while in seven countries the highest (or joint highest) response is that it brings people new work opportunities. There are seven countries where the EU’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security is ranked highest (or joint highest). In seven countries, the highest (or joint highest) ranked benefit is that the EU improves cooperation between their country and other Member States. In Poland, the EU’s positive impact on people’s standard of living is the joint highest ranked benefit.

QA10ab Regardless of whether you think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited or not from being a member of the EU, which of the following are the main reasons why people think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited from being a member of the EU? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (%)

EU27	BE	BG	CZ	DK	DE	EE	IE	EL	ES	FR	HR	IT	CY	LV	LT	LU	HU	MT	NL	AT	PL	PT	RO	SI	SK	FI	SE
The EU contributes to maintaining peace and strengthening security	36	35	29	37	38	47	38	19	46	28	36	34	34	45	41	43	27	27	21	48	29	34	24	26	29	29	42	47
Membership of the EU improves co-operation between (OUR COUNTRY) and the other countries of the EU	35	38	33	35	59	44	30	20	35	30	28	24	34	24	32	24	34	24	23	65	32	22	31	22	29	27	57	72
The EU contributes to economic growth in (OUR COUNTRY)	30	29	25	32	34	28	38	48	27	39	23	32	21	36	30	44	40	38	49	41	31	35	38	26	42	27	25	27
The EU gives (NATIONALITY) people a stronger say in the world	23	26	18	19	31	19	13	31	39	20	28	17	31	21	13	15	32	19	29	13	28	20	31	21	12	18	15	18
The EU brings (NATIONALITY) people new work opportunities	23	17	53	38	15	16	38	38	21	22	15	51	21	27	27	38	25	40	40	9	25	32	29	39	31	43	31	24
Membership of the EU improves co-operation between (OUR COUNTRY) and countries outside the EU	18	21	15	13	20	20	15	10	20	18	14	18	23	11	13	9	14	14	19	25	21	17	14	18	13	15	21	16
The EU improves (NATIONALITY) people's standard of living	18	19	21	26	12	13	32	40	16	22	12	32	9	20	30	38	19	30	25	11	23	35	25	27	26	19	15	5
The EU helps (OUR COUNTRY) to tackle climate change	16	18	7	6	18	18	5	16	14	14	14	17	22	18	2	8	15	17	19	25	22	10	13	13	10	17	10	19
The EU contributes to democracy in (OUR COUNTRY)	15	17	17	16	10	18	7	14	15	18	10	12	14	21	10	14	14	19	21	5	13	17	18	21	14	14	7	5
Th EU helps (OUR COUNTRY) in the fight against terrorism	13	19	13	11	18	13	8	11	11	12	17	13	13	11	7	8	9	12	12	16	15	10	8	14	6	13	9	14
(NATIONALITY) people have a significant influence in decisions made at EU level	12	13	6	6	10	10	4	13	11	9	13	10	15	4	4	8	16	15	20	6	17	15	9	14	4	9	6	17
Don't know	5	3	7	6	1	3	5	3	5	5	12	1	7	7	7	3	2	3	2	2	4	2	7	4	6	7	4	2

Before analysing the country results in more detail, it is interesting to examine the main benefits according to whether respondents think their country has benefited or not by its EU membership.

Three reasons emerge with clear distance to the others among those respondents who think their country has benefited from being a member of the EU: that the EU contributes to maintaining peace and strengthening security (40%), that membership of the EU improves co-operation between their country and the other countries of the EU (38%) and that the EU contributes to economic growth in their country (35%).

Those who had previously said their country has not benefited, share two of the same reasons when asked why people would think that their country had benefitted from membership, namely the improvement of cooperation with other EU countries (27%) and the EU’s contribution to peace and security (26%). The contribution to the economic growth is not part of their top three answers; instead, the benefits that are joint third highest are the new work opportunities for their people and that the EU gives people in their country a stronger say in the world (both 19%).

Moving to the detailed country analysis, we find that respondents in the Netherlands (48%), Sweden and Germany (both 47%) are most likely to mention the EU’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security, while this benefit is least likely to be mentioned in Ireland (19%) and Malta (21%).

The EU’s contribution to cooperation between Member States is highlighted by more than half of respondents in Sweden (72%), the Netherlands (65%), Denmark (59%) and Finland (57%). This is least likely to be seen as a benefit of membership by respondents in Ireland (20%), Romania and Poland (both 22%).

The EU’s contribution to economic growth is seen as an important benefit of EU membership in Malta (49%), Ireland (48%) and Lithuania (44%). This is least likely to be seen as a benefit of membership by respondents in Italy (21%) and France (23%).

The analysis also shows some large figures for other benefits. The EU’s contribution to new work opportunities is mentioned by 53% in Bulgaria, 51% in Hungary and 43% in Slovakia. A large proportion in Greece (39%) say that the EU gives people in their country a stronger say in the world. In Ireland, 40% say a benefit of EU membership is that it improves people’s standard of living.

At the country level, there have been some large changes since November-December 2021 in the proportions mentioning various benefits of EU membership.

In most countries, the EU’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security is more likely to be mentioned now than in November-December 2021. The largest increases can be seen in Latvia (41%, +16 percentage points), Lithuania (43%, +15 pp), the Netherlands (48%, +13 pp) and Estonia (38%, +12 pp). Hungary is the only country that shows a decrease since November-December 2021 (27%, -3 pp).

In 13 countries, there has been an increase in the proportion mentioning the EU’s contribution to cooperation between Member States. The largest increases are seen in Estonia (30%, +7 pp), Spain (30%, +7 pp) and Sweden (72%, +7 pp). Four Member States show a decrease the proportion that say EU membership provides co-operation between Member States: Latvia (32%, -9 pp), Slovenia (29%, -6 pp), Greece (35%, -5 pp) and Malta (23%, -3 pp).

In 11 countries, there has been an increase since November-December 2021 in the proportion that say the EU contributes to their country’s economic growth. The largest increases are seen in Bulgaria (25%, +7 pp) and Greece (27%, +7 pp). Six countries show a decrease, most notably Latvia (30%, -11 pp) and the Netherlands (41%, -8 pp).

The other large changes since November-December 2021 are that respondents in Malta are more likely to say that people have a significant influence in decisions made at EU level (20%, +11 pp), while those in Latvia are much less likely to say that the EU brings people new work opportunities (27%, -20 pp).

Membership of the EU improves co-operation between (OUR COUNTRY) and the other countries of the EU The EU brings (NATIONALITY) people new work opportunities The EU contributes to economic growth in (OUR COUNTRY) The EU contributes to maintaining peace and strengthening security The EU improves (NATIONALITY) people's standard of living QA10ab Regardless of whether you think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited or not from being a member of the EU, which of the following are the main reasons why people think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited from being a member of the EU? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - The most mentioned answer by country)

From a socio-demographic point of view, results are generally consistent across the different groups. Two of the benefits show differences by education level and financial position: improved cooperation between Member States and the benefits of economic growth. These benefits are more likely to be mentioned by those who stayed longer in education and by those who never or rarely have difficulties paying bills. By contrast, the EU’s role in the fight against terrorism is mentioned more frequently by less educated respondents and those who have difficulties paying bills most of the time.

QA10ab Regardless of whether you think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited or not from being a member of the EU, which of the following are the main reasons why people think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited from being a member of the EU? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - EU)

The EU contributes to maintaining peace and strengthening security	The EU contributes to economic growth in (Our country)	Membership of the EU improves co-operation between (Our country) and the other countries of the EU	Membership of the EU improves co-operation between (Our country) and countries outside the EU	The EU gives (NATIONALITY) people a stronger say in the world	Th EU helps (Our country) in the fight against terrorism	The EU helps (Our country) to tackle climate change	The EU brings (NATIONALITY) people new work opportunities	Don't know
EU27	36	30	35	18	23	13	16	23	5
Education (End of)
15-	35	25	25	16	23	16	17	21	9
16-19	36	28	32	19	23	14	15	24	6
20+	38	34	43	19	23	12	15	22	3
Still studying	36	32	37	19	25	11	19	25	4
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	34	24	28	15	22	19	15	21	10
From time to time	35	25	32	19	26	14	17	23	6
Almost never / never	38	33	37	18	22	12	15	23	4

Respondents were also asked to think of reasons why their country may have not benefited from being a member of the EU, regardless of their own views on the subject. The main reasons why people think their country has not benefited from EU membership are that national citizens have very little influence on decisions made at EU level (34%, +4 percentage points since November/December 2021), and that issues that are important for their country are best dealt with at the national level (30%, +2 pp).

One in four say that the national government has very little influence on decisions made at EU level (25%, +3 pp), while one in five say that their country’s economy could do better outside the EU (20%, +4 pp) and that being a member of the EU undermines the control of their country’s external borders (20%, +1 pp).

These responses reflect a more general debate over whether policy decisions should be made at the EU or national level. In the Key Challenges of our Times report26 Key Challenges in our Times, Special Eurobarometer 526 https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2694 , the majority view was that various policy areas should be dealt with equally at the EU level and national level. For many policy areas, respondents were more likely to say the issue should be dealt with at the EU level than the national level; these included fighting terrorism, migration and refugees, the environment and climate change, security and defence policy and energy policy. The issues that citizens were more likely to be want dealt with at the national level rather than the EU level were health and employment and social protection.

Nov/Dec 2021 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct / Nov 2022 – Nov/Dec 2021 (NATIONALITY) people have very little influence on decisions made at EU level Issues that are important for (NATIONALITY) people are best dealt with at the national level (OUR COUNTRY)'s government has very little influence on decisions made at EU level (OUR COUNTRY)'s economy could do better if outside the EU Being a member of the EU undermines the control of (OUR COUNTRY)'s extemal borders The EU decreases (NATIONALITY) peopIe's standard of living Being a member of the EU makes (OUR COUNTRY) more vulnerable to the negative effects of globalisation The EU puts (NATIONALITY) people's jobs in danger (OUR COUNTRY)'s voice in the world is diluted by being a member of the EU Being a member of the EU puts (OUR COUNTRY) more at risk in terms of maintaining peace and security in (OUR COUNTRY) Being a member of the EU is bad for democracy in (OUR COUNTRY) You are generally against the EU (Spontaneous) Other (Spontaneous) Don't know QA11ab Still regardless of whether you think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited or not from being a member of the EU, which of the following are the main reasons why people think (OUR COUNTRY) has not benefited from being a member of the EU? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - EU27)

In 17 Member States, the most common (or joint most common) reason given as to why their country has not benefited from EU membership is that national citizens have very little influence on decisions made at the EU level. In 10 countries, the highest (or joint highest) ranked reason is that important issues are best dealt with at the national level.

In Italy, the reason given most frequently is that the national government has very little influence on decisions made at EU level, while the main reason in France is that the EU decreases the standard of living of national citizens.

QA11ab Still regardless of whether you think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited or not from being a member of the EU, which of the following are the main reasons why people think (OUR COUNTRY) has not benefited from being a member of the EU? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (%)

EU27	BE	BG	CZ	DK	DE	EE	IE	EL	ES	FR	HR	IT	CY	LV	LT	LU	HU	MT	NL	AT	PL	PT	RO	SI	SK	FI	SE
(NATIONALITY) people have very little influence on decisions made at EU level	34	30	39	44	52	37	44	31	41	31	25	38	29	46	45	32	32	36	26	51	34	28	20	37	41	32	48	55
Issues that are important for (NATIONALITY) people are best dealt with at the national level	30	30	35	43	39	32	26	32	41	24	19	37	28	27	17	25	34	37	33	53	31	30	32	26	21	36	45	54
(OUR COUNTRY)’s government has very little influence on decisions made at EU level	25	27	33	35	31	17	26	23	40	17	14	34	33	36	28	26	22	32	27	32	22	27	19	35	32	29	31	32
(OUR COUNTRY)’s economy could do better if outside the EU	20	14	14	26	23	25	13	11	26	16	18	21	20	22	14	5	12	14	21	25	27	14	16	16	9	16	21	32
Being a member of the EU undermines the control of (OUR COUNTRY)’s external borders	20	24	14	16	28	28	6	20	14	12	20	21	20	16	5	9	15	18	26	23	29	16	20	14	16	27	7	20
The EU decreases (NATIONALITY) people’s standard of living	17	21	17	14	8	20	11	8	21	10	34	17	14	18	8	8	9	9	13	12	20	8	10	14	13	14	8	7
Being a member of the EU makes (OUR COUNTRY) more vulnerable to the negative effects of globalisation	17	16	19	16	15	15	14	16	23	16	15	21	20	23	11	14	16	22	25	20	22	18	22	18	19	19	18	17
The EU puts (NATIONALITY) people’s jobs in danger	17	22	12	12	9	17	16	13	21	13	27	23	16	34	15	11	13	13	22	19	23	11	11	16	9	16	6	17
(OUR COUNTRY)’s voice in the world is diluted by being a member of the EU	14	19	16	9	15	10	13	20	13	15	15	9	17	5	8	8	20	14	18	9	15	17	13	15	9	16	6	3
Being a member of the EU puts (OUR COUNTRY) more at risk in terms of maintaining peace and security in (OUr COUNTRY)	11	16	15	7	9	12	9	12	9	7	8	15	12	7	5	6	16	14	19	8	22	10	19	16	8	16	3	8
Being a member of the EU is bad for democracy in (OUR COUNTRY)	7	8	5	7	12	6	7	8	7	6	5	12	10	5	6	3	5	10	14	8	13	10	6	10	5	8	6	7
Don’t know	11	7	12	5	5	7	16	18	4	15	16	1	11	3	18	24	12	8	12	1	4	17	19	7	11	6	11	3

Once again, it is useful to make a comparison of reasons why one’s country might not have benefitted from EU membership, between those who believe that their country has benefitted and those who believe it hasn’t.

Among those who think their country has benefited, the main three reasons are that national citizens have very little influence on decisions made at EU level (34%), issues that are important for national citizens are best dealt with at the national level (32%) and the governments of Member States have very little influence on decisions made at EU level (26%).

For those who think their country has not benefited, the main reasons fall into two groups: On the one hand, there are the reasons on the lack of influence for people (34%) and national governments (25%) in EU decisions. In the second group, a common view is that the EU decreases national citizens’ standard of living (29%), the national economy could do better if outside the EU (27%) and issues important to national citizens are best dealt with at the national level (26%).

Moving to the country analysis, we see that in the EU as a whole, the main reason why people think their country has not benefited from EU membership is that national citizens have very little influence on decisions made at EU level. More than half of respondents in Sweden (55%), Denmark (52%) and the Netherlands (51%) mention this, but no more than a quarter in Portugal (20%) and France (25%).

More than half of respondents in Sweden (54%) and the Netherlands (53%) say that important issues are best dealt with at the national level, and this is also mentioned by a large proportion in Finland (45%), Czechia (43%) and Greece (41%).

Respondents in Greece (40%), Cyprus (36%), Czechia and Romania (both 35%) are the most likely to say that the national government has very little influence on decisions made at EU level.

The view that their country’s economy could do better outside of the EU is given by a relatively large proportion in Sweden (32%), while respondents in Austria (29%) are the most likely to say that being a member of the EU undermines the control of their country’s external borders.

(NATIONALITY) people have very little influence on decisions made at EU level The EU decreases (NATIONALITY) people's standard of living Issues that are important for (NATIONALITY) people are best dealt with at the national level OUR COUNTRY)'s government has very little influence on decisions made at EU level QA11ab Still regardless of whether you think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited or not from being a member of the EU, which of the following are the main reasons why people think (OUR COUNTRY) has not benefited from being a member of the EU? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - The most mentioned answer by country)

At the country level, there have been some changes since November-December 2021 in the proportions mentioning various reasons for EU membership not being a benefit to their country.

The proportion that say national citizens have very little influence on decisions made at EU level has increased in 13 Member States, most notably in Cyprus (46%, +11 pp) and Spain (31%, +10 pp). It has decreased in seven countries, with the largest decreases found in Latvia (45%, -22 pp) and Malta (26%, -9 pp).

The proportion that say important issues are best dealt with at the national level has increased in 15 countries. The largest increases are seen in Croatia (37%, +10 pp), Czechia (43%, +9 pp) and Hungary (37%, +8 pp). The largest decrease can be seen in Slovenia (21%, -7 pp).

Respondents are more likely to say that the national government has very little influence on decisions made at EU level in Bulgaria (33%, +8 pp), Spain (28%, +8 pp) and Hungary (32%, +7 pp), while the proportion has decreased markedly in Latvia (28%, -19 pp).

There are some other large changes on individual items. Respondents are more likely to say being a member of the EU puts their country more at risk in terms of maintaining peace and security in Luxembourg (16%, +11 pp) and Portugal (19%, +10 pp). There is an increase in Malta in the proportion that say that their country’s economy could do better outside of the EU (21%, +10 pp). Finally, there has been a decrease in Latvia in the proportion that say being a member of the EU makes their country more vulnerable to the negative effects of globalisation (11%, -11 pp).

In the socio-demographic analysis, findings are very consistent across the different groups.

There are some differences by level of education: more highly educated respondents are more likely to say that national citizens have very little influence on decisions made at EU level (36% of those who left education at the age of 20 or above vs. 30% of those who left by the age of 15) and that issues that are important for their country are best dealt with at the national level (34% vs. 26%). In addition, people that have difficulties paying bills most of the time are more likely to say that the EU decreases people’s standard of living (27% vs. 15% of those who never or rarely have difficulties).

Q11ab Still regardless of whether you think (OUR COUNTRY) has benefited or not from being a member of the EU, which of the following are the main reasons why people think (OUR COUNTRY) has not benefited from being a member of the EU? Firstly? And then? (Max. 3 answers) (% - EU)

Being a member of the EU puts (OUR COUNTRY) more at risk in terms of maintaining peace and security in (OUR COUNTRY)	(OUR COUNTRY)'s economy could do better if outside the EU	Issues that are important for (NATIONALITY) people are best dealt with at the national level	Being a member of the EU undermines the control of (OUR COUNTRY)'s external borders	(NATIONALITY) people have very little influence on decisions made at EU level	(OUR COUNTRY)'s government has very little influence on decisions made at EU level	The EU decreases (NATIONALITY) people's standard of living	Don't know
EU27	11	20	30	20	34	25	17	11
Education (End of)
15-	10	20	26	20	30	25	16	14
16-19	13	20	29	21	33	26	19	10
20+	9	19	34	19	36	25	15	10
Still studying	12	20	29	20	32	23	13	13
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	12	23	29	17	31	26	27	9
From time to time	13	20	28	21	33	26	18	10
Almost never / never	10	19	32	20	35	25	15	11

V. HEATING UP: CITIZENS’ INTEREST IN THE EU AND THE NEXT EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

This final chapter of the report discusses citizens’ interest and participation in European democratic processes. It starts by gauging citizens’ views on democracy in the EU, and their views on whether their voice counts. Overall, citizens remain positive towards the way democracy is working in the EU, even though there is uncertainty as to whether ‘my voice counts in the EU and my country’. The chapter then focuses on citizens’ interest in European politics and the extent to which they get information about and follow politics in the EU.

The focus then shifts on to the 2024 European Parliament elections, exploring citizens’ knowledge, interest and voting likelihood. It is encouraging that already more than half of EU citizens say they are interested in the next European elections, and two-thirds say they are likely to vote.

5.1 Interest in EU affairs

As seen in the previous chapter, democracy is seen as the most important value for the European Parliament to defend. In this context, it is reassuring that an absolute majority of citizens continue to be satisfied with democracy in the EU and in their own country, although overall satisfaction with the way democracy works in the EU and nationally has decreased since April-May 2022. Almost six in ten citizens (54%) say they are satisfied with the way democracy works in the EU (-5 percentage points), while 40% (+4 pp) are not satisfied. With regards to the national level, just under six in ten respondents (56%, -4 pp) are satisfied with the way democracy works at a national level, while more than four in ten (42%, +4 pp) say they are not satisfied.

Total “Satisfied” – Our country Total “Satisfied” – The EU Total “Not Satisfied” – Our country Total “Not Satisfied” – The EU Don’t know – Our country Don’t know –The EU SD18ab On the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way democracy works in (OUR COUNTRY)? And how about the way democracy works in the EU? (% - EU)

As has been seen on other issues, the negative shift since April-May 2022 has reversed the increase seen in the previous six months, so that ratings for both the EU and national level are now similar to a year ago when 53% of citizens were satisfied with democracy in the EU and nearly six in ten (57%) were satisfied with democracy in their country.

In all but four countries, the majority of respondents are satisfied with the way democracy is working in the EU, with the highest proportions seen in Ireland, Denmark (both 78%), Luxembourg (76%), Malta (72%) and Portugal (70%). In three Member States, dissatisfaction is the majority view: Greece (61% dissatisfied), Slovakia and Cyprus (both 52%). In France, there are equal proportions that are satisfied and dissatisfied (both 45%). Malta has a very high proportion that are ‘very satisfied’ (38%), whereas Greece is the only country where at least one in five are ’not at all satisfied’ (26%).

As has been seen on other issues, the negative shift since April-May 2022 has reversed the increase seen in the previous six months, so that ratings for both the EU and national level are now similar to a year ago when 53% of citizens were satisfied with democracy in the EU and nearly six in ten (57%) were satisfied with democracy in their country.

In all but four countries, the majority of respondents are satisfied with the way democracy is working in the EU, with the highest proportions seen in Ireland, Denmark (both 78%), Luxembourg (76%), Malta (72%) and Portugal (70%). In three Member States, dissatisfaction is the majority view: Greece (61% dissatisfied), Slovakia and Cyprus (both 52%). In France, there are equal proportions that are satisfied and dissatisfied (both 45%). Malta has a very high proportion that are ‘very satisfied’ (38%), whereas Greece is the only country where at least one in five are ’not at all satisfied’ (26%).

Total “Satisfied” Total “Not satisfied” Don’t know SD18b And how about the way democracy works in the EU? (%)

Satisfaction with the way democracy works at a national level varies widely across the EU. Satisfaction is the majority view in 17 countries, with the highest levels of satisfaction seen in Denmark (89%), Luxembourg (85%), Ireland (84%), Finland (83%) and Sweden (82%). In the remaining ten countries the majority are dissatisfied, with the highest levels of dissatisfaction in Slovakia (68%), Greece (65%), Bulgaria (63%), Croatia (60%) and Cyprus (59%). In Bulgaria (27%), Greece (26%) and Slovakia (20%) at least one in five are ’not at all satisfied’.

Satisfaction with the way democracy works nationally is highest in the northern regions of Europe and tends to be lower in eastern and southern areas.

Map Legend SD18a On the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way democracy works in (OUR COUNTRY)? (% - Total ‘Satisfied’) The socio-demographic analysis shows the same pattern for satisfaction with democracy at both national and EU levels, with 15-24 year-olds, those who stayed in education the longest, students and managers and those with fewer financial difficulties the most likely to be satisfied. For example, 60% of those with the least financial difficulties are satisfied with the way democracy works in the EU, compared with 32% who experience the most difficulties.

The same pattern can be seen with those who have a positive image of the EU or of the European Parliament, both at the country and EU level. For example, 82% of respondents with a positive image of the European Parliament say they are satisfied with the way democracy works in the EU, compared with 18% with a negative image of it.

In addition, those who are satisfied with the way democracy is working at one level are more likely to be satisfied at the way it is working at the other level. For example, 84% who are satisfied with the way democracy is working in their country are also satisfied at the EU level, while 77% of those who are not satisfied at the country level are also dissatisfied at the EU level.

SD18 On the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way democracy works in...? (%-EU)

Our country	The EU
Total “Satisfied”	Total “Not satisfied”	Total “Satisfied”	Total “Not satisfied”
EU 27	56	42	54	40
Gender
Man	58	41	55	41
Woman	54	43	52	41
Age
15-24	62	33	62	28
25-39	56	43	56	40
40-54	52	46	52	44
55+	56	42	52	42
Education (End of)
15-	49	48	43	48
16-19	52	46	50	45
20+	62	37	61	35
Still studying	63	32	65	27
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	54	44	53	43
Managers	67	32	66	32
Other white collars	57	42	59	37
Manual workers	50	48	49	47
House persons	48	48	42	47
Unemployed	45	54	46	48
Retired	57	41	50	42
Students	63	32	65	27
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	32	66	32	61
From time to time	51	47	49	45
Almost never / never	62	36	60	35
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	84	16	100
Not satisfied	22	77	100
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	74	25	82	16
Neutral	53	44	48	44
Negative	28	71	18	78

The proportion of citizens who agree that their voice counts in the EU has decreased since April-May 2022 (47%, -6 percentage points). This means that agreement is no longer the majority opinion, with results returning to the levels seen during 2020 and 2021, following a positive shift (+10 pp) between November-December 2021 and April-May 2022. The proportion that disagrees has increased since April-May 2022 and is now at 49% (+6 pp).

Total “Agree” Total “Disagree” Don’t know D72.1 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? My voice counts in the EU (% - EU)

In 12 Member States a majority of respondents agree their voice counts in the EU, with the highest levels seen in Sweden (80%), Denmark (78%), Malta (71%) and the Netherlands (68%). In the remaining 15 countries a majority disagrees, with the highest levels of disagreement seen in Estonia (79%), Cyprus (74%) and Greece (73%).

The proportion that agrees that their voice counts in the EU has increased in just three Member States: Sweden (80%, +6 percentage points), the Netherlands (68%, +6 pp) and Malta (71%, +3 pp). Agreement has declined in 16 Member States, with decreases of at least 10 percentage points in Spain (38%, -11 pp), France (41%, -11 pp) and Cyprus (23%, -10 pp). Agreement has remained stable in the other eight countries.

Oct / Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 D72.1 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? My voice counts in the EU (% - Total ‘Agree’)

Echoing the decrease seen at EU level, the proportion who agree that their voice counts in their country has fallen by five percentage points to 60%. The proportion who disagrees has increased by four points to 37%. These changes reverse the positive shift between November-December 2021 and April-May 2022, so that the results are now identical to those seen a year ago.

Total “Agree” Total “Disagree” Don’t know D72.2 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? My voice counts in (OUR COUNTRY) (% - EU)

In 18 Member States the majority agree their voice counts in their country, with this view held by at least eight in ten in Sweden (97%), Denmark (93%), Finland (85%), the Netherlands (84%) and Malta (81%). In the remaining nine countries the majority do not think their voice counts, with the highest levels in Greece (68%), Lithuania (66%) and Cyprus (63%).

Compared with April-May 2022, respondents in 16 countries are now less likely to agree their voice counts in their country, with the largest decreases seen in Lithuania (29%, -11 percentage points), Romania (41%, -10 pp), France (61%, -9 pp) and Portugal (56%, -9 pp). Agreement has increased in four Member States: Bulgaria (55%, +3 pp), Latvia (46%, +3 pp), Finland (85%, +3 pp) and Sweden (97%, +3 pp). Agreement has remained stable in the other seven countries.

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 D72.2 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? My voice counts in (OUR COUNTRY) (% - EU) The socio-demographic analysis shows that the most variation occurs by education and financial situation. The longer a respondent remained in education, the more likely they are to agree that their voice counts in the EU, with agreement ranging from 55% among those who completed education aged 20 or above to 35% among those who completed education aged 15 or younger.

The analysis shows that amongst socio-professional groups, managers are the most likely to agree that their voice counts in the EU (59%), particularly compared with housepersons (34%) and unemployed respondents (36%).

The fewer financial difficulties a respondent experiences, the more likely they are to agree that their voice counts in the EU. Of those that rarely or never have difficulties, 53% agree, while this proportion is much lower (27%) among those who have difficulties most of the time.

Respondents who follow EU politics are more likely to agree that their voice counts in the EU (57% vs. 35% of those that do not follow EU politics).

D72.1 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? My voice counts in the EU (% - EU)

Total “Agree”	Total “Disagree”
EU27	47	49
Education (End of)
15-	35	60
16-19	45	51
20+	55	42
Still studying	50	43
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	46	51
Managers	59	38
Other white collars	51	46
Manual workers	44	S2
House persons	34	62
Unemployed	36	58
Retired	46	49
Students	50	43
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	27	68
From time to time	42	54
Almost never / never	53	43
Follow European politics
Follow	57	41
Not follow	35	59

In the socio-demographic analysis, respondents who completed education aged 20 or above are more likely to agree that their voice counts in their own country (68%), compared with those who completed education aged 15 or younger (47%). Amongst socio-professional groups, managers are the most likely to agree (75%), while housepersons and unemployed respondents are least likely to agree (both 46%).

The fewer financial difficulties a respondent experiences, the more likely they are to agree that their voice counts in their country. Among those that rarely or never have difficulties, 68% agree, while agreement is 36% among those who have difficulties most of the time.

Respondents who follow EU politics are more likely to agree that their voice counts in their country (69% vs. 49% of those that do not follow EU politics).

There is considerable overlap between the two questions. Respondents who agree that their voice counts in the EU mostly agree (in 93% of cases) that their voice also counts in their own country.

D72.2 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? My voice counts in (OUR COUNTRY) (% - EU)

Total “Agree”	Total “Disagree”
EU27	60	37
Education (End of)
15-	47	50
16-19	59	39
20+	68	30
Still studying	59	35
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	57	41
Managers	75	23
Other white collars	62	37
Manual workers	55	42
House persons	46	52
Unemployed	46	49
Retired	63	34
Students	59	35
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	36	61
From time to time	52	45
Almost never / never	68	30
My voice counts in the EU
Total Agree	93	7
Total Disagree	30	69
Follow European politics
Follow	69	30
Not follow	49	47

Engagement with EU politics has declined in the past six months, with 56% of citizens (-10 percentage points since April-May 2022) saying they follow what is going on in EU politics. Around one in six (16%, -5 pp) say they follow what is going on most of the time, and 40% (-5 pp) do so from time to time. Around one in four (27%, +5 pp) say they rarely follow what is going on in EU politics, and 17% (+5 pp) never or almost never do so. While these findings represent a decline since April-May 2022, this follows an increase between November 2021 and April-May 2022, so that results are now similar to what they were a year ago.

In 19 Member States, the majority of respondents follow EU politics, with the highest proportions found in Luxembourg (76%), the Netherlands (69%), Germany (68%), Sweden and Finland (both 64%). In Lithuania, equal proportions ‘follow’ and ‘do not follow’ EU politics (both 50%), while there are seven countries where only a minority of citizens follow EU politics. The lowest proportions that follow EU politics are seen in Bulgaria, Slovenia (both 40%), Slovakia (44%) and Estonia (45%).

More than a quarter of the respondents in Malta (35%), Luxembourg (27%) and Germany (26%) follow EU politics ‘most of the time’, compared with 6% in Bulgaria and 7% in each of Slovenia, Lithuania and Romania.

In 21 EU Member States, respondents are now less likely to follow EU politics most of the time than half a year ago, and in seven countries the decrease is greater than ten percentage points: Poland (52%, -20 pp), Bulgaria (40%, -18 pp), Germany (68%, -16 pp), Estonia (45%, -15 pp), Spain (48%, -14 pp), Lithuania (50%, -12 pp) and Slovenia (40%, -12 pp). There have been small increases in Luxembourg (76%, +3 pp) and Romania (53%, +3 pp). Results have remained stable in the other four Member States.

(Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022) Rarely 27 (+5) Never or almost never 17 (+5) Don’t know 0 (=) Most of the time 16 (-5) From time to time 40 (-5) QA2 Some people follow what’s going on in European Union politics, whether there’s an election going on or not. Others aren’t that interested. Would you say you follow what’s going on in European Union politics? (% - EU27) The socio-demographic analysis focuses on those who follow EU politics most of the time or from time to time. It shows that men are more likely than women to follow EU politics (61% vs 52%). It also shows that people are more likely to follow EU politics as they get older, the proportion rising from 42% among 15-24 year olds to 61% among those aged 55+.

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 QA2 Some people follow what’s going on in European Union politics, whether there’s an election going on or not. Others aren’t that interested. Would you say you follow what’s going on in European Union politics? (% - Total ‘Follow’)

The longer a respondent remained in education, the more likely they are to follow EU politics. The proportion is 68% among those who stayed in education until age 20+, compared with 45% among those who finished aged 15 or younger. There are also large differences between socio-professional groups, the proportion that follow EU politics ranging from 70% among managers to 38% among housepersons.

Those who experience few financial difficulties (61%) are much more likely to follow EU politics than those who experience difficulties most of the time (44%).

Respondents with a positive image of the EU or the European Parliament are more likely to follow what is going on in EU politics (68% and 74% respectively). However, there is little or no difference in the proportion that follow EU politics, when comparing those whose image of the EU or the European Parliament is neutral (47% in each case) and those whose image is negative (46% with a negative image of the EU and 49% of those with a negative image of the European Parliament).

QA2 Some people follow what’s going on in European Union politics, whether there’s an election going on or not. Others aren’t that interested. Would you say you follow what’s going on in European Union politics? (% - EU)

Total “Follow”	Total “Not Follow”
EU 27	56	44
Gender
Man	61	39
Woman	52	48
Age
15-24	42	58
25-39	54	46
40-54	58	42
55+	61	39
Education (End of)
15-	45	55
16-19	54	46
20+	68	32
Still studying	48	52
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	66	34
Managers	70	30
Other white collars	60	40
Manual workers	49	51
House persons	38	62
Unemployed	44	55
Retired	61	39
Students	48	52
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	44	56
From time to time	53	47
Almost never / never	61	39
Image of the EU
Total “Positive”	68	32
Neutral	47	53
Total “Negative”	46	54
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	74	26
Neutral	47	53
Negative	49	51

Two-thirds of citizens discuss European politics with friends or relatives at least occasionally. Just over half say they occasionally discuss European political matters with friends and relatives (52%, -1 pp since April-May 2022), while 15% (-3 pp) say they frequently discuss European political matters. Around a third (33%, +4 pp) never discuss such matters.

The longer-term trend shows the proportion that frequently discuss European political matters with friends or relatives has remained at a relatively high level. The proportion who occasionally discuss such matters has remained relatively stable since 2020.

(Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022) Never 33 (+4) Don’t know 0 (=) Frequently 15 (-3) Occasionally 52 (-1) D71.2 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? European political matters (% - EU27) In 25 countries respondents most often say they occasionally discuss European political matters, with the highest proportions seen in Hungary (69%), Slovakia (65%) and Germany (62%). In Spain (56%) and France (54%) respondents most often say they never discuss European political matters.

In seven countries, at least one in five say they frequently discuss European political matters with friends and relatives, with the highest proportions in Malta (30%), the Netherlands (27%) and Greece (25%). By contrast, 7% in Slovenia and 9% in Portugal say the same.

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 D71.2 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? European political matters (% - Frequently)

The socio-demographic analysis shows that those who stayed in education until the age of 20 or above (21%) self-employed respondents (23%) and managers (22%) are most likely to frequently talk about European political matters with friends and relatives. Those who never talk about European political matters are most likely to be aged 15-24 (44%), those who completed education aged 15 or younger (48%), housepersons (50%), unemployed people (48%) and those who experience the most financial difficulties (44%).

D71.2 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? European political matters (% - EU27)

Frequently	Occasionally	Never
EU27	15	52	33
Age
15-24	12	44	44
25-39	16	53	31
40-54	15	54	30
55+	15	52	32
Education (End of)
15-	9	43	48
16-19	13	55	32
20+	21	54	25
Still studying	14	46	40
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	23	54	23
Managers	22	58	20
Other white collars	15	60	25
Manual workers	12	52	35
House persons	8	41	50
Unemployed	11	40	48
Retired	14	50	35
Students	14	46	40
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	14	42	44
From time to time	13	54	33
Almost never / never	16	53	31

Before exploring the results of this sub-section, it is worth noting that other recent surveys have shown that there are very high levels of awareness of the European Parliament and other European institutions. In the Standard Eurobarometer for example, around nine in ten citizens say they have heard of the European Parliament, and this has been consistent over time 27 Standard Eurobarometer 97, summer 2022 .

In this survey, more than six in ten EU citizens (64%, +1 pp since November-December 2021) say that they have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament, either from the Internet, television or radio.

(Oct/Nov 2022 – Nov/Dec 2021) No 36 (-1) Don’t know 0 (=) Yes 64 (+1) QA1 Have you recently read in the press, seen on the Internet or on television or heard on the radio something about the European Parliament? (% - EU27) There is some variation across the EU: in eight Member States, at least three-quarters of respondents say they have read, seen or heard something recently about the European Parliament, led by Luxembourg (80%), Estonia, Finland, Slovakia and Lithuania (all 79%). However, this is the case for less than half of respondents in France (37%) and Denmark (49%).

While there has been little change at the overall EU level since November-December 2021, there have been some substantial changes at the country level. Large increases can be seen in Hungary (77%, +16 pp), Luxembourg (80%, +15 pp), Cyprus (65%, +14 pp) and Bulgaria (53%, +10 pp). There have also been some large decreases in Malta (67%, -10 pp) and Poland (62%, -10 pp). Overall, 12 countries show an increase since November-December 2021, while five register a decrease.

Nov/Dec 2021 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Nov/Dec 2021 QA1 Have you recently read in the press, seen on the Internet or on television or heard on the radio something about the European Parliament? (% - Yes)

The socio-demographic findings indicate that men are more likely than women to say they have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament (68% compared with 59%), while the proportion increases with age, from 49% among 15-24 year olds to 67% among those aged 40-54 and 55+. More highly educated people are more likely to say they have read, seen or heard something recently (71% of those who finished their education at the age of 20 or above). The proportion is also higher among those who rarely or never have difficulties paying bills (67%), as well as managers (73%) and self-employed people (71%).

Respondents who have a positive image of the European Parliament (78%) are more likely to say they have read, seen or heard something recently than those who have a negative image (59%) or a neutral image (56%). This suggests that there is a relationship between the image people have and the amount that they read, see or hear about the European Parliament, although it is not clear how the two factors interact – i.e. whether receiving information leads to a stronger or more positive image, or whether people who hold a stronger image are more likely to look for information.

QA1 Have you recently read in the press, seen on the Internet or on television or heard on the radio something about the European Parliament? (% - EU)

Yes	No
EU 27	64	36
Gender
Man	68	32
Woman	59	41
Age
15-24	49	51
25-39	61	39
40-54	67	33
55+	67	33
Education (End of)
15-	58	42
16-19	63	37
20+	71	29
Still studying	52	48
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	71	29
Managers	73	27
Other white collars	66	34
Manual workers	60	40
House persons	53	47
Unemployed	52	48
Retired	67	33
Students	52	48
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	54	46
From time to time	60	40
Almost never / never	67	33
Image of European Parliament
Positive	78	22
Neutral	56	44
Negative	59	41

5.2. European elections

The importance of voting in the European elections has decreased since April-May 2022, with less than half of citizens (46%) now placing high importance on voting (-13 percentage points). Around four in ten (39%, +8 pp) say voting in these elections is of medium importance, while 14% (+5 pp) say it is of low importance to them.

An analysis of the longer-term trends shows that the current figures are in line with results prior to the last European Parliament elections. At an equivalent timeframe (around 18 months before the elections), 42% placed high importance on voting in September-October 2017, rising to 49% in April 2018 (a year before the last elections). This indicates that the current result (46% with high importance) is consistent with previous results, and that the figure for April-May 2022 (59%) was usually high.

Oct/Nov 2022 Apr/May 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 Total “High importance” (8-10 Total “Medium importance” (4-7) Total “Low importance” (1-3) Don’t know QA22a Please tell how important or not it is for you personally to vote in the European elections? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, when 1 means that voting is something that has no importance at all for you, and 10 means that voting is something you consider essential or a key duty for you as a citizen. The remaining numbers indicate something in between these two positions. (% - EU27) In 15 Member States, the majority of respondents place high personal importance on voting in European elections, with the highest proportions seen in Denmark (71%), Sweden (68%), Ireland and the Netherlands (both 63%). In the other 12 Member States, the majority view is that voting in European elections is of medium importance. Respondents are most likely to say this in Slovakia (51%), Romania (49%), Italy and Croatia (both 47%).

Total “High importance” (8-10) Total “Medium importance” (4-7) Total “Low importance” (1-3) Don’t know QA22a Please tell how important or not it is for you personally to vote in the European elections? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, when 1 means that voting is something that has no importance at all for you, and 10 means that voting is something you consider essential or a key duty for you as a citizen. The remaining numbers indicate something in between these two positions. (%) In nine countries at least one in five respondents place low importance on voting in European elections, with the largest proportions seen in Czechia (31%), Estonia (29%) and Cyprus (25%).

The proportion of respondents across the EU who say voting in the European elections is important for them personally has decreased by 13 percentage points since April-May 2021. It has also decreased in every country except Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands, where it has remained stable. In fact, in 17 countries the decline has been at least ten percentage points, with the largest decreases seen in Slovenia (36%, -27 percentage points), Malta (43%, -25 pp) and France (40%, -61 pp).

As a result of these changes, medium (rather than high) importance has become the dominant opinion in 11 countries.

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 QA22a Please tell how important or not it is for you personally to vote in the European elections? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, when 1 means that voting is something that has no importance at all for you, and 10 means that voting is something you consider essential or a key duty for you as a citizen. The remaining numbers indicate something in between these two positions. (% - Total ‘High Importance’)

Two-thirds (67%) of respondents say it is of high importance for them personally to vote in national elections (-5 percentage points since April-May 2022). A quarter (25%, +3 pp) say this is of medium importance to them while 7% (+2 pp) say it is of low importance.

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 Total “High importance” (8-10) Total “Medium importance” (4-7) Total “Low importance” (1-3) Don’t know QA22b And how important or not is it for you to vote in the national elections in (OUR COUNTRY)? (% - EU27) The majority of respondents in each country say voting in national elections is of high importance to them, although proportions vary from 95% in Sweden, 91% in Denmark and 87% in the Netherlands to 49% in Belgium, and 50% in both Bulgaria and Romania. There are nine countries where at least one in ten say voting in these elections is of low importance to them, led by Cyprus, Belgium (both 13%), Bulgaria, Estonia and France (all 12%).

In every country, respondents are more likely to place high importance on voting in national elections than they are in EU elections, but the disparity varies considerably. The lowest variations are seen in Romania (national 50%, EU 41%), Belgium (national 49%, EU 38%), Hungary (national 65%, EU 52%), Ireland (national 77%, EU 63%) and Luxembourg (national 68%, EU 54%). The largest gaps are seen in Czechia (national 64%, EU 28%), Slovakia (national 58%, EU 26%), Latvia (national 70%, EU 39%) and Finland (national 81%, EU 50%).

Compared to April-May 2022, respondents are now more likely to place high importance on voting in national elections in Latvia (70%, +8 percentage points), the Netherlands (87%, +4 pp), Greece (74%, +3 pp) and Austria (68%, +3 pp). The proportion has declined in 17 countries, most notably Malta (64%, -17 pp), Bulgaria (50%, -13 pp), Slovenia (66%, -13 pp) and Belgium (49%, -12 pp). Results have remained stable in six countries.

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 QA22b And how important or not is it for you to vote in the national elections in (OUR COUNTRY)? (% - Total ‘High ‘Importance’)

The socio-demographic analysis shows that older respondents, those with the highest education levels, managers and those with the least financial difficulties are the most likely to give high importance to voting in EU and in national elections, with the largest differences related to education level and financial situation. For example, 52% of those with the least financial difficulties rate voting in European elections as of high importance, compared with 30% who experience the most financial difficulties.

Having a positive image of the EU or the European Parliament is connected to a high importance on voting. For example, those who have a positive image of the EU are more likely to rate voting in either type of election as of high importance to them. Furthermore, those who agree their voice counts in the EU are more likely to place high importance on voting in European elections than those who don’t think their voice counts (64% vs 30%).

QA22 Please tell how important or not it is for you personally to vote in the European elections? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, when 1 means that voting is something that has no importance at all for you, and 10 means that voting is something you consider essential or a key duty for you as a citizen. The remaining numbers indicate something in between these two positions. (%)

European elections	National elections
Total 'High importance' (8-10)	Total 'Medium importance' (4-7)	Total "Low importance' (1 -3)	Total 'High importance' (8-10)	Total 'Medium importance' (4-7)	Total 'Low importance' (1-3)
EU 27	46	39	14	67	25	7
Gender
Man	46	39	15	68	25	7
Woman	46	40	13	67	26	6
Age
15-24	42	43	13	59	31	8
25-39	45	40	14	66	27	7
40-54	45	40	15	65	26	8
55+	48	37	14	72	22	6
Education (End of)
15-	38	43	18	59	29	11
16-19	42	41	17	62	30	8
20+	55	34	11	78	17	5
Still studying	47	40	11	64	27	7
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	53	34	13	73	21	6
Managers	59	34	7	81	16	2
Other white collars	48	40	11	68	26	5
Manual workers	39	44	17	58	33	9
House persons	33	46	19	53	35	11
Unemployed	32	42	26	52	31	16
Retired	49	36	15	72	21	6
Students	47	40	11	64	27	7
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	30	42	27	50	33	16
From time to time	40	45	14	58	34	7
Almost never / never	52	35	12	74	20	6
Imager of the EU
Total “Positive”	64	31	5	80	16	3
Neutral	33	50	16	56	35	8
Total “Negative”	26	38	35	51	31	18
My voice counts in the EU
Total Agree	64	33	3	79	19	1
Total Disagree	30	45	24	56	31	12
Image of European Parliament
Positive	67	29	4	82	16	1
Neutral	36	48	15	61	32	6
Negative	31	37	32	56	29	15

Just over half of EU citizens (54%) say they are interested in the next European elections, to be held in May 2024. This includes 14% who say they are ‘very interested’ and 40% who are ‘somewhat interested’. More than four in ten (45%) say they are not very or not at all interested.

These findings are very similar to those observed in autumn 2017 (EB88.1), at an equivalent time before the last European elections in 2019.

(Oct/Nov 2022 – Sep/Oct 2017) Not very interested 30 (+4) Not at all interested 15 (-2) Don’t know 1 (-1) Very interested 14 (-3) Somewhat interested 40 (+2) QA21 The next European elections will be held in May 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - EU27) There is wide variation between Member States in the proportions that are interested in the next European elections. More than six in ten respondents say they are interested in Malta (71%), Ireland, the Netherlands (both 66%), Luxembourg, Sweden (both 64%) and Germany (61%). At the other extreme, less than four in ten respondents are interested in Czechia, Slovakia (both 27%), Estonia (37%) and France (39%).

Comparing the findings with those seen in autumn 2017, interest in the next European elections has increased in ten Member States, most notably Greece (56%, +14 percentage points), Croatia (56%, +9 pp) and Portugal (49%, +9 pp). Interest has declined in ten countries, with the largest decreases seen in Finland (53%, -14 pp), Estonia (37%, -13 pp) and the Netherlands (66%, -13 pp). Results are stable in the other seven Member States.

Sep/Oct 2017 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Sep/Oct 2017 QA21 The next European elections will be held in May 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - Total ‘Interested’)

The socio-demographic analysis shows large differences by education level and financial difficulties. Interest in the next European elections ranges from 63% among those who left education at the age of 20 or above, to 43% among those who left education by the age of 15.

More than half (57%) of those with the least financial difficulties say they are interested in the next European elections, compared with 36% who experience the most financial difficulties. Managers (68%) are more likely than those in other socio-professional categories to be interested.

Younger respondents are slightly less interested in the next European elections than older respondents (48% of 15-24 year olds vs. 53%-55% in older age groups).

Interest in the next European elections is higher among respondents whose image of the European Parliament is positive (79% vs. 33% of those whose image is negative), those who agree their voice counts in the EU (72% vs. 37% who disagree) and those who follow European politics (70% vs. 32% who do not). Seven in ten (71%) of those that voted in the last European elections say they are interested in the next ones, compared with 26% of those that did not vote last time.

QA21 The next European elections will be held in May 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - EU)

Total “Interested”	Total “Not interested”
EU27	54	45
Age
15-24	48	50
25-39	53	46
40-54	54	45
55+	55	44
Education (End of)
15-	43	56
16-19	51	48
20+	63	36
Still studying	53	45
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	61	39
Managers	68	32
Other white collars	57	42
Manual workers	47	52
House persons	41	58
Unemployed	42	57
Retired	54	45
Students	53	45
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	36	63
From time to time	51	48
Almost never / never	57	42
Imager of the EU
Total “Positive”	73	26
Neutral	41	58
Total “Negative”	27	72
My voice counts in the EU
Total Agree	72	27
Total Disagree	37	62
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	71	28
No	26	73
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	79	20
Neutral	44	55
Negative	33	67
Follow European politics
Follow	70	30
Not follow	32	66

Respondents were asked when they thought the next European Parliament elections would be held in their country. One in four citizens (25%) gave the correct answer of May 2024, while four in ten (41%) gave an incorrect answer, most commonly by giving the wrong month in 2024 (13%) or specifying a date in 2023 (11%). One in three respondents (34%) said that they did not know.

This year / Later this year / in 2022 1 Don’t know 34 Other / Another date 10 In three years / In 2025 6 Next year / in 2023/ any month in 2023 11 In May 2024 25 In two years / in 2024 / any month in 2024, except May 13 (Oct / Nov 2022) QA20 In your opinion, when will the next European Parliament elections be held here in (OUR COUNTRY)? (% - EU27) There is wide variation between Member States in the proportion of respondents that are able to identify correctly the timing of the next European Parliament elections. Respondents are most likely to know the correct answer in Malta (51%), Hungary (42%), Luxembourg and Belgium (both 39%). The lowest proportions giving the correct answer are seen in France (9%), Portugal (12%), Spain (13%) and Greece (15%).

A high proportion of respondents give an incorrect answer in Sweden (59%), Greece (57%), Croatia and the Netherlands (both 56%), while respondents are most likely to say they don’t know in Portugal (62%) and France (57%).

Total ‘Correct answer’ Total ‘Incorrect answer’ Don’t know QA20 In your opinion, when will the next European Parliament elections be held here in (OUR COUNTRY)? (%)

In the socio-demographic analysis, men are slightly more likely than women to identify correctly the timing of the next European Parliament elections (27% vs. 23%). Respondents aged 25-39 (29%) and 40-54 (27%) are more likely to give a correct answer than those aged 15-24 (21%) or 55+ (22%).

Those who completed education aged 20 or older (29%) are more likely to know the timing of the next European Parliament elections than those who left at the age of 16-19 (25%) or at the age of 15 or before (17%).

White collar workers (32%), managers (31%) and self-employed people (30%) are more likely to give a correct answer, particularly compared with housepersons (13%).

Knowledge of the timing of the next European Parliament elections is higher among respondents who voted in the last European Parliament elections (31% vs. 16% of those who did not vote), as well as those who intend to vote in the next elections (29% vs. 12% of those who do not intend to vote). Correct knowledge is also higher among those with a positive image of the European Parliament (32% vs. 22% of those with a neutral image and 19% with a negative image), as well as those who follow European politics (31% vs. 16% who do not).

QA20 In your opinion, when will the next European Parliament elections be held here in (OUR COUNTRY)? (% - EU)

Total ‘Correct answer’	Total ‘Incorrect answer’	Don’t know
EU 27	25	41	34
Gender
Man	27	42	31
Woman	23	40	37
Age
15-24	21	38	41
25-39	29	41	30
40-54	27	44	29
55+	22	41	37
Education (End of)
15-	17	39	44
16-19	25	42	33
20+	29	42	29
Still studying	22	38	40
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	30	42	28
Managers	31	41	28
Other white collars	32	42	26
Manual workers	26	44	30
House persons	13	41	46
Unemployed	17	37	46
Retired	20	41	39
Students	22	38	40
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	31	42	27
No	16	42	42
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	32	43	25
Neutral	22	40	38
Negative	19	45	36
Likelihood to vote in the next European Parliament elections
Likely	29	43	28
Not likely	12	37	51
Follow European politics
Follow	31	44	25
Not follow	16	38	46

The likelihood to vote in the next European elections has decreased slightly since April-May 2022, with 67% (-4 percentage points) of citizens saying they would be likely to vote in such elections if they were held next week. Just under one in five (18%, +4 pp) say they would be unlikely to vote, while 14% (+1 pp) are neutral28 Responses were given on a scale from 1 to 10, which is to say, on a ten-point scale where ‘’1’’ means ‘’not at all likely’’ and ‘’10’’ means ‘’very likely’’ and these results were grouped as follows : likely (7-10), neutral (5-6), not likely (1-4). . This slight decrease follows a large increase between November-December 2021 (58%) and April-May 2022 (71%).

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 Total “Likely” (7-10) Total “Neutral” (5-6) Total “Not Likely” (1-4) Not eligible to vote (Spontaneous) Prefer not to answer (Spontaneous) Don’t know QA28 If the next European Parliament elections were to be held next week, how likely would you be to vote in these elections? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where ‘1’ means “not at all likely” and ‘10’ means “very likely”. (% - EU27) The majority of respondents in each Member State say they would be likely to vote in European elections if they were held next week, although proportions vary from 85% in Sweden, 83% in the Netherlands and 82% in Denmark, to 49% in Estonia, 51% in Cyprus and 52% in Slovakia.

The largest shares of respondents who say they would not be likely to vote are seen in Cyprus (32%), Czechia, Estonia (both 31%) and France (30%).

In three countries, there has been an increase in the proportion that say they would be likely to vote in European elections if they were held next week: Greece (75%, +6 percentage points), Austria (68%, +4 pp) and Latvia (66%, +4 pp). The proportion has decreased in 19 Member States, with declines of more than 10 percentage points in Slovenia (56%, -14 pp), Estonia (49%, -12 pp), Cyprus (51%, -12 pp) and France (57%, -11 pp). Results have remained stable in the other five countries.

Apr/May 2022 Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 – Apr/May 2022 QA28 If the next European Parliament elections were to be held next week, how likely would you be to vote in these elections? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where ‘1’ means “not at all likely” and ‘10’ means “very likely”. (%-Total likely)

Age, education level and financial situation provide the main differences in the socio-demographic analysis. Those aged 15-24 years old are less likely to say they would vote in the European elections (55%), while those aged 55+ are the most likely to say they would vote (70%). Those who completed education aged 20 or older (78%) are much more likely to say they would vote than those who completed education at a younger age, and particularly those who completed aged 15 or younger (58%).

The analysis also shows the fewer financial difficulties a respondent experiences, the more likely they are to say they would vote. Specifically, 73% with the least difficulties say they are likely to vote, compared with 48% with the most difficulties. Managers (80%) are more likely to say they would vote than other socio-occupation groups, particularly housepersons (54%) and unemployed respondents (55%).

Respondents who talk about European political matters frequently (83%) are more likely to vote if the next European Parliament elections were held next week than those who talk about it occasionally (73%) or never (48%). Respondents who follow European politics are also more likely to say they would vote than those who do not (80% vs. 50%). In addition, citizens who think their voice counts in the EU (84%) are more likely to say they would vote than those who think it does not count (51%).

The image of the European Parliament is also influential: those with a positive image are more likely to say they would vote than those with a negative image (86% vs. 50%).

QA28 If the next European Parliament elections were to be held next week, how likely would you be to vote in these elections? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where ‘1’ means “not at all likely” and ‘10’ means “very likely”. (% - EU)

Total “Not Likely” (1-4)	Total “Neutral” (5–6)	Total “Likely” (7-10)
EU27	18	14	67
Age
15-24	22	16	55
25-39	19	16	65
40-54	18	14	68
55+	17	13	70
Education (End of)
15-	26	16	58
16-19	20	16	64
20+	12	10	78
Still studying	18	14	59
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	16	10	74
Managers	9	11	80
Other white collars	15	14	71
Manual workers	22	18	60
House persons	28	17	54
Unemployed	31	14	55
Retired	19	11	69
Students	18	14	59
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	34	17	48
From time to time	20	18	60
Almost never / never	15	11	73
Talk about European political matters
Frequently	9	8	83
Occasionally	13	14	73
Never	32	17	48
My voice counts in the EU
Total Agree	6	10	84
Total Disagree	30	18	51
Image of European Parliament
Positive	5	8	86
Neutral	21	18	59
Negative	35	15	50
Follow European politics
Follow	9	11	80
Not follow	30	18	50

CONCLUSIONS

Results from the current Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer survey show that the rising cost of living is a major preoccupation for European citizens, and many have already seen a reduction in their living standards.

Alongside the rising cost of living, Europeans are also worried about poverty and social exclusion, climate change and the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries. Only a third of citizens are confident that life will continue unchanged as a result of the war in Ukraine and its consequences.

In spite of these worries and challenges, there is widespread approval of the EU’s support for Ukraine and the concrete measures it has taken so far. The majority are satisfied with the cooperation between EU Member States in addressing the consequences of the war.

More generally, citizens continue to hold a positive image of the EU. More than six in ten Europeans see EU membership as a good thing, two-thirds say that their country’s membership of the EU is important, and the majority are optimistic regarding the EU’s future. The EU’s contribution to peace and stability is seen as its main benefit, and this has increased in importance in the last year.

The positive image of the European Parliament has also been sustained, with twice as many citizens having a positive view than holding a negative image. There is also widespread support for the European Parliament to have a more prominent role. In particular, citizens want the European Parliament to continue to protect values such as democracy, human rights and freedom of speech and thought. Europeans see the political priorities for the European Parliament as the fight against poverty and social exclusion, public health, action against climate change and support to the economy and the creation of new jobs.

Approaching the 2024 European Parliament elections, it is important to monitor public perceptions of participation and engagement. There are encouraging levels of interest in and engagement with the 2024 European Parliament elections, and these are on a par with those seen at the equivalent time before the 2019 elections. Although only a quarter of citizens can say correctly when the next European elections will take place, over half say they are interested in the next European elections, and around two-thirds said they would be likely to vote ‘if the European elections were held next week’.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Between the 12th October and 7th November 2022, Kantar Public carried out wave 98.1 of the Eurobarometer survey, at the request of the European Parliament, Directorate-General for Communication, “Public Opinion Monitoring” Unit, and the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication, “Media Monitoring and Eurobarometer Unit”

Wave 98.1 covers the population of the respective nationalities of the European Union Member States, resident in each of the 27 Member States and aged 15 years and over.

The basic sample design applied in all countries and territories is a stratified multi-stage, random (probability) one. In each country, the sample frame is first stratified by NUTS regions and within each region by a measure of urbanity (DEGURBA). The number of sample points selected in each strata reflects the stratum population 15+. At the second stage sampling points were drawn with probability proportional to their 0+ population size from within each stratum.

The samples thus represent the whole territory of the countries surveyed according to the EUROSTAT NUTS II (or equivalent) and according to the distribution of the resident population of the respective nationalities in terms of metropolitan, urban and rural areas.

In each of the selected sampling points, a starting coordinate was drawn at random, and a reverse geo-coding tool used to identify the closest address to the coordinate. This address was the starting address for the random walk. Further addresses (every Nth address) were selected by standard “random route” procedures, from the initial address. In each household, the respondent was drawn, at random. The approach to the random selection was conditional on the household size. By way of example for households with two 15+ members the script was used to select either the informant (person responding to the screener questionnaire) or the other eligible member in the household. For households with three 15+ members the script was used to select either the informant (1/3 of the time) or the 2 other eligible members in the household (2/3 of the time). Where the 2 other members were selected, the interviewer was then told to either ask for the youngest or oldest. The script would randomly assign the selection to youngest or oldest with equal probability. This process continues for four 15+ household members – randomly asking for the youngest, second youngest and oldest. For households with five 15+ members we revert to the last birthday rule. If no contact was made with anyone in the household, or if the respondent selected was not available (busy), the interviewer revisited the same household up to three additional times (four contact attempts in total). Interviewers never indicate that the survey is conducted on behalf of the European Parliament or the European Commission beforehand; they may give this information once the survey is completed, upon request.

The recruitment phase was slightly different in Finland and Sweden. In these countries, a sample of addresses within each sampling point were selected from the address or population register (in Finland, selection is not done in all sample points, but in some where response rates are expected to improve). The selection of addresses was done in a random manner. Households were then contacted by telephone and recruited to take part in the survey. In the Netherlands, a dual frame RDD sample (mobile and landline numbers) are used as there is no comprehensive population register with telephone numbers available. The selection of numbers on both frames is done in a random manner with each number getting an equal probability of selection. Unlike Sweden and Finland, the sample is un-clustered.

COUNTRIES	INSTITUTES	N INTERVIEWS	FlELDWORK DATES	POPULATION 15+	PROPORTION EU27
BE	Belgium	Mobiel Centre Market Research	1073	12/10/2022	01/11/2022	9619330	2.53 %
BG	Bulgaria	Kantar TNS BBSS	1033	12/10/2022	25/10/2022	5917534	1.56 %
CZ	Czechia	STEM/MARK	1003	12/10/2022	07/11/2022	8982036	2.36 %
DK	Denmark	Mantle Denmark (Kantar Public)	1003	12/10/2022	01/11/2022	4891261	1.29 %
DE	Germany	Kantar Deutschland	1500	12/10/2022	31/10/2022	71677231	18.87 %
EE	Estonia	Kantar Eesti	1006	13/10/2022	31/10/2022	1111597	0.29 %
IE	Ireland	B and A Research	1006	13/10/2022	26/10/2022	4005909	1.05 %
EL	Greece	Kantar Greece	1009	12/10/2022	25/10/2022	9167896	2.41 %
ES	Spain	TNS Investigacion de Mercados y Opinion	1018	13/10/2022	25/10/2022	40639381	10.70 %
FR	France	ESP-Leaderfield	1002	12/10/2022	25/10/2022	55700114	14.66 %
HR	Croatia	Hendal	1007	12/10/2022	25/10/2022	3461468	0.91 %
1T	Italy	Testpoint Italia	1027	12/10/2022	21/10/2022	51599668	13.58 %
CY	Rep. Of Cyprus	CYMAR Market Research	505	12/10/2022	16/06/2022	752304	0.20%
LV	Latvia	Kantar TNS Latvia	1031	12/10/2022	26/10/2022	1590245	0.42 %
LT	Lithuania	Norstat LT	1002	12/10/2022	31/10/2022	2373312	0.62 %
LU	Luxembourg	TNS llres	507	12/10/2022	26/10/2022	533335	0.14%
HU	Hungary	Kantar Hoffmann	1043	12/10/2022	25/10/2022	8313539	2.19 %
MT	Malta	MISCO Intematipnal	507	12/10/2022	03/11/2022	446788	0.12%
NL	Netherlands	Kantar Netherlands	1010	12/10/2022	27/10/2022	14763684	3.89 %
AT	Austria	Das Öterreichische Gallup Institut	1008	12/10/2022	25/10/2022	7647176	2.01 %
PL	Poland	Research Collective	1014	13/10/2022	25/10/2022	31982941	8.42 %
PT	Portugal	Marktest – Marketing, Organizaçao e Formaçao	1028	12/10/2022	27/10/2022	8915624	2.35 %
RO	Romania	Centrul Pentru Sudierea Opiniei si Pietei (CSOP)	1058	12/10/2022	25/10/2022	16174719	4.26 %
SI	Slovenia	Mediana DOO	1002	12/10/2022	02/11/2022	1791246	0.47 %
SK	Slovakia	MNFORCE	1004	12/10/2022	25/10/2022	4591487	1.21 %
Fl	Finland	Taloustutkimus Oy	1006	12/10/2022	31/10/2022	4672932	1.23 %
SE	Sweden	Mantle Sweden (Kantar Public)	1019	12/10/2022	01/11/2022	8541497	2.25 %
TOTAL EU27	26431	12/10/2022	07/11/2022	379864254	100,00%
* It should be noted that the total percentage shown in this table may exceed 100% due to rounding

Interviewing mode per country

Interviews were conducted through face-to-face interviews, either physically in people’s homes or through remote video interaction in the appropriate national language Interviews with remote video interaction (“online face-to-face” or CAVI, Computer Assisted Video Interviewing, were conducted only in Czechia and Denmark.)For each country a comparison between the responding sample and the universe (i.e. the overall population in the country) is carried out. Weights are used to match the responding sample to the universe on gender by age, region and degree of urbanisation. For European estimates (i.e. EU average), an adjustment is made to the individual country weights, weighting them up or down to reflect their 15+ population as a proportion of the EU 15+ population.

Response rates

The response rates are calculated by dividing the total number of complete interviews with the number of all the addresses visited, apart from ones that are not eligible but including those where eligibility is unknown. For wave 98.1 of the EUROBAROMETER survey, the response rates for the EU27 countries, calculated by Kantar Public, are:

Margins of error

Readers are reminded that survey results are estimations, the accuracy of which, everything being equal, rests upon the sample size and upon the observed percentage. With samples of about 1,000 interviews, the real percentages vary within the following confidence limits:

Statistical Margins due to the sampling process
(at the 95% level of confidence)
various sample sizes are in rows	various observed results are in columns
5,00 %	10,00 %	15,00 %	20,00 %	25,00 %	30,00 %	35,00 %	40,00 %	45,00 %	50,00 %
95,00 %	90,00 %	85,00 %	80,00 %	75,00 %	70,00 %	65,00 %	60,00 %	55,00 %	50,00 %
N=50	6,0	8,3	9,9	11,1	12,0	12,7	13,2	13,6	13,8	13,9	N=50
N=500	1,9	2,6	3,1	3,5	3,8	4,0	4,2	4,3	4,4	4,4	N=500
N=1000	1,4	1,9	2,2	2,5	2,7	2,8	3,0	3,0	3,1	3,1	N=1000
N=1500	1,1	1,5	1,8	2,0	2,2	2,3	2,4	2,5	2,5	2,5	N=1500
N=2000	1,0	1,3	1,6	1,8	1,9	2,0	2,1	2,1	2,2	2,2	N=2000
N=3000	0,8	1,1	1,3	1,4	1,5	1,6	1,7	1,8	1,8	1,8	N=3000
N=4000	0,7	0,9	1,1	1,2	1,3	1,4	1,5	1,5	1,5	1,5	N=4000
N=5000	0,6	0,8	1,0	1,1	1,2	1,3	1,3	1,4	1,4	1,4	N=5000
N=6000	0,6	0,8	0,9	1,0	1,1	1,2	1,2	1,2	1,3	1,3	N=6000
N=7000	0,5	0,7	0,8	0,9	1,0	1,1	1,1	1,1	1,2	1,2	N=7000
N=7500	0,5	0,7	0,8	0,9	1,0	1,0	1,1	1,1	1,1	1,1	N=7500
N=8000	0,5	0,7	0,8	0,9	0,9	1,0	1,0	1,1	1,1	1,1	N=8000
N=9000	0,5	0,6	0,7	0,8	0,9	0,9	1,0	1,0	1,0	1,0	N=9000
N=10000	0,4	0,6	0,7	0,8	0,8	0,9	0,9	1,0	1,0	1,0	N=10000
N=11000	0,4	0,6	0,7	0,7	0,8	0,9	0,9	0,9	0,9	0,9	N=11000
N=12000	0,4	0,5	0,6	0,7	0,8	0,8	0,9	0,9	0,9	0,9	N=12000
N=13000	0,4	0,5	0,6	0,7	0,7	0,8	0,8	0,8	0,9	0,9	N=13000
N=14000	0,4	0,5	0,6	0,7	0,7	0,8	0,8	0,8	0,8	0,8	N=14000
N=15000	0,3	0,5	0,6	0,6	0,7	0,7	0,8	0,8	0,8	0,8	N=15000
5,00 %	10,00 %	15,00 %	20,00 %	25,00 %	30,00 %	35,00 %	40,00 %	45,00 %	50,00 %
95,00 %	90,00 %	85,00 %	80,00 %	75,00 %	70,00 %	65,00 %	60,00 %	55,00 %	50,00 %

The global polycrisis presents citizens with multiple, profound challenges. The European Parliament’s Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer Survey clearly spells them out and demonstrates the substantial impact of the cost-of-living crisis on daily life. Yet, despite these worries, support for the EU remains high. Across the European Union, citizens are calling on the European Parliament to defend democracy, protect human rights and the freedom of thought. They also want it to prioritise the fight against poverty and social exclusion, “public health”, “action against climate change” and “support to the economy”.

The survey was carried out by KANTAR PUBLIC in all 27 EU Member States from 12 October to 7 November 2022. 26 431 interviews were conducted primarily face-to-face and completed with video mode where necessary, with EU results weighted accordingly to the size of the population in each country.

For more information on the full survey, scan the QR-code:

A PUBLICATION OF THE PUBLIC OPINION MONITORING UNIT

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATION

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

dgcomm-pom@ep.europa.eu

europa.eu/eurobarometer

EB042EP

CATALOGUE NUMBER: QA-CE-22-009-EN-N

ISBN: 978-92-848-0015-5

ISSN: 2529-6973

DOI: 10.2861/732690

© European Union, 2022