SPRING 2023 | EB 99.1

DG COMM | PUBLIC OPINION MONITORING UNIT

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

EUROBAROMETER

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

ONE YEAR BEFORE THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

European 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 “Eurobarometer” 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

IMPRESSUM

The report has been drafted for the European Parliament by Kantar Public.

RESPONSIBLE

Philipp SCHULMEISTER, Head of Unit

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Gonzalo VELASCO MONASTERIO, Project Leader

Monika ALPOEGGER

Yasser EL KOURA

Antoine MOUNIER

Olaf ZÜHLKE

PRODUCTION

Katarzyna ONISZK

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Ana-Maria ZAMBORI

Manuscript completed in May 2023

Brussels, © European Union, 2023

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: dgcomm-pom@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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

10 KEY TAKE-AWAY	5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY	7

CONTEXT	11

METHODOLOGY	16

1. LIFE IN THE EU: DEMOCRACY AND THE STANDARD OF LIVING	17

1.1. The Russian aggression against Ukraine	39

1.2. Inflation and the rising cost of living	43

1.3. Citizens’ lives in a time of multiple crises	48

1.4. The state of democracy in the EU	72

2. A REVIEW OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S LEGISLATIVE TERM: FOUR YEARS IN	94

3. ONE YEAR BEFORE THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2024: CITIZENS IN FRONT OF THE BALLOT	123

3.1. European elections	123

3.2. A focus on youth	153

3.3. Voting behaviour	158

4. CITIZENS’ PERCEPTION OF THE EU AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT	176

4.1. Perception of the EU	176

4.2. Perception of the European Parliament and its role	209

CONCLUSION	223

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	224

Comments in freedom	230

10 KEY TAKE-AWAY

1 MOVING ON FROM THE “PERMACRISIS”

After years of permacrisis in the EU, citizens’ worsening perceptions of their personal economic prospects and expectations for their future living conditions may be coming to an end. A majority of respondents (52%) still expect their country’s economic situation to become worse over the next year, but this proportion has fallen by eight percentage points over the past six months.

2 HOPE, ACTUALLY

Hope is the emotion most frequently mentioned by EU citizens (37%), coming in first, or joint-first,, in eight EU Member States. However, uncertainty because of ongoing crises ranks second at 34% and also tops the list in eight EU Member States.

3 COST OF LIVING STILL HIGH

The cost-of-living crisis is still very much on the minds on many Europeans. 65% are not satisfied with the measures taken by their national government, 57% are dissatisfied with the measures taken by the EU.

4 THE FUTURE SHINES BRIGHT(ER)

Nevertheless, a majority in 25 EU Member States are optimistic regarding the future of the EU. Optimism has risen by seven percentage points since autumn 2022 and now stands at 64% overall at the EU level.

5 WE #STANDWITHUKRAINE

More than a year into Russia’s war against Ukraine, citizens across the EU continue to back the EU’s support to the latter: 76% approve these measures, an increase of two percentage points since autumn 2022. What’s more, support for Ukraine is the first EU action that citizens recall: 74% have heard of it, 36 percentage points more than the second most evoked EU action.

6 DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: THE EU DELIVERS

71% of Europeans would say that EU actions have an impact on their daily lives. The EU actions with which citizens are the most satisfied are support for Ukraine (69%), democratic rights and respect for rule of law (64%) as well as foreign policy (54%).

7 THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Democracy is the core value that citizens want the European Parliament to defend. With 37% mentioning this overall, it is also the leading value in 14 EU Member States. The majority of citizens are also satisfied with the way democracy works in the European Union (54%).

8 DEMOCRACY IS WHAT MAKES US

An absolute majority of EU citizens are also satisfied with seven of ten different aspects of democracy. Free and fair elections (70%), freedom of speech (70%), and respect for fundamental rights (66%) are the aspects that generate the most satisfaction.

9 IT’S A DATE (AND MORE CITIZENS ALREADY KNOW ABOUT IT)

Awareness that the European elections will take place in 2024 is increasing significantly to 45% of citizens - nine percentage points higher than six months ago and significantly higher than at a similar point in time before the last European elections in 2019, when awareness of the date was at 32%.

10 2024 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: COMING UP

Interest in the next European elections is at 56% among citizens, a full six percentage points higher than one year before the last European elections. What is more: two-thirds of citizens (67%) say they are likely to vote, when 58% said so in 2018.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Spring is a beautiful time all over the world. In Japan, millions of cherry blossom trees bloom, signifying vibrancy and a new beginning. In Alaska, grizzly bear cubs sleepily wake from hibernation to the crackling sound of melting snow. And each year in Europe, like flocks of migratory birds leaving their winter habitats, the interviewers for the European Parliament’s Spring Eurobarometer swarm out to discover what has changed over the cold season, and what has stayed the same. What could they expect to find this time around, in 2023?

Surely, the past three years had been challenging. The Collins Dictionary 2022 Word of the Year was “permacrisis”, indicating an extended period of instability and uncertainty. Yet, the responses of the 26,376 participants paint a surprisingly nuanced picture of resilience. Undoubtedly, current economic difficulties seriously affect Europeans. However, one year ahead of the European elections, the survey also shows that democracy is strongly rooted in citizens’ hearts. Europeans acknowledge the importance of the EU and look at it mainly in a positive way. Indeed, their outlook on the future is turning more and more hopeful.

LIFE, DEMOCRACY AND EUROPE

Nevertheless, the starting point of the diagnosis is sobering. Just about one quarter of the respondents (26%, + 2 percentage point since October-November 2022) think that things are going in the right direction in their own country, while a clear majority of 61% (-1 pp) say that the overall situation is heading in the wrong direction. At EU level, the result is more positive - close to one third (32%, +1 pp) of the respondents think that things are going in the right direction in the EU, but 47% (-4 pp) think the opposite. This feeling is strongest in France (61%) and Greece (62%).

This assessment revolves around the fact that these are times of personal hardship for the citizens of Europe. A decline in the standard of living is evident. Half of the respondents (50%) see their own standard of living in decline recently and expect it to decrease even further. Therefore, naturally, citizens want their leaders to react, and they expect the EU to take action. Yet, so far, a majority thinks that there is more to be done. Close to two thirds (65%, +1 pp) say they are not satisfied with the measures taken by their country to tackle the crisis, and 57% (+1 pp) are not satisfied with what the EU did in this field.

However, people have not lost faith in the democratic process. Democracy is regarded as being worth fighting for, and public attachment to democratic values is high. When asked for the values the EP should defend as a priority, democracy is the most frequently mentioned value by citizens (37%, +1 pp), followed by the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (28%, -1 pp) as well as freedom of speech and thought (27%, -1 pp).

What’s more, people appreciate the way democracy is implemented in Europe. 56% of citizens are satisfied with the way democracy works in their country, and 54% are satisfied with the way democracy works in the EU. This also applies to many of its core aspects: EU citizens are most satisfied with free and fair elections (70%), freedom of speech (70%) and the respect for fundamental rights (66%).

HERE COMES THE DELIVERY – WHAT EUROPE DID FOR YOU

So, democracy gets huge credit from citizens. In order to find out to what extent people took notice of European democracy in action, the Eurobarometer asked citizens about their level of awareness and satisfaction with EU policies and the output of the EP in particular. Did the European Parliament deliver results that people expected?

The level of awareness of the European Union’s action in recent years is generally high. A vast majority is aware of the impact the EU has on their daily lives: Around seven in ten (71%) share this opinion, including close to a fifth (18%) for whom the EU’s actions ‘very much’ have an impact. The role of the European Parliament in this context of delivering is recognised as well – 62% have recently read, seen or heard about the EP. There are, however, significant differences between countries, with values ranging from 85% media recall in Finland to just 39% in France.

Going into detail, one year into Russia’s invasion, the EU’s support for Ukraine stands out as the accomplishment that citizens are both most aware of by far: 74% have heard about the EU and the EP acting on it, with 69% satisfied with the actions taken. Satisfaction is highest in Sweden (97%), Finland (96%), the Netherlands and Portugal (both 95%). Respondents in Slovakia, Greece (both 51%) and Bulgaria (54%) are least likely to approve.

Other policy areas tend to be less visible. With some distance, migration and asylum (38%) and the EU Green Deal (37%) follow in the ranking of topics citizens have heard of. These topics are not only less known, but also enjoy less approval (43% and 47% satisfaction respectively). Satisfaction is higher in the areas of democratic rights / respect for the rule of law (64%) and foreign policy (54%).

ELECTIONS – THE CORNERSTONE OF DEMOCRACY

In the late spring of 2024, citizens will be called upon to place an order for a new delivery: the European elections. The Eurobarometer measured the importance of this event in the eyes of the voters. The importance citizens are giving to these elections has remained stable – but both interest in the European elections and the likelihood of voting have measurably increased, specifically compared to five years ago.

The proportion of respondents who are interested in the European elections is now higher than at a similar time prior to the previous one. In early 2018, 50% said they were interested, and 48% said they were not interested. In 2023, a clear majority of respondents (56%) are interested in the next European elections (including 15% who say they are ‘very interested’), while 43% say they are not interested. Interest is highest in the Netherlands (75%), while people in Czechia (27%) and Slovakia (26%) are not that intrigued.

Awareness of the date of the next European elections has also increased: 45% of the citizens know it will be held sometime next year. This is an increase of thirteen percentage points compared to the previous election (April 2018), and an increase of nine points since autumn 2022.

Regarding the significance of going to the ballot box, nearly half of citizens (48%, +2 pp since October-November 2022) place a high importance on voting in the European elections, while 38% (-1 pp) think voting in them is at least of medium importance. Only 13% (-1 pp) think that these elections do not matter much at all.

These figures are consistent with those recorded at an equivalent time before the last European elections. In April 2018 (i.e. around thirteen months before the elections), 49% placed a high importance on voting in those elections, while 17% regarded them as being of low importance.

High importance, awareness and interest translate into a high propensity to vote. Two- thirds (67%) of the citizens claim to be highly likely to vote in the European elections if they were held next week. Thus, in summary, election-related indicators are already at a higher level now than where they were at five years ago.

CONTEXT MATTERS – WHAT CITIZENS THINK ABOUT EUROPE

Elections are part of the overall political framework. Europeans’ general attitudes towards the European Union and the European Parliament have developed over an extended period. Indeed, positive views have largely increased over the past decade and did not change substantially in the past six months. A majority (45%, -2 pp) say the EU conjures up a positive image for them, while 17% (+3 pp) hold a negative image. One opinion is remarkably stable at a high level since around 2018: a clear majority (61%, -1 pp) think that their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing, while only around one in ten (11%, +1 pp) consider it to be negative. Slightly more than a quarter (27%, no change) think this is neither a good nor a bad thing.

As for the European Parliament, more than one third of the respondents (37%, +1 pp) hold a positive image of the European Parliament, while less than one in five (19%, +2 pp) hold a negative image. The majority of respondents (43%, -2 pp) express a neutral view.

When asked about the topics they would like to see addressed as a priority by the EP, the fight against poverty and social exclusion continues to top the ranking (38%, +1 pp). This is followed by public health (33%, -1 pp), action against climate change (31%, no change) and support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (31%, no change).

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Young respondents (aged 15-24) are of particular interest for the Eurobarometer, as their attitudes and opinions foreshadow future trends and developments. A few key findings:

● The ranking of values the European Parliament should defend as a matter of priority is similar to the one observed among all respondents. Democracy tops the list of values for both groups (32%; all respondents: 37%), but for young people, freedom of speech and thought is regarded equally important (32%; all respondents: 27%).

● The priorities the young would like to see addressed by the European Parliament differ slightly from those of the general population. While the fight against poverty and social exclusion still ranks on top (40%; all respondents: 38%), it is joined by action against climate change, which is significantly more likely to be mentioned by 15-24 year-olds than by the general population (40% vs 31%).

● 42% of the respondents aged 15-24 say it is of high importance for them personally to vote in the European elections - they are slightly less likely to say so than the average (48%).

● Making a change matters for the young. Asked for reasons to vote, it being a civic duty (35%; all respondents: 38%) and wanting to support a political party (35% vs 36%) are the top two reasons for both the young and the average. However, the desire to change things (33% vs 29%) follows in third place for young respondents.

THE FUTURE LIES AHEAD OF US – A FIRST WHIFF OF SPRING

The Spring 2023 Eurobarometer shows that citizens have an ambivalent picture regarding the state of the Union. They evaluate delivery by the EU and the European Parliament in times of crises with a critical eye, but also acknowledge success. They hold diverging images of the EU and EP, but have a high degree of faith in Europe’s democratic processes. Despite the crisis and the winter of malcontent just experienced, these opinions – for the most part – did not undergo large changes in the past six months. There is, however, a remarkable exception to this pattern. When people were specifically asked about future developments, the responses tended to be considerably brighter than half a year ago:

● Regarding the future of the EU, almost two-thirds (64%) say they are optimistic about the future of the EU, while only 32% say they are pessimistic. The proportion of those who are optimistic has increased by seven percentage points since the previous survey in autumn 2022.

● Regarding their own standard of living, the vast majority of respondents still expect a reduction over the next year (79%), but this figure is markedly less than half a year ago - it went down by six percentage points. Citizens are also more likely to indicate that they do not expect any change in their standard of living at all (19%, +5 pp).

● Regarding future economic development, a majority of respondents still expect a deterioration over the next year (52%), but this figure is significantly lower than half a year ago - it has gone down by eight percentage points.

So, despite of the difficult context, the trends might well indicate the first signs of a reversal - an attitudinal recovery that slowly but steadily turns into a more positive view on things to come.

There was one more item in the questionnaire that was noteworthy. It was not about opinions or attitudes, but about feelings. Respondents were presented with fourteen sentiments - positive and negative - and were asked which of them describes best their current emotional status. Of course, their choices reflect the ambiguity of the times, but the main response was: hopeful (37%).

Right now, Europeans are going through a period of difficulties. Yet, their hope for the future is sure to help them in their joint efforts to make “permacrisis” a word of the past.

CONTEXT

The fieldwork for the European Parliament’s Spring 2023 Eurobarometer survey was carried out by Kantar between 2 and 26 March 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

One year on from Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine, the war on European soil continued to play a central role in public debate, particularly as the world commemorated the first anniversary of the illegal aggression on 24 February 2023. Shortly before the conflict entered its second year, the UN General Assembly voted by a large majority in favour of a resolution urging Russia to withdraw from Ukraine “unconditionally and immediately” and to arrive at a “global, just and lasting peace.” 141 Member States voted in favour of this resolution and only seven against - Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria. Among the 32 abstentions were China, India and Pakistan.1 https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133847

From the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the EU has provided humanitarian, political, financial and military support to Ukraine. The EU agreed very rapidly on a series of sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion and ever since has remained decisive and united in its actions.2 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/eu-and-world/sanctions-restrictive-measures/sanctions-adopted-following-russias-military-aggression-against-ukraine_en On 25 February 2023, EU leaders agreed on the tenth package of sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including bans on exports of critical technology and industrial goods and imposing additional sanctions against individuals and entities, including key decision makers, military leaders, military commanders of the Wagner group and drone manufacturers.3 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/02/25/one-year-of-russia-s-full-scale-invasion-and-war-of-aggression-against-ukraine-eu-adopts-its-10th-package-of-economic-and-individual-sanctions/

As many Ukrainian cities continued to endure Russian missile attacks, and with particularly intense fighting over the city of Bakhmut, Ukraine stressed the urgent need to receive more weapons. Supply of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine has been a major topic in many EU Member States during the fieldwork period. The EU has been working on transfers of ammunition from existing national stocks, joint European procurements to cover military needs and a significant increase in production capacity to help Ukraine with arms deliveries, as well as to restore European reserves.

On 13 March, Russia agreed to extend the grain export deal from Ukraine via the Black Sea by 60 days following negotiations with the UN. At the same time the European Commission was contemplating, launching a crisis reserve for three countries neighbouring Ukraine: Poland, Bulgaria and Romania, suffering from pressure that Ukraine grain imports were exerting on the markets in these countries.

On 17 March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over ‘unlawful deportation’ of Ukrainian children to Russia.4 https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and On 20 March, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow for a three-day state visit, where he met with President Putin, becoming the first foreign leader to meet President Putin since he was indicted for war crimes by the ICC.

Back in March 2022, the EU had 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 to access to education and to the labour market. The EU is now home to about 4 million Ukrainians who fled the invasion and found shelter in the Member States.

In the aftermath of the Russian aggression both, Finland and Sweden, dropped their decades-long policies of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO in May 2022. While Finland moved closer to its aim to rapidly enter the trans-Atlantic defence pact with its parliament overwhelmingly approving the necessary legislation during the time of fieldwork, Sweden continued to be blocked by Türkiye and Hungary.

ECONOMIC CONTEXT

The EU economy in 2022 narrowly avoided recession. Since autumn 2022, the EU economy has seen several positive developments. Thanks to concerted efforts and the REPowerEU plan, the EU managed to fill gas storages at historically high levels and diversified energy imports, contributing to reduce dependency on Russian fossil fuels. Despite the energy shock and record high inflation, the slowdown in the third quarter 2022 turned out milder than previously estimated and in the fourth quarter 2022, the EU economy managed a broad stagnation, instead of the 0.5% contraction expected in autumn. The EC’s Winter 2023 Economic Forecast lifts the outlook for growth and slightly lowers the inflation projections. Growth for 2022 is now estimated at 3.5% in both the EU and the euro area. GDP in the EU is projected to expand by 0.8% in 2023 and 1.6% in 2024.6 https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/economic-forecast-and-surveys/economic-forecasts/winter-2023-economic-forecast-eu-economy-set-avoid-recession-headwinds-persist_en

According to figures published by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, European Union annual inflation was 8.3% in March 2023, down from 9.9% in February. A year earlier, the rate was 7.8%. The euro area annual inflation rate was 6.9% in March 2023, down from 8.5% in February. A year earlier, the rate was 7.4%. The lowest annual rates were registered in Luxembourg (2.9%), Spain (3.1%) and the Netherlands (4.5%). The highest annual rates were recorded in Hungary (25.6%), Latvia (17.2%) and Czechia (16.5%).7 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/16324910/2-19042023-AP-EN.pdf/ff3d6b28-9c8f-41cd-714f-d1fd38af0b15

Several months of falling inflation rates confirm that inflation has peaked, however it remains high and weakness in consumption is set to persist in the near term as inflation keeps outpacing nominal wage growth. Monetary tightening is set to continue, exerting a drag on investment. On 17 March, the European Central Bank (ECB) decided on yet another interest rates rise by 0.50%8 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2023/html/ecb.mp230316~aad5249f30.en.html despite the panic unleashed in the financial markets by the Silicon Valley Bank crisis a week earlier.

Labour markets have also continued to perform strongly, with the unemployment rate in the EU remaining at its all-time low of 6.0% in February 2023.9 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/16324762/3-31032023-BP-EN.pdf/4cb7a93a-bb55-923d-ec95-5fcb8073271c

In its fiscal policy guidance for 2024, the European Commission struck down the general escape clause that deactivated the Stability and Growth Pact since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, urging Member States to start phasing out massive energy subsidies, as it announced that it will launch “Excessive Deficit Procedures” in spring 2024. Discussions on how to reform the Stability and Growth Pact are underway.10 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_1410

EU INSTITUTIONS AND LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT ON EU LEVEL

On 9 December 2022, Belgian Federal Police arrested several people on charges relating to money laundering and corruption including one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament and former Members of the European Parliament. The scandal has been dubbed ‘Qatargate’ in reference to allegations that cash was received from third countries to influence EU policymakers. In January 2023, EP President Metsola initiated a 14-point reform process, aiming at reinforcing the European Parliament’s tools on transparency, ethics and conduct to preserve public trust in the institution. During the time of fieldwork, the Commission announced plans to tighten rules on paid trips by European officials, following revelations that Qatar paid some of a Director-General’s travel expenses while the Commission was negotiating an air transport deal with Qatar.

At the beginning of the year, Sweden took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, announcing security, competitiveness, green and energy transitions, democratic values and the rule of law as their priorities.11 https://swedish-presidency.consilium.europa.eu/en/programme/priorities/

A couple of days before fieldwork started, the European Commission banned officials from using the TikTok application on corporate devices over fears of possible security and data protection issues. The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union subsequently also announced similar TikTok restrictions.

International Women’s Day on 8 March was marked by many events in the Member States. The EU took a historic decision on women’s rights, imposing sanctions on nine individuals and three organisations it considers responsible for sexual violence and large-scale violations of women’s rights. The sanctions prohibit entry into the EU and access to and movement of assets within the EU.12 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_1487

The European Union also continued working on its overarching aim of making the bloc climate neutral by 2050. The fieldwork period has been marked by growing opposition to banning combustion engines in Europe. In October 2022, the negotiators of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament had reached an agreement in principle on the regulation on the mandatory application of the zero-emission rate of new cars and vans from 2035. However, at the beginning of March, in a last-minute U-turn several Member States including Germany, withdrew their support for the ban, demanding an exemption for cars using e-fuels.

Also in the context of climate-related legislation, France and several other EU Member States were pushing to include nuclear power as part of the EU’s renewable energy policy. Last, but not least, the European Parliament voted on 14 March on a text aimed at significantly reducing the carbon footprint of buildings by 2030. For the first time at the European level, this text tackles the stock of existing housing and buildings, with a timetable for mandatory renovation. New buildings are set to be zero-emission from 2028.13 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230310IPR77228/meps-back-plans-for-a-climate-neutral-building-sector-by-2050

OTHER MAJOR EVENTS ON NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

On 27 February, just ahead of fieldwork, the EU and UK agreed on new trade rules for Northern Ireland. The agreement, called the “Windsor Framework”, followed months of talks aimed at easing post-Brexit trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.

On 28 February, a head-on collision occurred between two trains south of the Tempe Valley in Greece and killed at least 58 people, among which many students. This tragedy has shaken Greece and unleashed a national outpouring of grief and outrage mostly directed against the country’s government and officials. While the direct cause of this disaster may have been human error, the rail network has suffered from years of underinvestment and neglect.

Starting 7 March, Georgian protesters took to the streets against a law that would have declared media and non-governmental organisations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad as “agents of foreign influence.” Protesters were fearing that the law would replicate similar Russian legislation that has been used to restrict civil society and to oppress opponents of the government, marking an authoritarian shift. The protests forced Georgia’s government to withdraw the bill.

Mediterranean coasts were the scene of several shipwrecks carrying migrants and causing human loss. At least 62 people died, including 12 children, when a wooden sailing boat from Türkiye carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and several other countries to Europe crashed against rocks at the Calabrian coast on 26 February. About 30 migrants were missing and presumed drowned after an overcrowded boat capsized during a rescue attempt by a cargo ship off Libya’s coast on 12 March.

On 20 March, French President Macron narrowly survived a no-confidence vote in parliament after he had pushed through a deeply unpopular and much contested pension reform without a vote in parliament, invoking a controversial constitutional tool — article 49.3. This led to further outrage and strike actions as well as increasingly violent protests across the country.

ELECTIONS

On 12 February, ahead of commencement of fieldwork, Nikos Christodoulides - an independent centrist candidate supported by social democrats and liberal parties - won Cyprus’ presidential elections with 51,9% of the votes. Turnout was at 72,45%.14 https://live.elections.moi.gov.cy/English/PRESIDENTIAL__EPANALIPTIKI_EKLOGI_ELECTIONS_2023/Islandwide One of his campaign topics was the resumption of negotiations to reunite the island. Hence, Christodoulides has been reaching out to European partners to insert new momentum in the settlement process, meeting with EP President Roberta Metsola, EC President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel in March 2023.

Estonia elected a new national parliament on 5 March, confirming Kaja Kallas, known for her unwavering support for Ukraine, as Prime Minister. Her party, the liberal Reform party, which sits with the Renew Europe Group in the EU Parliament, won 31.2% (+2.3), the best result in the party’s history, and Kallas received the highest number of preference votes of any politician in a national parliamentary election. The right-wing EKRE party, which sits with the ID Group in the EU Parliament, came in second position but declined from 17.8% in 2019 to only 16.1% of the votes. It campaigned against Estonia’s staunchly pro-Ukraine stance and targeted Kallas for soaring inflation in the country. More than half of the ballots were cast electronically, which likely helped get a record turnout of 63 percent.15 https://www.valimised.ee/en

On 15 March, regional elections were held in the Netherlands and led to a historic success of the agrarian interest party BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB)16 https://www.kiesraad.nl/verkiezingen/provinciale-staten/uitslagen/uitslagen-per-gemeente , a relatively young party founded in 2019 which initially had gained traction by rallying against nitrogen reduction laws. The election results meant a setback for the incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the representatives from the Dutch provinces are set to elect members of the senate. The senate cannot amend legislation, but it does have the power to approve or reject laws. While PM Rutte’s government only had a minority in the senate before, this minority was reduced further.

Both Finland and Bulgaria were set to hold parliamentary elections on 2 April and elections campaigns were in full swing during the time of fieldwork. For Bulgarians it was the fifth time in two years they were called to vote in parliamentary elections as the country is sinking deeper into political crisis and instability.

METHODOLOGY

The methodology used in this Spring 2023 Eurobarometer, carried out in wave 99.1, 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 2 and 26 March 2023 in all 27 EU Member States. 26 376 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, Czechia, Malta and Finland some interviews were conducted via computer assisted video interview (CAVI) technique. The interviewer administrates the questionnaire to the respondent remotely via video-conference, where both parts can see each other: the conditions of interviews are very similar to that of face-to-face.

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”.

The reader should be aware that in this report, the evolution of one specific indicator is considered as stable overall when it varies by +/-2 percentage points or less. For more information, please refer to the table indicated on page XX for the margin of error depending on the number of interviews.

Note: In this report, EU countries are referred to by their official abbreviation.

The abbreviations used in this report correspond to:

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

1. LIFE IN THE EU: DEMOCRACY AND THE STANDARD OF LIVING

What are Europeans’ attitudes towards the state of democracy in the European Union, on changes in their standard of living in the context of rising inflation levels, and on their expectations regarding the economic situation and their own living conditions? The survey shows a picture of continued attachment to democratic values and overall satisfaction with EU democracy amid continuing personal and economic difficulties. Moreover, the deterioration in perceptions of citizens’ personal economic outlook and expectations for their future living conditions, as observed in Parliament’s autumn 2022 survey, seems to have come to a halt.

This mixed picture is perhaps best epitomised by the fact that Europeans tend to describe their emotional status as hopeful, confident and calm, yet also as uncertain and anxious. When it comes to attitudes towards democracy, citizens cherish democracy as the value the European Parliament should defend as a matter of priority. They also continue to be satisfied both with the way democracy works in the EU and in their country, and with a variety of specific aspects of EU democracy. However, Europeans are less satisfied with the measures taken by the EU and their national governments to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. This is unsurprising, given that most of them have experienced or expect to experience a decrease in their living standards, and that a large proportion of citizens have difficulties paying their bills at least from time to time. Despite the impact of the war in Ukraine on citizens’ lives, there continues to be widespread approval of the EU’s support for Ukraine. Lastly, against a backdrop of a slowing down of the inflation rate between the end of 2022 and the beginning of 202317 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-euro-indicators/w/2-17032023-ap#:~:text=The%20euro%20area%20annual%20inflation,down%20from%2010.0%25%20in%20January , the worsening of Europeans’ expectations concerning their living conditions and the national economy recorded in October-November 2022 has given way to a stabilisation of these indicators.

Values the European Parliament should defend in priority

Democracy tops the list of values that the European Parliament should defend as a matter of priority. As in previous surveys, democracy is the most frequently mentioned value by citizens (37%, +1 pp since October-November 2022), followed by the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (28%, -1 pp) and freedom of speech and thought (27%, -1 pp). More than one fifth of respondents think the European Parliament should prioritise the rule of law (24%, no change), equality between women and men (21%, no change) and solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions (21%, -2 pp). All other values are cited by less than one in five respondents.

Results have remained broadly stable since this question was last asked in October-November 2022.

Democracy The protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide Freedom of speech and thought The rule of law Equality between women and men Solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions 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 Tolerance and respect for diversity in society Freedom of movement Solidarity between the EU and poor countries in the world The ﬁght against discrimination and for the protection of minorities Freedom of religion and belief The right to seek asylum from persecution Don‘t know March 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 QA6ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (%) In 14 countries, democracy is the most mentioned (or joint most mentioned) value the European Parliament should defend as a matter of priority. The protection of human rights is a top priority (or joint top priority) for respondents in nine countries.

Equality between women and men is the most frequently cited value in Belgium and France. Freedom of movement tops the list of priorities in Bulgaria and is ranked joint highest in Slovakia and Romania, while freedom of speech and thought is the joint most mentioned value in Ireland and Slovakia. Estonia is the only country where the respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States is considered as a top priority by respondents.

Democracy Freedom of movement The respect for national identities, cuitures and traditions in the EU Member States The protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide Equality between women and men Freedom of speech and thought QA6ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (% - The most mentioned answer by country)

Democracy is among the three most frequently mentioned values in 21 countries, with proportions ranging from 52% in Sweden, 51% in Germany and 49% in Finland, to 24% in Croatia, Slovenia and Romania.

Similarly, the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide ranks in the top three values in 20 countries. This is most frequently mentioned by respondents in Sweden (46%), Cyprus (43%) and the Netherlands (39%). By contrast, 22% in Italy and Poland think this should be a priority.

Freedom of speech and thought is among the top three values to defend in 16 countries. More than a third mention this in Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden (all 34%), while less than a fifth do so in Portugal (14%) and Hungary (19%).

The rule of law ranks among the top three in ten countries. This value is most widely mentioned in Finland (38%), followed by Bulgaria, Germany and Greece (all 34%), while it is least likely to be cited in Portugal (12%), France and Lithuania (both 14%).

Equality between women and men is considered as the top value in France (36%) and Belgium (34%) and is the second highest ranked value in Luxembourg (30%). At the opposite end of the scale, this is mentioned by 9% in Estonia and by 11% in Greece and Lithuania.

In six countries, solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions ranks among the top three values. Proportions range from 38% in Greece and 32% in Portugal and 28% in Bulgaria, to 11% in Ireland, 12% in Denmark and 14% in Austria.

Democracy The protection of human rights in the EU and worlwide Freedom of speech and thought The rule of law Equality between women and men Solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions Human dignity, including the prohibition of death penalty, torture or slavery The respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States Tolerance and respect for diversity in society Freedom of movement The fight against discrimination and for 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) Don't know Refusal (Spontaneous) 1st Most frequently mentioned item 2nd Most frequently mentioned item 3rd Most frequently mentioned Item Mar 2023 QA6ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (%) The proportion who considers freedom of movement as a value the European Parliament should defend as a matter of priority is especially high in Bulgaria (37%), while the respect for national identities, cultures and traditions in the EU Member States is more likely to be mentioned in Estonia (36%) than in other countries.

Since October-November 2022, democracy has become more important as a value to defend for respondents in 14 countries, and most notably in Portugal (35%, +8 pp), Luxembourg (39%, +7 pp), Austria (40%, +5 pp), France (32%, +5 pp) and Slovakia (25%, +5 pp). Conversely, decreasing shares of respondents mention democracy in Italy (34%, -5 pp) and Poland (29%, -3 pp). This figure has remained unchanged or stable in 17 countries.

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA6ab 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)

Equality between women and men has grown in importance in six countries compared to October- November 2022. Luxembourg is by far the country where the increase has been the largest (30%, +11 pp), followed by Germany (18%, +5 pp), Belgium (34%, +4 pp), Austria (29%, +4 pp) and Latvia (13%, +4 pp). At the opposite end of the scale, equality between women and men is less widely mentioned in Denmark (19%, -5 pp), Spain (27%, -4 pp), Malta (18%, -3 pp) and France (36%, -3 pp). This proportion has remained unchanged or stable in 17 countries.

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA6ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 3 ANSWERS) (% - Equality between women and men)

Focusing on the results among the youngest respondents (i.e. those aged 15-24 years old), the ranking of values is broadly consistent with the one observed among all respondents, with some slight differences. Democracy tops the list of values to defend also within this age group, but it is joined by freedom of speech and thought (both 32%), with protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (27%) following as third. Youngest respondents are less likely than average to mention democracy (32% vs 37%), the rule of law (17% vs 24%) and solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions (15% vs 21%). However, they are more likely to select freedom of speech and thought (32% vs 27%), tolerance and respect for diversity in society (20% vs 16%) and the fight against discrimination and for the protection of minorities (19% vs 14%).

Democracy The protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide Freedom of speech and thought The rule of law Equality between women and men Solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions 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 Tolerance and respect for diversity in society Freedom of movement The ﬁght against discrimination and for 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 Don't know QA6ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 3 ANSWERS) (% - Equality between women and men) (note: these last words are an error from copy/paste) EU27 15-24 years

The socio-demographic analysis focuses on the top six values that citizens think the European Parliament should defend as a matter of priority. Men are more likely than women to say that democracy (41% vs. 34%) and the rule of law (28% vs. 20%) should be prioritised, while the reverse is true for equality between men and women (16% vs. 27%).

Those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older are more likely to cite protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (31%). Respondents who finished their education aged 15 or younger are the least likely to say the European Parliament should prioritise freedom of speech and thought (21%) and the rule of law (20%).

Respondents who consider themselves to be part of the upper or upper middle class of society are more likely than those who see themselves as working class to mention the defence of the rule of law (29-32% vs 22%), while the reverse is true for equality between women and men (17-18% vs 24%).

Respondents who consider their country’s membership of the EU as a good thing are more likely than those who consider it is a bad thing to consider democracy (40% vs 33%), the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide solidarity (32% vs 19%) and solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions (24% vs. 13%) as values to defend.

Lastly, respondents who have a positive image of the European Parliament are more likely than those who have a negative image to say priority should be given to the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (31% vs 24%) and to solidarity between EU Member States and between its regions (26% vs 16%). By contrast, those who have a negative image are more likely to mention freedom of speech and thought (33% vs 23%).

QA6ab In your opinion, which of the following values should the European Parliament defend as a matter of priority? Firstly? And then?
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	21	28	27	37	24
Gender
Man	16	22	27	28	41	28
Woman	27	19	30	26	34	20
Age
15-24	23	15	27	32	32	17
25-39	22	21	30	27	37	22
40-54	21	21	28	28	38	25
55+	21	22	28	25	39	26
Education (End of)
15-	23	21	27	21	39	20
16-19	21	21	27	28	37	25
20+	20	23	31	28	38	25
Still studying	24	14	29	31	35	18
Consider belonging to
The working class	24	18	25	27	35	22
The lower middle class	20	20	28	26	40	23
The middle class	21	22	30	27	37	24
The upper middle class	18	23	30	29	40	29
The upper class	17	27	32	23	52	32
Image of European Parliament
Positive	20	26	31	23	40	26
Neutral	23	19	28	28	36	23
Negative	21	16	24	33	36	24
Opinion about country’s membership of the EU
A good thing	21	24	32	25	40	25
A bad thing	21	13	19	31	33	22
Neither a good thing nor a bad thing	22	17	25	30	33	22

Citizens’ current emotional status

Respondents were asked how they would best describe their current emotional status when thinking about the life they lead. A mix of positive and negative emotions are observed among the top six answers, although positive ones slightly prevail. In particular, more than a third say they are hopeful (37%), while around one quarter or more describe their emotional status as confident (27%), calm (26%) and motivated (24%). On the negative side, around one third say they are uncertain (34%) and more than one quarter feel anxious (27%).

All other emotions are mentioned by less than a fifth: fulfilled (17%), fearful, helpless (both 16%), discouraged, frustrated (both 15%), joyful (14%), angry (13%) and empowered (11%).

Hopeful Uncertain Confident Anxious Calm Motivated Fulfilled Fearful Helpless Discouraged Discouraged Frustrated Joyful Angry Empowered Don't know Mar. 2023 QA10ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (EU27) (%)

In eight countries, hopeful is the most cited (or joint most cited) emotional status, while the feeling of calmness is the top answer (or the joint top answer) in a further four countries. Most respondents feel confident in Denmark and Romania and fulfilled in the Netherlands.

Among negative emotions, the feeling of uncertainty is the most mentioned (or joint most mentioned) by respondents in eight countries, with most respondents feeling anxious in a further four countries. Only in France, ‘fearful’ is the answer most cited by respondents to describe their emotional status.

Uncertain Fulfiled Hopeful Confident Calm Anxious Fearful Motivated QA10ab When thinking about the life you lead, how would you best describe your current emotional status? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (% - The most mentioned answer by country)

In 21 countries, hopeful is among the three most mentioned feeling by respondents when thinking about the life they lead, with proportions ranging from more than half in Ireland, Latvia (both 55%) and Finland (52%), to 15% in Cyprus, 22% in Bulgaria and 23% in Czechia.

The feeling of uncertainty ranks in the top three answers in 14 countries, with respondents in Greece (66%), Cyprus (56%) and Slovakia (44%) being the most likely to mention this. Conversely, this emotional status is less widespread in Denmark (13%), the Netherlands (18%) and Finland (21%).

In ten countries, confident is one of the three most cited answers. This feeling being most diffuse in Denmark (51%), Finland (47%) and Ireland (42%), whereas 6% mention this in Cyprus and Greece, and 12% in Slovakia.

The feeling of anxiety ranks among the top three in ten countries, with proportions ranging from 45% in Germany, 43% in Austria and 42% in Greece, to 7% in Spain, 9% in Czechia and 11% in Romania.

Calm is among the three most frequently mentioned emotions by respondents to describe their emotional status in 11 countries. It is cited by four in ten or more in Lithuania (46%), Latvia (41%) and Sweden (40%). At the opposite end of the scale, 13% in Greece and 15% in Croatia and Slovakia select this answer.

The proportions who say they are motivated are especially high in the Netherlands (45%) and Sweden (42%). The Netherlands (63%) is also the country with the highest share of respondents saying they are fulfilled, while in France (41%) most describe themselves as fearful.

Hopeful Uncertain Conﬁdent Anxious Calm Motivated Fulﬁlled Fearful Helpless Discouraged Frustrated Joyful Angry Empowered Other(Spontaneous) Don‘tknow 1st Most frequently mentioned item 2nd Most frequently mentioned item 3rd Most frequently mentioned Item Mar. 2022 QA10ab When thinking about the life you lead, how would you best describe your current emotional status? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (%)

Positive feelings prevail more markedly amongst the youngest respondents, i.e. those aged 15- 24, than among the general population. In particular, while hopeful tops the list of answers among 15–24 year-olds as well as among the general population (42% vs 37%), the second most frequently mentioned term by the youngest to describe their emotional status is motivated (37% vs 24%), followed by confident (34% vs 27%). As well as feeling more hopeful, motivated, and calm than average, respondents aged 15-24 are also much more likely to feel joyful (25% vs 14%) and slightly more likely to feel calm (30% vs 26%) and fulfilled (21% vs 17%).

However, they are less likely than average to choose negative terms to describe their emotional status. In particular, the feelings of anxiety (18% vs 27%), uncertainty (28% vs 34%), helplessness (10% vs 16%), fearfulness (11% vs 16%), frustration (10% vs 15%) and anger (8% vs 13%) are less widespread among the youngest.

Hopeful Uncertain Conﬁdent Anxious Calm Motivated Fulﬁlled Fearful Helpless Discouraged Frustrated Joyful Angry Empowered Other(Spontaneous) Don‘tknow EU27 15-24 years QA10ab When thinking about the life you lead, how would you best describe your current emotional status? Firstly? And then? (EU27) (%) When looking at the socio-demographic data for the six most frequently mentioned emotions, it appears clear that men are more likely to feel calm (29% vs 22% of women), confident (29% vs 25%) and motivated (26% vs 22%), while women are more likely to feel anxious (30% vs 24% of men) and uncertain (36% vs 32%).

Respondents who spent more time in education are more likely to mention positive feelings. For instance, 29% of those who finished education aged 20 or older say they feel motivated, compared to 13% of those who left aged 15 or younger. The reverse is true for the negative feelings, with those who finished education aged 15 or younger being more likely to say they are uncertain (43% vs 29% of those who finished aged 20 or older) or anxious (33% vs 25%).

Respondents who have the least difficulties paying their bills are the most likely to describe their emotional status using positive terms. For instance, 31% who never or almost never have difficulties say they are confident, compared to 15% of those who have difficulties most of the time. These respondents are also the least likely to feel uncertain (29% vs 41-42% of those who have difficulties at least from time to time) or anxious (25% vs 32% of those who have difficulties most of the time).

Those who have a positive image of the EU are more likely than those who have a negative image to have positive feelings. For instance, 47% of those who have a positive image of the EU feel hopeful, compared to 18% of those who have a negative image. The reverse is true for the feelings of uncertainty (40% of those who have a negative image vs 28% of those who have a positive image) and anxiety (34% vs 22%).

Respondents who think things in their life are going in the right direction are more likely to describe their emotional status using positive terms and less likely to choose negative terms. For instance, 43% of these respondents feel hopeful (compared to 23% of those who say things are going in the wrong direction) and 30% feel uncertain (compared to 41%). The same applies among those who think that things are going in the right direction in the EU or in their country.

Those who expect their living conditions and the situation of the national economy to be better in one year’s time are more likely to mention positive feelings. For instance, 36% of those who think things will be better for their living conditions feel motivated, compared to 16% of those who think things will be worse. In contrast, respondents who expect the situation to worsen are more likely to feel uncertain or anxious. For instance, 38% of those who think things will be worse for the national economy have a feeling of uncertainty, compared to 25% of those who think things will be better.

Similarly, respondents who are satisfied with EU or national measures to tackle the rising cost of living are more likely to have positive feelings, while the reverse is true when it comes to negative feelings. For instance, 36% of those who are satisfied with EU measures feel confident (compared to 22% of those who are not satisfied), while 39% of those who are not satisfied feel uncertain (compared to 25% of those who are satisfied).

QA10ab When thinking about the life you lead, how would you best describe your current emotional status? Firstly? And then? (% - EU27)

Hopeful	Confident	Uncertain	Calm	Anxious	Motivated
EU27	36	26	34	26	26	24
Gender
Man	37	29	32	29	24	26
Woman	36	25	36	22	30	22
Age
15-24	42	34	28	30	18	37
25-39	37	26	33	25	24	29
40-54	36	27	34	24	26	25
55+	35	25	36	26	31	16
Education (End of)
15-	34	19	43	22	33	13
16-19	35	26	36	24	28	20
20+	38	29	29	28	25	29
Still studying	44	36	28	31	20	37
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	26	15	42	15	32	16
From time to time	33	21	41	20	28	19
Almost never / Never	39	31	29	29	25	27
Image of the EU
Positive	47	36	28	30	22	31
Neutral	33	23	38	25	28	20
Negative	18	13	40	17	34	15
Things in your life are going in
Right direction	43	33	30	29	24	29
Wrong direction	23	14	41	17	32	13
Neither	33	20	44	22	33	18
Expectations situation of national economy
Better	46	36	25	29	21	33
Worse	31	22	38	23	30	21
Same	42	32	31	29	24	27
Expectations situation of living conditions
Better	44	33	25	26	19	36
Worse	27	18	41	20	33	16
Same	43	33	30	30	23	28
Satisfaction with national measures taken to tackle the cost of living
Satisfied	43	36	27	30	25	28
Not satisfied	34	22	38	23	28	22
Satisfaction with EU measures taken to tackle the cost of living
Satisfied	45	36	25	30	23	30
Not satisfied	32	22	39	22	29	21

How things are going in the EU and in the Member States

Around one quarter of the respondents (26%, +2 pp since October-November 2022) see things going in the right direction in their own country, while a clear majority (61%, -1 pp) feel that things are going in the wrong direction. Following a large decrease in positive feelings about the direction their country is going between April-May and October-November 2022, results have remained broadly stable in the current survey.

Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) 8 Things are going in the wrong direction 61 Don't know 5 Things are going in the right direction 26 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) When it comes to how things are going in their own country, in four Member States a majority think that things are going in the right direction: Luxembourg (60%), Ireland (50%), Estonia (41%) and Denmark (40%). In the remaining 23 Member States, the majority see things going in the wrong direction, with this view being particularly widespread in Slovakia (75%), Greece (74%) and France (73%).

Things are going in the right direction Things are going in the wrong direction Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) Don’t know 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) (%)

Respondents in ten Member States are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to be positive concerning the direction their country is going. This is especially the case for Estonia (41%, +12 pp), Denmark (40%, +11 pp) and Germany (38%, +9 pp). Nonetheless, respondents are now less likely to think their country is going in the right direction in a further ten Member States, with Malta (36%, -29 pp) standing out for a particularly large decrease in this proportion, followed by Portugal (23%, -7 pp) and Luxembourg (60%, -5 pp). This share of respondents has remained stable or unchanged in seven countries.

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) (%) Things are going in the right direction Things are going in the wrong direction Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) Don’t know Mar. 2023 Δ Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Δ Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Δ Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Δ Oct/Nov 2022

A closer look at the socio-demographic breakdown confirms that majorities across all categories see their own country going in the wrong direction.

Although findings are similar across all age groups, there is a slight difference when it comes to the respondents’ level of education, with those finishing full-time education aged 20 or older being more likely to think their country is going in the right direction compared to those who left aged 19 or younger (29% vs 24%).

Managers (35%) are the most likely to be positive about the direction their country is going, especially when compared to the unemployed (16%) and house persons (18%).

Those in better financial conditions are also more likely to be positive. In particular, respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills (31%) are more likely than those who have difficulties most of the time (13%) to think their country is going in the right direction.

Respondents who are satisfied with democracy in their own country (42% vs 6% of those who are not satisfied), those who agree their voice counts in their country (37% vs 11% of those who disagree) and those who voted in the last national elections (28% vs 19% of those who did not vote) are more likely to think things are going in the right direction. This is also the case of those who expect the situation of their national economy to improve (53% vs 14% of those who think it will be worse).

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)

Things are going in the right direction	Things are going in the wrong direction	Don’t know
EU27	26	61	5
Gender
Man	28	59	5
Woman	24	61	6
Age
15-24	28	54	9
25-39	26	62	4
40-54	25	64	4
55+	26	59	6
Education (End of)
15-	24	61	8
16-19	24	64	4
20+	29	58	4
Still studying	31	50	10
Socio-professional category
Self-employed	28	60	4
Managers	35	52	4
Other white collars	27	62	4
Manual workers	20	68	4
House persons	18	69	6
Unemployed	16	72	5
Retired	27	57	7
Students	31	50	10
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	13	76	4
From time to time	20	69	5
Almost never / Never	31	54	6
My voice counts in (Our country)
Agree	37	49	5
Disagree	11	79	4
Satisfaction with democracy in one’s country
Satisfied	42	42	6
Not satisfied	6	86	3
Expectations situation of national economy
Better	53	35	4
Worse	14	76	4
Same	35	49	6
Voted in the last national elections
Yes	28	59	5
No	19	66	6

EU citizens tend to be slightly more positive when it comes to the direction the European Union is going in. The proportion of respondents seeing things going in the right direction in the EU remains stable with only close to one third of the respondents (32%, +1 pp since October-November 2022), following a large decrease between April-May and October-November 2022. Conversely, the share of respondents who feel things in the EU are going in the wrong direction has declined by four percentage points to 47%.

Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) 10 Don't know 11 Things are going in the right direction 32 Things are going in the wrong direction 47 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)

In nine countries, a majority think that things are going in the right direction in the EU. This view is most widely shared in Ireland (49%), Lithuania (48%) and Luxembourg (47%). Opinions are divided in Sweden (41% ‘right direction’ vs 41% ‘wrong direction’). In the remaining 17 countries, respondents who think things are going in the wrong direction are in the majority. This is especially the case in Greece (62%), France (61%) and Slovakia (59%).

Things are going in the right direction Things are going in the wrong direction Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) Don’t know 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 (%)

In 14 countries, positive attitudes towards the direction the EU is going have become more widespread than they were in October-November 2022. The largest increases in the proportion who think that things are going in the right direction can be seen in Denmark (41%, +10 pp), Estonia (39%, +10 pp) and Finland (34%, +9 pp). This share of respondents has declined in six countries and, as was the case for the situation at national level, Malta (44%, -21 pp) stands out for the largest decrease. This proportion has remained largely stable in the remaining seven countries.

Things are going in the right direction Things are going in the wrong direction Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) Don’t know Mar. 2023 Δ Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Δ Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Δ Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Δ Oct/Nov 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 (%)

Socio-demographic patterns in opinions regarding the direction things are going at EU level are broadly similar to those observed earlier in relation to the national level. This time a clearer divergence of opinions can be observed between age groups: The younger the respondents, the more likely they are to think that things are going in the right direction in the EU (37% of those aged 15-24 vs 29% of those aged 55 or over).

Respondents’ level of education also has an impact on attitudes, with those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older being more likely to say that things are going in the right direction than those who left aged 19 or younger (39% vs 22-29%).

Managers (46%) are the most likely to say that things are going in the right direction in the EU, especially when compared to the unemployed (22%) or house persons (23%). Financial conditions also matter, with respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills being more likely to be positive regarding the direction things are going (38% vs 15% of those who have difficulties most of the time).

Those who have a positive image of the EU are more likely than those who have a negative image to think that things are going in the right direction (53% vs 6%). Similarly, those who agree that their voice counts in the EU (50% vs 17% of those who disagree), those who are satisfied with democracy in the EU (51% vs 11% of those who are not satisfied) and those who voted in the last European elections (39% vs 23% of those who did not vote) are more likely to feel things are going in the right direction. In addition, those who follow European politics are also more likely to share this opinion compared to those who do not (40% vs 23%).

Lastly, attitudes towards the situation at the national and at the EU level are related. Three quarters of those who think things are going in the right direction in their own country also think things are going well in the EU, while 70% of those who think things are going in the wrong direction at national level also feel negative about the direction things are going in the EU.

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)

Things are going in the right direction	Things are going in the wrong direction	Don’t know
EU27	32	47	11
Gender
Man	34	48	9
Woman	31	47	12
Age
15-24	37	38	15
25-39	36	46	9
40-54	32	51	8
55+	29	49	12
Education (End of)
-15	22	52	16
16-19	29	53	9
20+	39	43	8
Still studying	39	34	16
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	34	47	8
Managers	46	39	6
Other white collars	37	48	8
Manual workers	27	55	8
House persons	23	53	14
Unemployed	22	56	13
Retired	28	48	13
Students	39	34	16
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	15	65	9
From time to time	26	57	9
Almost never/ Never	38	41	11
Image of EU
Positive	53	27	10
Neutral	20	56	13
Negative	6	85	4
Things in country are going in…
Right direction	75	16	5
Wrong direction	18	70	7
Neither	14	7	6
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	50	32	8
Disagree	17	64	10
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	51	29	10
Not satisfied	11	74	6
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	39	42	8
No	23	56	13
Follow European politics
Follow	40	43	7
Not follow	23	53	15

1.1. The Russian aggression against Ukraine

Approval of the European Union’s support for Ukraine remains strong one year after the start of the war by Russia. More than three quarters approve the EU’s support for Ukraine, a stable development compared to October-November 2022 (76%, +2 pp). 36% ‘strongly approve’ of the EU’s support – an increase by three percentage points. Around one fifth (21%, -2 pp) disapprove of the EU’s support for Ukraine, including 7% (no change) who ‘strongly disapprove’.

These findings are consistent with data from the European Commission’s Standard Eurobarometer survey conducted in January-February 2023, which show that large majorities of EU citizens (with proportions ranging from 65% to 91%) agree with a series of actions taken by the EU as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine18 European Commission, Standard Eurobarometer 98 - Winter 2022-2023 (EB 98.2), available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2872 .

Strongly. approve 36 Somewhat approve 40 Somewhat disapprove 14 Strongly disapprove 7 Don’t know 3 QA23 Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? (EU27) (%) In all countries, an absolute majority approve of the EU’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. This proportion is the highest in Sweden (97%), Finland (96%), the Netherland and Portugal (both 95%). Respondents in Slovakia, Greece (both 51%) and Bulgaria (54%) are the least likely to approve. Greece (46%), Slovakia (44%) and Bulgaria (39%) are also the countries where levels of disapproval are highest, together with Czechia (39%). As in the previous survey, disapproval of EU’s support for Ukraine is more widespread in south-eastern areas of Europe.

Map Legend QA23 Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Total ‘Approve’ (%) The level of approval of EU’s support for Ukraine has risen in 14 countries since this question was last asked in October-November 2022. In particular, Cyprus (68%, +15 pp) stands out for the highest increase in this proportion, followed by Belgium and Croatia (both 82%, +7 pp). Nonetheless, approval levels have decreased in Czechia (58%, -10 pp) and Estonia (72%, -4 pp). This figure has remained stable or unchanged in Sweden.

QA23 Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? (%)

Strongly approve	Somewhat approve	Somewhat disapprove	Strongly disapprove	Don't know	Total 'Approve'	Total 'Disapprove'
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023- Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	36	3	40	-1	14	-2	7	0	3	0	76	2	21	-2
BE	33	7	49	0	12	-4	5	-3	1	0	82	7	17	-7
BG	16	2	38	4	22	-7	17	2	7	-1	54	6	39	-5
CZ	28	-8	30	-2	24	6	15	3	3	1	58	-10	39	9
DK	61	0	30	-1	4	-1	3	1	2	1	91	-1	7	0
DE	42	6	33	-4	15	-1	7	-1	3	0	75	2	22	-2
EE	40	0	32	-4	15	3	6	-1	7	2	72	-4	21	2
IE	57	7	34	-5	5	-1	3	1	1	-2	91	2	8	0
EL	14	1	37	2	26	0	20	-2	3	-1	51	3	46	-2
ES	32	-4	51	7	10	-2	4	0	3	-1	83	3	14	-2
FR	38	2	39	-3	11	2	6	-1	6	0	77	-1	17	1
HR	38	11	44	-4	12	-5	5	-2	1	0	82	7	17	-7
IT	15	3	52	1	23	-3	8	-1	2	0	67	4	31	-4
CY	19	2	49	13	17	-5	12	-8	3	-2	68	15	29	-13
LV	49	-10	34	13	9	2	4	-4	4	-1	83	3	13	-2
LT	63	4	27	-1	5	-1	4	-1	1	-1	90	3	9	-2
LU	43	11	39	-8	12	0	5	1	1	-4	82	3	17	1
HU	17	3	47	2	21	-5	13	1	2	-1	64	5	34	-4
MT	53	-8	30	6	8	1	7	2	2	-1	83	-2	15	3
NL	69	3	26	-1	3	0	2	-1	0	-1	95	2	5	-1
AT	26	1	35	0	19	-1	16	-1	4	1	61	1	35	-2
PL	37	2	46	-4	14	3	2	0	1	-1	83	-2	16	3
PT	65	17	30	-14	3	0	1	-1	1	-2	95	3	4	-1
RO	13	-2	52	7	25	-4	8	0	2	-1	65	5	33	-4
SI	36	9	36	-6	17	-2	9	-1	2	0	72	3	26	-3
SK	15	2	36	0	28	1	16	-3	5	0	51	2	44	-2
FI	80	-3	16	4	2	-1	2	0	0	0	96	1	4	-1
SE	85	4	12	-4	1	-1	1	0	1	1	97	0	2	-1

More highly educated respondents are more likely to approve of the EU’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion (81% of those who finished education aged 20 or more, compared to 72-73% of those who left earlier). Levels of approval are also higher among those in a better socio-economic situation. This is especially the case among managers (83% vs 68% of house persons), those who never or almost never have difficulties paying their bills (82% vs 62% of those who have difficulties most of the time) and those who see themselves as belonging to the upper or upper middle class of society (86-94% vs 72% of those who consider themselves as working class or lower middle class).

Approval of the EU’s support for Ukraine is also higher among those whose image of the EU is positive (91% vs. 46% of those whose image of the EU is negative).

Respondents who expect their living conditions and the situation of their national economy to improve in one year’s time are more likely to approve of the EU’s support for Ukraine (80-83% vs 67- 71% of those who expect them to get worse). Similarly, those who are satisfied with EU and national measures taken to tackle the rising cost of living are more inclined to approve of this support (88-89% vs 68-70% of those who are not satisfied).

QA23 Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the European Union’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? (%)

Total ‘Approve’	Total ‘Disapprove’
EU27	76	21
Gender
Man	76	22
Woman	76	21
Age
15-24	79	18
25-39	75	23
40-54	74	23
55+	77	20
Education (End of)
-15	72	24
16-19	73	25
20+	81	16
Still studying	81	15
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	78	20
Managers	83	15
Other white collars	79	19
Manual workers	70	28
House persons	68	29
Unemployed	70	27
Retired	77	20
Students	81	15
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	62	34
From time to time	69	28
Almost never/ Never	82	16
Consider belonging to
The working class	72	25
The lower middle class	72	25
The middle class	78	20
The upper middle class	86	13
The upper class	94	5
Image of EU
Positive	91	8
Neutral	73	23
Negative	46	51
Expectation situation of national economy
Better	83	15
Worse	71	26
Same	81	16
Expectations situation of living conditions
Better	80	19
Worse	67	30
Same	83	14
Satisfaction with national measures taken to tackle the cost of living
Satisfied	88	11
Not satisfied	70	27
Satisfaction with EU measures taken to tackle the cost of living
Satisfied	89	10
Not satisfied	68	29

1.2. Inflation and the rising cost of living

In the context of rising inflation levels and the cost-of-living crisis affecting households’ purchasing power, the majority of EU citizens are not satisfied with the measures taken so far by the EU and the national governments to tackle this issue, with proportions remaining stable since October- November 2022.

In particular, more than three in ten (33%, no change since October-November 2022) are satisfied with the measures taken by their national governments to tackle the rising cost of living. Close to two thirds (65%, +1 pp) say they are not satisfied, including 28% (+1 pp) who are ‘not at all satisfied’.

A similar proportion (32%, -1 pp since October-November 2022) indicate they are satisfied with the measures taken by the EU, while 57% (+1 pp) are not satisfied, including close to a quarter (23%, +1 pp) who say they are ‘not at all satisfied’.

As in the previous survey, respondents tend to be more critical of the measures taken by their national governments than of those taken by the EU (65% vs 57% ‘not satisfied’, respectively), even though ‘don’t know’ responses are more likely to be given in relation to the EU than in relation to national governments (11% vs 2%, respectively).

Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 The (Nationality) government? The EU? Total ‘Satisfied’ Don’t know Total ‘Not Satisfied’ Mar. 2023 – Oct/Nov 2022 QA24 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) (%) Majorities are satisfied with the measures taken so far by their national governments to tackle the rising cost of living in three countries, i.e. Luxembourg (63%), Denmark (54%) and Ireland (51%). However, in the remaining 24 countries, the majority are not satisfied with the action of their national governments. This is most notably the case of Greece (85%), Cyprus and Slovakia (both 84%).

Total ‘Satisfied’ Don’t know Total ‘Not Satisfied’ QA24.1 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 three Member States, a majority of respondents say they are satisfied with the measures taken so far by the EU to tackle the rising cost of living: Poland (51%), Ireland (47%) and Denmark (42%). In 23 countries, the majority are not satisfied, with the highest proportions observed in Cyprus (82%), Greece (78%) and Slovakia (72%). Opinions are divided in Luxembourg (45% ‘satisfied’ vs 45% ‘not satisfied’).

Total ‘Satisfied’ Don’t know Total ‘Not Satisfied’ QA24.2 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? (%)

Compared to October-November 2022, satisfaction with the measures taken by national governments to tackle the rising cost of living has declined in 14 countries. Malta (34%, -32 pp) stands out for a particularly large decline in satisfaction, followed by Portugal (28%, -11 pp) and Slovenia (25%, -10 pp). Conversely, the level of satisfaction has risen in six countries: Poland (47%, +9 pp), Denmark (54%, +8 pp), Belgium (44%, +8 pp), Germany (39%, +8 pp), Lithuania (29%, +8 pp) and Latvia (26%, +4 pp).

The level of satisfaction with the measures taken by the EU has decreased since October-November 2022 in 13 countries, with decreases by more than ten percentage points seen once again in Malta (28%, -24 pp), Portugal (33%, -12 pp) and Slovenia (23%, -11 pp). By contrast, this proportion has increased in eight countries, especially in Germany (36%, +9 pp), Latvia (33%, +9 pp) and Belgium (39%, +8 pp). Results are stable in a further six countries.

QA24.2 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? (%)

Total 'Satisfied'	Total 'Not satisfied
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	32	-1	57	1	11	0
BE	39	8	55	-9	6	1
BG	29	-3	61	6	10	-3
CZ	21	-10	69	7	10	3
DK	42	3	30	-6	28	3
DE	36	9	55	-6	9	-3
EE	15	2	66	1	19	-3
IE	47	-8	42	7	11	1
EL	17	-2	78	1	5	1
ES	25	-7	68	9	7	-2
FR	16	-6	66	5	18	1
HR	36	3	59	-3	5	0
IT	44	6	51	-5	5	-1
CY	13	-8	82	6	5	2
LV	33	9	49	-11	18	2
LT	38	4	47	-1	15	-3
LU	45	-2	45	5	10	-3
HU	40	1	54	-3	6	2
MT	28	-24	54	17	18	7
NL	28	-4	44	0	28	4
AT	38	-1	53	0	9	1
PL	51	4	41	-3	8	-1
PT	33	-12	61	14	6	-2
RO	34	-2	60	4	6	-2
SI	23	-11	69	10	8	1
SK	21	-3	72	8	7	-5
FI	33	-5	52	2	15	3
SE	20	-8	51	9	29	-1

A deep-dive in socio-demographic layers shows consistent patterns in attitudes towards the measures taken by national governments and the EU to tackle the rising cost of living. Levels of satisfaction vary according to respondents’ level of education and socio-economic conditions. Those who finished full- time education aged 20 or older (36% for national governments and 35% for the EU) are more likely to be satisfied than those who left aged 15 or younger (31% and 27%). Looking at socio-economic factors, levels of satisfaction are highest among managers (40% for governments and, jointly with other white collars, 40% for the EU) and those who rarely or never experience difficulties paying their bills (37% and 35%), while they are lowest among the unemployed (20% and 21%) and those who have difficulties paying their bills most of the time (21% and 20%).

Respondents who have a positive image of the EU are more likely than those who have a negative image to be satisfied with the measures taken by the EU (48% vs 10%). In addition, they are also more likely to be satisfied with their national governments’ action (44% vs 17%).

Those who expect the situation of their national economy and of their living conditions to improve in one year’s time are more likely to be satisfied with the measures taken. For instance, 47% of those who expect their living conditions to get better are satisfied with the measures taken by their national governments and by the EU, compared to 22% of those who foresee a worsening of their living conditions.

Similarly, those who say their standard of living has been reduced are less likely to say they are satisfied with the measures taken by their national governments and by the EU (23% for both) compared to those who say they have experienced an increase or do not expect any change (49% for national governments and 45% for the EU).

QA24 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)

The (national) government	The EU
EU27	33	32
Gender
Man	34	33
Woman	32	31
Age
15-24	32	34
25-39	32	34
40-54	33	33
55+	34	30
Education (End of)
-15	31	27
16-19	32	32
20+	36	35
Still studying	34	34
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	36	33
Managers	40	40
Other white collars	35	40
Manual workers	29	29
House persons	25	26
Unemployed	20	21
Retired	34	29
Students	34	34
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	21	20
From time to time	27	30
Almost never/ Never	37	35
Image of the EU
Positive	44	48
Neutral	27	24
Negative	17	10
Expectations situation of national economy
Better	58	54
Worse	22	24
Same	41	40
Expectations situation of living conditions
Better	47	47
Worse	22	22
Same	40	38
Your standard of living has..
Already be reduced	23	23
Not yet been reduced but will be	40	40
Not changed / Increased	49	45

1.3. Citizens’ lives in a time of multiple crises

Changes in Europeans’ standard of living

Close to eight in ten have already experienced a decrease or foresee a decrease in their standard of living over the next year, even though this proportion is in decline.

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. Half of the respondents say their standard of living has already been reduced and they expect this to still be the case over the next year. Close to three in ten (29%) indicate that their standard of living has not yet been reduced, but they think that it will be the case over the next year. Nearly one fifth (19%) do not expect any change or impact on their standard of living, while 1% say their standard of living has increased.

Don't know 1 Your standard of living has already been reduced and you expect this to still be the case over the next year 50 Your standard of living has not yet been reduced, but you think that it will be The case over the next year 29 You don't expect any change or impact on your standard of living 19 Your standard or living has increased 1 Your standard of living has already been reduced and you expect this to still be the case over the next year +4 Your standard of living has not yet been reduced, but you think that it will be the case war the next year -10 You don't expect any change or impact on your standard of living +5 Your standard of living has increased 0 Don't know +1 QA25 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? (%) Once again, these results dovetail with the findings of the Standard Eurobarometer in January- February 2023, which focused more specifically on the impact of the war in Ukraine on personal finances, with a large majority of EU citizens (63%) saying that the war in Ukraine has serious financial consequences for them personally19 European Commission, Standard Eurobarometer 98 - Winter 2022-2023 (EB 98.2), available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2872 .

Comparing these results with those observed in October-November 2022, a mixed picture emerges when it comes to changes in EU citizens’ standard of living. On the one hand, the share of those who have seen their living standards worsen has slightly increased (+4 pp). On the other hand, respondents are currently much less likely to say that, while their living standards have not yet been reduced, they still expect a deterioration over the next year (-10 pp), and they are also more likely to indicate that they do not expect any change (+5 pp).

In 24 countries (compared to 14 in October-November 2022), the most common answer given by respondents is that their standard of living has already been reduced and they expect this to still be the case over the next year. Proportions who have seen a deterioration in their living standards are especially high in Cyprus (76%), Greece and Spain (both 66%).

In Denmark and the Netherlands (both 42%), most respondents say they do not expect any change or impact on your standard of living, while those in Sweden (37%) are most likely to indicate that their standard of living has not yet been reduced, but that they think this will be the case over the next year.

Your standard of living has already been reduced and you expect this to still he the case over the next year You don't expect any change or impact on your standard of living Your standard of living has not yet been reduced. but you think that it will be the case over the next year QA25 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? (% - The most mentioned answer by country) In 17 countries, respondents are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say their standard of living has already been reduced and to expect this to still be the case over the next year. Increases of at least ten percentage points are observed in Spain (66%, +12 pp), Bulgaria (62%, +11 pp), Slovakia (52%, +11 pp), Ireland (57%, +10 pp) and Poland (47%, +10 pp). Declines in this share of respondents can be seen in Denmark (34%, -5 pp), Latvia (34%, -4 pp), Belgium (47%, -3 pp) and Malta (62%, -3 pp).

The proportions whose living standards have not yet been reduced, but expect this to occur over the next year are in decline in all countries, most markedly in Luxembourg (31%, -18 pp), Denmark (22%, -16 pp), Czechia (26%, -16 pp), Finland (30%, -16 pp) and Slovakia (34%, -16 pp). Conversely, respondents are currently more likely to say they do not expect any change or impact on their living standards in 17 countries. This is especially the case of Denmark (42%, +20 pp), Belgium (23%, +12 pp) and the Netherlands (42%, +12 pp).

QA25 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	Total 'You think your standard of living will decrease in the next year'
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	50	4	29	-10	19	5	1	0	1	1	79	-6
BE	47	-3	27	-10	23	12	2	1	1	0	74	-13
BG	62	11	20	-8	15	-2	1	0	2	-1	82	3
CZ	54	6	26	-16	17	7	1	1	2	2	80	-10
DK	34	-5	22	-16	42	20	2	2	0	-1	56	-21
DE	45	5	33	-13	21	8	1	0	0	0	78	-8
EE	45	-1	31	-6	20	6	2	1	2	0	76	-7
IE	57	10	26	-12	14	1	1	1	2	0	83	-2
EL	66	0	25	-4	9	4	0	0	0	0	91	-4
ES	66	12	24	-12	9	-1	0	0	1	1	90	0
FR	63	1	21	-5	12	0	2	2	2	2	84	-4
HR	51	5	36	-4	11	-2	2	1	0	0	87	1
IT	41	0	30	-10	26	9	2	1	1	0	71	-10
CY	76	6	13	-5	8	-3	2	1	1	1	89	1
LV	34	-4	29	-11	30	11	6	4	1	0	63	-15
LT	43	3	26	-15	25	10	4	2	2	0	69	-12
LU	44	8	31	-18	22	9	2	1	1	0	75	-10
HU	47	3	40	-7	13	5	0	-1	0	0	87	-4
MT	62	-3	21	-9	14	11	3	3	0	-2	83	-12
NL	31	-2	21	-14	42	12	6	4	0	0	52	-16
AT	41	8	36	-9	20	1	2	1	1	-1	77	-1
PL	47	10	35	-10	15	-1	1	0	2	1	82	0
PT	61	4	28	-6	8	1	1	1	2	0	89	-2
RO	47	7	37	-5	13	-3	2	1	1	0	84	2
SI	46	7	28	-11	23	4	2	0	1	0	74	-4
SK	52	11	34	-16	13	5	0	0	1	0	86	-5
FI	34	7	30	-16	31	6	4	3	1	0	64	-9
SE	24	0	37	-10	36	9	3	1	0	0	61	-10

Citizens from most socio-demographic categories have experienced a deterioration in their living standards and expect this to still be the case over the next year.

Respondents aged 15-24 are less likely to say they have already seen a reduction in their standard of living (43% vs 49%-52% of those in older age groups) and slightly more likely to say they don’t expect any change or impact on their standard of living (22% vs 17%-19%). Respondents who left full- time education aged 15 or younger more likely to say they have already seen their standard of living worsen (61% vs 41% of those who finished aged 20 or older), while those who left education at the age of 20 or older are the most likely to say they do not expect any changes (23% vs 14-15% of those who finished aged 19 or younger).

Respondents in a worse socio-economic situation are more likely to say they have experienced a deterioration in their standards of living and less likely to say they do not expect any changes. For instance, more than two thirds (67%) of the unemployed say they have seen their standards of living worsen, compared to 38% of managers. Similarly, more than three quarters (78%) of those who have difficulties paying their bills most of the time say they have experienced a deterioration in their living standards, compared to 41% of those who never or rarely have difficulties.

The higher respondents place themselves on the social ladder, the less likely they are to say they have seen their standard of living worsen: 26-28% of those who consider themselves as part of the upper or upper middle class of society say this, compared to 67% of those who see themselves as working class.

QA25 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
EU27	50	29	19	1
Gender
Man	48	29	20	2
Woman	52	29	17	1
Age
15-24	43	29	22	3
25-39	49	31	17	2
40-54	51	29	17	2
55+	52	27	19	1
Education (End of)
-15	61	23	14	1
16-19	55	28	15	1
20+	42	32	23	2
Still studying	41	30	25	1
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	45	30	23	2
Managers	38	33	26	2
Other white collars	45	34	18	2
Manual workers	56	28	13	2
House persons	61	23	14	2
Unemployed	67	18	12	1
Retired	53	26	19	1
Students	41	30	25	1
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	78	13	7	1
From time to time	62	26	10	1
Almost never/ Never	41	32	24	2
Image of European Parliament
Positive	41	34	23	2
Neutral	51	29	17	1
Negative	65	20	13	1

How are things going in citizens’ personal lives?

Close to two thirds (64%, +1 pp since October-November 2022) feel that things are going in the right direction in their life personally, while slightly over a fifth (22%, -2 pp) say things are going in the wrong direction.

Given the slight decline in the overall share of those who have already experienced a decrease in their standard of living or foresee one over the next year, it is not surprising that the proportion saying things are going in the right direction has stabilised in the current survey, following a deterioration between April-May and October-November 2022.

Things are going in the right direction 64 Don't know 5 Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) 9 Things are going in the wrong direction 22 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) (%) In all Member States, the majority feel things are going in the right direction for them personally, with more than eight in ten sharing this feeling in Sweden (83%), Denmark (82%), the Netherlands and Luxembourg (both 81%). At the other side of the spectrum, less than half in Poland, Portugal (both 47%) and Romania (48%) are positive concerning their personal life.

Things are going in the wrong direction Things are going in the right direction Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous) Don't know 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 (%) Optimism that things are going in the right direction in their personal life is more common than it was in October-November 2022 in nine countries, most notably Belgium (64%, +10 pp), Italy (59%, +9 pp), Denmark (82%, +7 pp) and Finland (69%, +7 pp). This has instead declined in Czechia (65%, -6 pp), Austria (66%, -5 pp) and Slovakia (56%, -4 pp). The proportion who feel things are going in the right direction has remained stable or unchanged in 15 countries.

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 (%)

Things are going in the right direction	Things are going in the wrong direction	Neither the one nor the other (Spontaneous)	Don't know
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	64	1	22	-2	9	1	5	0
BE	64	10	28	-7	5	0	3	-3
BG	56	3	17	0	14	1	13	-4
CZ	65	-6	27	5	3	0	5	1
DK	82	7	7	-5	8	-3	3	1
DE	74	-2	14	1	9	0	3	1
EE	76	5	8	-3	9	1	7	-3
IE	80	0	8	-1	4	-2	8	3
EL	71	1	17	1	10	-1	2	-1
ES	69	2	19	-4	10	2	2	0
FR	61	0	23	-3	10	2	6	1
HR	50	-2	38	4	7	-1	5	-1
IT	59	9	29	-7	8	0	4	-2
CY	68	0	14	1	17	1	1	-2
LV	74	1	11	-1	6	-2	9	2
LT	73	1	10	-1	13	0	4	0
LU	81	-1	9	2	7	-2	3	1
HU	55	5	34	-7	6	0	5	2
MT	75	-1	5	0	17	1	3	0
NL	81	4	6	-5	11	1	2	0
AT	66	-5	18	5	14	0	2	0
PL	47	0	33	-3	10	3	10	0
PT	47	1	25	-3	17	5	11	-3
RO	48	-1	41	1	6	1	5	-1
SI	80	1	8	-1	10	1	2	-1
SK	56	-4	29	6	9	-2	6	0
FI	69	7	8	-7	18	4	5	-4
SE	83	3	10	0	5	-3	2	0

The younger the respondents, the more likely they are to feel optimistic regarding the direction things are going in their personal lives (74% of those aged 15-24 vs 60% of those aged 55 or over). The level of education also plays a role, with 72% of those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older who feel things are going in the right direction, compared to 52% who feel this way among those who left education aged 15 or younger.

Managers (79%) are the most likely to be positive (compared to 42% of the unemployed), as are those who have the least financial difficulties (75% of those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills vs 34% of those who have difficulties most of the time). In addition, the feeling that things are going in the wrong direction in their life is shared by a majority among those who have the most difficulties paying their bills (49%).

Those who place themselves higher on the social ladder are more likely to feel positive about the direction their life is taking (83% of those who consider themselves as part of the upper or upper middle class vs 51% of those who see themselves as working class).

Finally, those who have seen their standard of living deteriorate are much less likely to feel things are going in the right direction in their life personally than those who have not (yet) experienced a decline (55% vs 72-78%).

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)

Things are going in the right direction	Things are going in the wrong direction	Don't know
EU27	64	22	5
Gender
Man	66	21	4
Woman	63	23	5
Age
15-24	74	16	3
25-39	68	20	4
40-54	63	24	4
55+	60	23	6
Education (End of)
-15	52	29	7
16-19	60	26	4
20+	72	16	4
Still studying	77	13	4
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	69	18	5
Managers	79	11	3
Other white collars	67	22	4
Manual workers	59	27	4
House persons	52	31	7
Unemployed	42	41	4
Retired	61	22	6
Students	77	13	4
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	34	49	5
From time to time	50	35	5
Almost never/ Never	75	13	4
Consider belonging to
The working class	51	31	6
The lower middle class	55	30	4
The middle class	71	17	4
The upper middle class	83	10	2
The upper class	83	11	3
Your standard of living has
Already been reduced	55	28	5
Not yet been reduced but will be	72	17	4
Not changed / increase	78	13	3

Citizens’ expectations about their living conditions in one year’s time

Around four in ten (39%, -1 pp since October-November 2022) expect their living conditions to be worse in one year’s time, while slightly more than one in ten (12%, -1 pp) think they will be better. The majority (46%, +4 pp) expect them to stay the same.

As with optimism regarding the future direction their personal life is taking, expectations that living conditions will deteriorate have also stabilised, following a large increase between November- December 2021 and October-November 2022.

Better 12 Worse 39 The same 45 Don't know 3 SD21.1 In one year’s time, do you think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? Your living conditions (EU27) (%) In eight countries, the majority view is that living conditions will get worse in the next year, with the highest proportions seen in Slovakia (59%), Czechia (55%), France and Greece (both 49%). In the remaining 19 countries, the majority expects living conditions to stay the same. This is particularly the case for Denmark, Finland (both 65%) and the Netherlands (62%).

In all countries, less than one in five think their living conditions will be better in one year’s time. Respondents are most likely to share this view in Latvia (19%), Croatia and Denmark (both 18%).

In eight countries, respondents are less likely than they were in October-November 2022 to expect their living conditions to be better in one year’s time, with the largest declines observed in Sweden (12%, -7 pp), Luxembourg (11%, -6 pp) and Romania (17%, -6 pp).

Better The same Worse Don’t know SD21.1 In one year’s time, do you think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? Your living conditions (%)

Spain (37%, +8 pp), Luxembourg (42%, +7 pp), France (49%, +4 pp) and Slovenia (43%, +4 pp) are the only countries where the proportions who expect their living conditions to deteriorate over the next year have increased. On the flip side, this share of respondents has declined in 11 countries, most markedly in Malta (38%, -9 pp), Latvia (23%, -9 pp), Hungary (35%, -8 pp) and Lithuania (26%, -8 pp).

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

Better	Worse	The same	Don't know
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	12	-1	39	-1	46	4	3	-2
BE	11	-2	41	-6	47	9	1	-1
BG	14	0	33	-2	41	3	12	-1
CZ	6	-2	55	2	36	0	3	0
DK	18	0	16	-6	65	7	1	-1
DE	9	1	43	-6	46	7	2	-2
EE	14	1	30	-3	49	3	7	-1
IE	13	-4	24	1	58	4	5	-1
EL	10	1	49	-4	40	4	1	-1
ES	12	-4	37	8	48	-3	3	-1
FR	12	0	49	4	35	-3	4	-1
HR	18	-4	41	2	40	2	1	0
IT	14	-4	28	-6	55	13	3	-3
CY	14	2	39	-4	44	6	3	-4
LV	19	1	23	-9	50	10	8	-2
LT	16	2	26	-8	52	5	6	1
LU	11	-6	42	7	45	2	2	-3
HU	12	2	35	-8	48	4	5	2
MT	12	-1	38	-9	45	10	5	0
NL	17	-4	19	-1	62	4	2	1
AT	12	0	41	2	44	0	3	-2
PL	12	0	43	0	40	1	5	-1
PT	7	-2	46	-3	39	7	8	-2
RO	17	-6	39	-4	42	12	2	-2
SI	12	-2	43	4	42	-1	3	-1
SK	8	-2	59	2	29	3	4	-3
FI	16	-1	16	0	65	1	3	0
SE	12	-7	29	-1	59	9	0	-1

Respondents in most socio-demographic groups are more likely to think their living conditions will be worse in a year’s time than to think they will be better.

Respondents aged 25 or over are more likely than those aged 15-24 to expect their living conditions to get worse (37-41% vs 30%). The feeling that living conditions will be worse is also more prevalent among respondents who finished full-time education before the age of 20 (43-46% vs 35% of those who completed education aged 20 or older).

The unemployed (48%), house persons (46%) and manual workers (45%) are most likely to think their living conditions will be worse in one year’s time, particularly when compared to managers (31%). The same holds true for those who have the most difficulties paying their bills (61%, vs 32% of those who never or rarely have difficulties).

Respondents who consider themselves as part of the upper class of society are the only ones among which the feeling that living conditions will be better is prevalent (26% ‘better’ vs 20% ‘worse’) and, together with those who see themselves as upper middle class (22%), are the least likely to expect conditions to get worse (compared to 50% of those who consider themselves as working class).

Respondents who live in rural villages or small/mid-sized towns are more likely than those who live in larger towns to expect the situation to become worse (40-41% vs 35%).

Proportions of respondents who expect their living conditions to improve over the next year are the highest among 15-24 year-olds (20%), the unemployed (19%) and those who see themselves as upper class (26%).

SD21.1 In one year’s time, do you think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? Your living conditions (EU27) (%)

Better	Worse	The same	Don't know
EU27	12	39	46	3
Gender
Man	14	37	46	3
Woman	10	41	46	3
Age
15-24	20	30	45	5
25-39	18	37	42	3
40-54	12	41	44	3
55+	7	41	49	3
Education (End of)
-15	7	46	43	4
16-19	12	43	42	3
20+	13	35	50	2
Still studying	18	28	48	6
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	15	34	48	3
Managers	14	31	53	2
Other white collars	13	36	48	3
Manual workers	14	45	38	3
House persons	9	46	42	3
Unemployed	19	48	29	4
Retired	5	42	50	3
Students	18	28	48	6
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	11	61	26	2
From time to time	11	49	37	3
Almost never/ Never	13	32	52	3
Consider belonging to
The working class	9	50	38	3
The lower middle class	9	48	40	3
The middle class	14	34	49	3
The upper middle class	16	22	60	2
The upper class	26	20	53	1
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	10	41	46	3
Small / mid size town	13	40	44	3
Large town	13	35	48	4

Citizens’ expectations about their national economy

Don't know 4 The same 31 Worse 52 Better 13 SD21.2 In one year’s time, do you think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? The situation of the (Nationality) economy (EU27) (%) EU citizens have become less pessimistic about the situation of their national economy, even though this does not directly translate into a stronger positive outlook. A majority of respondents (52%) expect the national economic situation to get worse in one year’s time. This proportion has declined by eight percentage points since October-November 2022, following a major rise in this share of respondents between November-December 2021 and October-November 2022 (+23 pp). Around three in ten (31%) think the situation will stay the same – an increase by seven percentage points. Lastly, more than one in ten (13%, +2 pp) expect the situation to improve over the next year.

In all but one Member States, a majority expect the situation of their national economy to be worse in one year’s time, with proportions ranging from 69% in Sweden, 68% in Slovakia and 64% in Czechia, to 40% in Italy and 42% in Lithuania and Cyprus. Denmark (34%) is the only country where respondents who expect the situation to get worse are in the minority.

Along with Denmark (42%), relatively high shares of respondents in Cyprus (40%), Italy (39%) and Lithuania (38%) think the situation with the national economy will stay the same. Less than one in five in each country expect the situation to get better. Respondents in Denmark, Austria (both 19%), Italy and Malta (18%) are the most likely to be optimistic.

Better The same Worse SD21.2 In one year’s time, do you think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? The situation of the (NATIONALITY) economy (%) In 21 countries, there have been decreases in the proportions who expect the situation of the national economy to get worse in one year’s time. Declines by at least ten percentage points are observed in nine countries, most notably in Germany (54%, -20 pp), the Netherlands (52%, -17 pp) and Lithuania (42%, -16 pp).

Optimism about the situation of the national economy over the next year has increased in eight countries, especially in Germany (15%, +9 pp), Austria (19%, +5 pp), Hungary (13%, +5 pp) and Finland (14%, +5 pp).

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

Better	Worse	The same	Don't know
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	13	2	52	-8	31	7	4	-1
BE	13	3	52	-12	33	9	2	0
BG	11	-1	46	-3	30	1	13	3
CZ	10	2	64	-8	22	6	4	0
DK	19	2	34	-11	42	8	5	1
DE	15	9	54	-20	28	12	3	-1
EE	12	4	54	-13	24	6	10	3
IE	15	1	44	-2	35	5	6	-4
EL	9	1	57	-6	33	6	1	-1
ES	10	-1	51	1	36	2	3	-2
FR	8	1	61	-1	23	-2	8	2
HR	13	-2	52	-3	34	6	1	-1
IT	18	0	40	-9	39	10	3	-1
CY	13	1	42	-10	40	10	5	-1
LV	13	-1	47	-4	31	8	9	-3
LT	14	2	42	-16	38	13	6	1
LU	13	-1	46	0	36	5	5	-4
HU	13	5	45	-10	37	4	5	1
MT	18	-1	47	-7	27	8	8	0
NL	14	3	52	-17	31	13	3	1
AT	19	5	43	-9	32	4	6	0
PL	14	1	51	-7	31	7	4	-1
PT	7	0	55	-6	30	8	8	-2
RO	17	-2	47	-3	32	6	4	-1
SI	13	3	56	-2	27	0	4	-1
SK	6	-1	68	-4	22	7	4	-2
FI	14	5	51	-12	29	6	6	1
SE	11	-1	69	-1	19	3	1	-1

Socio-demographic findings are similar to those observed for expectations about living conditions. Respondents above the age of 24 are more inclined than their younger counterparts to expect the situation of their national economy to get worse in one year’s time (52-55% vs 45%).

House persons (60%), the unemployed and manual workers (both 57%) are most likely to think the national economic situation will be worse, compared to managers (51%), self-employed and other white collars (both 50%).

Respondents who have difficulties paying their bills most of the time are much more likely than those who rarely or never have difficulties to expect the situation to get worse (67% vs 48%). Similarly, those who consider themselves as part of the upper class of society are less likely than those who consider themselves as working class or lower middle class to think the national economic situation will deteriorate (43% vs 57- 58%).

Expectations with regard to the national economic situation are also related to those concerning living conditions. More than eight in ten (86%) of those who expect their living conditions to get worse also expect this for their national economy.

Optimism about the prospects of their national economy in one year’s time is most widespread among 15- 24 year-olds (15%), managers (16%), those who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills (15%) and those who see themselves as belonging to the upper or upper middle class (19-20%).

SD21.2 In one year’s time, do you think that each of the following will be better, worse, or the same as today? The situation of the (NATIONALITY) economy (% - EU27)

Better	Worse	The same	Don't know
EU27	13	52	31	4
Gender
Man	14	50	31	5
Woman	12	54	30	4
Age
15-24	15	45	33	7
25-39	14	54	29	3
40-54	13	55	29	3
55+	11	52	32	5
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	15	50	31	4
Managers	16	51	31	2
Other white collars	15	50	32	3
Manual workers	12	57	27	4
House persons	9	60	28	3
Unemployed	11	57	27	5
Retired	11	51	32	6
Students	15	43	35	7
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	8	67	21	4
From time to time	10	57	29	4
Almost never/ Never	15	48	33	4
Consider belonging to
The working class	8	58	29	5
The lower middle class	10	57	29	4
The middle class	15	48	33	4
The upper middle class	19	49	29	3
The upper class	20	43	36	1
Expectations situation of living conditions
Better	56	28	14	2
Worse	4	86	8	2
Same	9	31	57	3

Difficulties paying bills

The majority of respondents (63%) never or almost never have difficulties paying their bills, an increase by three percentage points since October-November 2022. Close to three in ten (28%, -2 pp) have difficulties from time to time and less than one in ten (8%, -1 pp) have difficulties most of the time.

In all but one Member States, a majority expect the situation of their national economy to be worse in one year’s time, with proportions ranging from 69% in Sweden, 68% in Slovakia and 64% in Czechia, to 40% in Italy and 42% in Lithuania and Cyprus. Denmark (34%) is the only country where respondents who expect the situation to get worse are in the minority.

Most of the time 8 From time to time 28 Almost never! Never 63 D60 During the last twelve months, would you say you had difficulties to pay your bills at the end of the month…? (EU27) (%) In 20 countries, the majority say they never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills, with the highest proportions seen in Sweden (92%), Denmark (88%) and Finland (82%).

Respondents in Greece (37%) are by far the most likely to say they have difficulties paying their bills most of the time, followed by those in Portugal (21%) and Bulgaria (19%). Greece is also the only country where the proportion of respondents who have difficulties most of the time is higher than the one who never or almost never have difficulties (15%).

Almost never / Never From time to time Most of the 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…? (%)

Compared to October-November 2022, respondents in Malta (73%, +23 pp) are significantly more likely to say they never or almost never have difficulties paying their bills, followed by those in Italy (45%, +11 pp), Slovenia (73%, +6 pp) and Cyprus (45%, +5 pp). Malta (6%, -6 pp) and Italy (8%, -5 pp) are also the countries where there has been a notable decrease in the share of respondents who say they have difficulties most of the time.

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	Almost never/ Never	Refusal (Spontaneous)
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	8	-1	28	-2	63	3	1	0
BE	11	0	29	-2	60	3	0	-1
BG	19	1	44	-2	35	1	2	0
CZ	6	-1	25	3	68	-2	1	0
DK	1	0	10	2	88	-3	1	1
DE	5	0	20	-2	74	2	1	0
EE	10	2	25	-5	62	1	3	2
IE	11	2	33	-2	54	0	2	0
EL	37	2	48	-3	15	1	0	0
ES	10	1	25	-1	64	-1	1	1
FR	10	-1	26	-2	62	1	2	2
HR	11	2	44	-6	44	3	1	1
IT	8	-5	45	-6	45	11	2	0
CY	15	-3	38	-3	45	5	2	1
LV	9	1	30	4	61	-4	0	-1
LT	7	-3	23	1	70	3	0	-1
LU	2	-1	18	4	78	-4	2	1
HU	4	0	22	-2	73	2	1	0
MT	6	-6	21	-17	73	23	0	0
NL	5	0	13	2	81	-2	1	0
AT	7	1	22	-1	67	0	4	0
PL	2	-1	23	-4	74	4	1	1
PT	21	4	41	-7	38	4	0	-1
RO	11	1	50	-3	39	2	0	0
SI	8	-3	19	-3	73	6	0	0
SK	5	2	26	-2	67	-1	2	1
FI	3	-1	15	-1	82	2	0	0
SE	1	-1	7	0	92	1	0	0

The socio-demographic analysis shows that the oldest respondents (aged 55 or over) are the most likely to say they never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills (66% vs 59-61% of those aged 15-54). The same holds true for those with the highest education levels (75% of those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older vs 51-57% of those who left aged 19 or younger).

Managers (81%) are the most likely to say they never or almost never have difficulties, particularly when compared to the unemployed (33%). The higher respondents place themselves on the social ladder, the more likely they are to say they never or rarely experience financial difficulties (87-91% of those who see themselves as part of the upper or upper middle class of society vs 45% of those who consider themselves as working class).

Those who have seen their standard of living reduced are least likely to say they never or almost never have difficulties paying their bills (51% vs 70-79% of those who say their living standards have not yet been reduced but expect it will be, and those who have not experienced any changes).

Proportions who have difficulties paying bills most of the time are highest among those who finished education aged 15 or younger (15%), the unemployed (28%) and those who consider themselves as being part of the working class (18%).

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	Almost never/ Never
EU27	8	28	63
Gender
Man	8	26	64
Woman	8	30	61
Age
15-24	8	29	59
25-39	9	30	61
40-54	9	30	60
55+	8	25	66
Education (End of)
-15	15	33	51
16-19	9	33	57
20+	5	19	75
Still studying	6	26	63
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	8	24	67
Managers	2	16	81
Other white collars	6	29	64
Manual workers	10	36	53
House persons	15	37	48
Unemployed	28	39	33
Retired	7	24	68
Students	6	26	63
Consider belonging to
The working class	18	36	45
The lower middle class	12	37	50
The middle class	4	25	70
The upper middle class	2	10	87
The upper class	0	8	91
Your standard of living has
Already been reduced	13	35	51
Not yet been reduced but will be	4	25	70
Not changed / increase	4	16	79

1.4. The state of democracy in the EU

The majority of Europeans are satisfied with the way democracy works both in the EU and in their country. More than half (54%) are satisfied with the way democracy works in the EU, including one in twenty who are ‘very satisfied’. These figures have remained unchanged since October-November 2022. Around four in ten (41%, +1 pp) say they are not satisfied, with one in ten (no change) who are ‘not at all satisfied’.

Similarly, nearly six in ten (56%) are satisfied with the way democracy works in their country, with 7% saying they are ‘very satisfied’. Even in this case, figures have remained unchanged since October- November 2022. Around four in ten (42%, no change) are not satisfied, including 11% (-1 pp) who are ‘not at all satisfied’.

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 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)? SD18b And how about the way democracy works in the EU? Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know Mar. 2023 – Oct/Nov 2022

In 24 countries, the majority are satisfied with the way democracy works at EU level, with the highest proportions seen in Ireland (82%), Luxembourg (73%) and Denmark (72%). Greece (34% ‘satisfied’ vs 61% ‘not satisfied’), Slovakia (37% vs 54%) and France (42% vs 48%) are the only countries where only a minority are satisfied. Relatively high proportions who are ‘very satisfied’ with the way democracy works in the EU are found in Ireland (21%) and Denmark (14%).

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

Majorities in 19 countries are satisfied with the way democracy works in their country, with those in Finland (88%), Denmark and Ireland (86%) being the most likely to be satisfied. Satisfaction levels are the lowest in Greece (29%), Slovakia (31%) and Bulgaria (35%). In these countries, as well as in other four, dissatisfaction is the majority view, while opinions are divided in Malta (49% ‘satisfied’ vs 49% not satisfied’). More than one fifth of respondents in Denmark (40%), Finland (28%), Ireland (25%) and Sweden (24%) are ‘very satisfied’ with the way democracy works at national level.

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know 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)? (%)

The level of satisfaction with the way democracy works at national level has increased in 12 Member States since October-November 2022, and most markedly in the Netherlands (71%, +12 pp), Cyprus (50%, +10 pp) and Lithuania (53%, +8 pp). Satisfaction has declined in seven countries, with Malta (49%, -21 pp) seeing a very large decrease, followed by Romania (41%, -6 pp) and Portugal (63%, -5 pp).

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)? (%)

Very satisfied	Fairly satisfied	Not very satisfied	Not at all satisfied	Don't know	Don't know	Total 'Not satisfied'
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	7	0	49	0	31	1	11	-1	2	0	56	0	42	0
BE	7	0	60	4	26	-1	6	-3	1	0	67	4	32	-4
BG	4	1	31	0	36	0	26	-1	3	0	35	1	62	-1
CZ	7	1	49	-5	30	4	12	-1	2	1	56	-4	42	3
DK	40	-3	46	0	9	2	4	1	1	0	86	-3	13	3
DE	8	1	59	-2	25	2	6	-1	2	0	67	-1	31	1
EE	8	4	51	0	25	-2	11	-1	5	-1	59	4	36	-3
IE	25	2	61	0	11	0	2	0	1	-2	86	2	13	0
EL	2	-1	27	-4	40	1	31	5	0	-1	29	-5	71	6
ES	6	-1	40	-3	40	3	13	3	1	-2	46	-4	53	6
FR	4	-1	45	0	31	2	17	-1	3	0	49	-1	48	1
HR	2	0	37	0	46	1	14	-1	1	0	39	0	60	0
IT	5	0	52	5	34	-1	8	-4	1	0	57	5	42	-5
CY	4	-1	46	11	39	-1	10	-9	1	0	50	10	49	-10
LV	7	0	58	4	23	0	9	-4	3	0	65	4	32	-4
LT	3	-1	50	9	36	-3	6	-6	5	1	53	8	42	-9
LU	19	-3	65	2	12	2	2	-1	2	0	84	-1	14	1
HU	3	0	42	1	38	2	16	-3	1	0	45	1	54	-1
MT	4	-34	45	13	35	12	14	10	2	-1	49	-21	49	22
NL	12	4	59	8	23	-9	6	-2	0	-1	71	12	29	-11
AT	16	3	50	1	22	-4	10	0	2	0	66	4	32	-4
PL	5	0	48	6	29	-1	15	-4	3	-1	53	6	44	-5
PT	1	0	62	-5	31	5	4	0	2	0	63	-5	35	5
RO	3	1	38	-7	45	7	11	-1	3	0	41	-6	56	6
SI	2	0	49	3	38	-5	9	1	2	1	51	3	47	-4
SK	1	-1	30	1	50	2	18	-2	1	0	31	0	68	0
FI	28	7	60	-2	10	-2	1	-1	1	-2	88	5	11	-3
SE	24	-3	61	6	12	-4	3	1	0	0	85	3	15	-3

Satisfaction with the way democracy works in the EU has increased in ten countries compared to October- November 2022. Cyprus (56%, +13 pp) stands out for a large increase in the proportion who are satisfied, followed by Latvia (71%, +8 pp) and Belgium (64%, +8 pp). This share of respondents has declined in six countries, most notably in Malta (61%, -11 pp), Czechia (51%, -7 pp) and Denmark (72%, -6 pp).

SD18b And how about the way democracy works in the EU? (%)

Very satisfied	Fairly satisfied	Not very satisfied	Not at all satisfied	Don't know	Don't know	Total 'Not satisfied'
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	5	0	49	0	31	1	10	0	5	-1	54	0	41	1
BE	6	2	58	6	27	-3	7	-4	2	-1	64	8	34	-7
BG	8	-1	39	0	26	0	15	1	12	0	47	-1	41	1
CZ	4	0	47	-7	32	6	13	0	4	1	51	-7	45	6
DK	14	-3	58	-3	16	3	4	0	8	3	72	-6	20	3
DE	4	0	48	-1	37	2	8	-1	3	0	52	-1	45	1
EE	5	2	50	4	23	-2	9	0	13	-4	55	6	32	-2
IE	21	2	61	2	9	-3	2	-1	7	0	82	4	11	-4
EL	2	0	32	-1	37	2	24	-2	5	1	34	-1	61	0
ES	6	-1	44	-1	35	2	9	1	6	-1	50	-2	44	3
FR	0	-2	42	-1	30	2	18	1	10	0	42	-3	48	3
HR	3	1	50	-1	38	-1	5	0	4	1	53	0	43	-1
IT	5	0	53	5	33	1	6	-6	3	0	58	5	39	-5
CY	3	-2	53	15	32	-7	8	-5	4	-1	56	13	40	-12
LV	7	0	64	8	18	-1	4	-4	7	-3	71	8	22	-5
LT	6	0	59	6	18	-7	4	-1	13	2	65	6	22	-8
LU	11	2	62	-5	16	0	8	3	3	0	73	-3	24	3
HU	2	-2	53	3	31	-1	9	1	5	-1	55	1	40	0
MT	3	-35	58	24	25	5	4	3	10	3	61	-11	29	8
NL	3	0	56	2	29	-1	7	0	5	-1	59	2	36	-1
AT	11	1	42	2	29	-1	13	-3	5	1	53	3	42	-4
PL	11	-1	57	2	22	-1	5	1	5	-1	68	1	27	0
PT	2	0	65	-3	24	4	3	0	6	-1	67	-3	27	4
RO	6	2	46	-4	33	-1	10	3	5	0	52	-2	43	2
SI	3	2	49	1	35	-4	9	1	4	0	52	3	44	-3
SK	2	-1	35	2	39	0	15	2	9	-3	37	1	54	2
FI	7	3	61	2	22	-4	3	-1	7	0	68	5	25	-5
SE	5	-3	62	4	23	0	4	1	6	-2	67	1	27	1

The socio-demographic analysis highlights similar patterns when it comes to satisfaction with the way democracy works at both EU and national levels, with younger and more educated respondents and those in a better socio-economic situation being more likely to be satisfied.

Respondents aged 15-24 are the most likely to be satisfied with the way democracy works at both EU (61% vs 51-56% of those aged 25 or over) and national (62% vs 55-56%) levels. Respondents who finished full-time education aged 20 or older are also more likely to be satisfied than those who finished aged 19 or younger (61% vs 43-51% at EU level, 63% vs 49-52% at national level).

Managers (66% at EU level, 69% at national level) are the most likely to be satisfied with the way democracy works, particularly when compared to the unemployed (40% and 41%). Respondents who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills are more likely to be satisfied than those who have difficulties more often (60% vs 32-48% at EU level, 64% vs 32-47% at national level).

In addition, those who have a positive image of the EU are more likely than those who have a negative image to be satisfied with the way democracy works in the EU (78% vs 16%). The same holds true when it comes to the image of the European Parliament (81% vs 19%).

SD18 On the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way democracy works in ... (% - EU27)

(Our country)	the EU
EU27	56	54
Gender
Man	58	56
Woman	56	53
Age
15-24	62	61
25-39	56	56
40-54	55	54
55+	56	51
Education (End of)
-15	49	43
16-19	52	51
20+	63	61
Still studying	65	65
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	58	55
Managers	69	66
Other white collars	60	61
Manual workers	50	48
House persons	47	47
Unemployed	41	40
Retired	56	51
Students	65	65
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	32	32
From time to time	47	48
Almost never/ Never	64	60
Image of the EU
Positive	73	78
Neutral	51	43
Negative	27	16
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	74	81
Neutral	56	48
Negative	28	19

Satisfaction with different aspects of democracy in the EU

The present survey also assesses the level of satisfaction with ten different aspects of EU democracy and finds that a majority of EU citizens is satisfied with 7 of these 10 aspects.

EU citizens are most satisfied with free and fair elections (70%) and freedom of speech (70%), followed by respect for fundamental rights (66%), the possibility for individual citizens to participate in political life (61%) and media diversity (60%). Majorities are also satisfied with the opportunities for civil society (i.e. citizens, associations, NGOs) to protect democracy (59%) and with the rule of law (58%).

Free and fair elections Freedom of speech The possibility for individual citizens to participate in political life {i.e. as candidates in elections, members of political parties} Media diversity The rule of law (Le. the respect for independence of the judiciary. the integrity and impartiality of the electoral system] Very satisﬁed Fairly satisﬁed Not very satisﬁed Not at all satisﬁed Don't know QA11 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? (EU27) (%) Nonetheless, satisfaction is considerably lower for political parties taking into account the interests of people like them (43%), the fight against disinformation in the media (41%) and the fight against corruption (35%). These are also the only aspects for which dissatisfaction prevails (52%, 52% and 60%, respectively).

Respect for fundamental rights The opportunities for civil society (Le. citizens, associations, N605) to protect democracy Political parties taking into account the interests of people like you The ﬁght against disinformation in the media (Le. false. exaggerated or misrepresented news stories) The ﬁght against corruption Very satisﬁed Fairly satisﬁed Not very satisﬁed Not at all satisﬁed Don't know QA11 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? (EU27) (%) Seven in ten are satisfied with free and fair elections in the EU, including around one fifth (21%) who are ‘very satisfied’. Conversely, around one quarter (26%) say they are not satisfied with this aspect.

Very satisﬁed 21 Fairly satisﬁed 49 Not very satisﬁed 19 Not at all satisﬁed 7 Don't know 4 QA11.1 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Free and fair elections (EU27) (%)

In all but one country, a majority of respondents are satisfied with free and fair elections in the EU, with the highest proportions observed in Portugal (85%), the Netherlands and Finland (both 84%). The only exception is Bulgaria, where 41% are satisfied and 52% are dissatisfied. Along with Bulgaria, satisfaction levels are lowest in Croatia (49%) and Romania (54%).

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.1 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Free and fair elections (%) Seven in ten are also satisfied with freedom of speech, with a fifth saying they are ‘very satisfied’. Close to three in ten (28%) are not satisfied with this aspect.

Very satisﬁed 20 Fairly satisﬁed 50 Not very satisﬁed 21 Not at all satisﬁed 7 Don't know 2 QA11.2 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Freedom of speech (EU27) (%) Respondents who are satisfied with freedom of speech are in the majority in all countries. Proportions range from more than eight in ten in Denmark, Finland (both 83%), Ireland and the Netherlands (both 81%) to six in ten or less in Slovakia (53%), France (59%), Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece and Latvia (all 60%).

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.2 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Freedom of speech (%)

Two thirds of the respondents (66%) are satisfied with the respect for fundamental rights, including 15% who are ‘very satisfied’, whereas three in ten say they are not satisfied.

Very satisﬁed 15 Fairly satisﬁed 51 Not very satisﬁed 23 Not at all satisﬁed 7 Don't know 4 QA11.6 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Respect for fundamental rights (EU27) (%) Majorities are satisfied with the respect for fundamental rights in 26 EU Member States. Respondents are most likely to be satisfied with this aspect in Finland (85%), Ireland (81%) and the Netherlands (78%). At the opposite end of the scale, Greece is the only country where those who are satisfied are in the minority (45% ‘satisfied’ vs 54% ‘dissatisfied’). Levels of satisfaction are also relatively lower in Slovakia (50%) and Romania (54%).

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.6 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Respect for fundamental rights (%)

Around six in ten (61%) express satisfaction with the possibility for individual citizens to participate in political life, with 14% saying they are ‘very satisfied’. One third of the respondents (33%) are not satisfied with this aspect of democracy in the EU.

Very satisﬁed 14 Fairly satisﬁed 47 Not very satisﬁed 25 Not at all satisﬁed 8 Don't know 6 QA11.4 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The possibility for individual citizens to participate in political life (i.e. as candidates in elections, members of political parties) (EU27) (%)

Majorities in all countries are satisfied with the possibility for individual citizens to participate in political life, with proportions ranging from at least three quarters in Finland (77%), Ireland (76%), Denmark and Poland (both 75%) to less than half in France (47%) and Romania (49%).

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.4 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The possibility for individual citizens to participate in political life (i.e. as candidates in elections, members of political parties) (%)

Six in ten say they are satisfied with media diversity in the EU, including 14% who are ‘very satisfied’. Slightly more than one third (34%) say they are not satisfied with this aspect.

Very satisﬁed 14 Fairly satisﬁed 46 Not very satisﬁed 25 Not at all satisﬁed 9 Don’t know 6 QA11.3 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Media diversity (EU27) (%) Satisfaction with media diversity outweighs dissatisfaction in all but one EU Member States. More than seven in ten in Portugal (83%), Austria (73%), Estonia, Finland and Lithuania (all 72%) are satisfied with this aspect, while France is the only country where a minority is satisfied (42% ‘satisfied’ vs 45% ‘dissatisfied’). Together with France, satisfaction levels are lowest in Slovenia (52%) and Slovakia (53%).

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.3 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Media diversity (%)

A majority of respondents (59%) are satisfied with the opportunities for civil society (i.e. citizens, associations, NGOs) to protect democracy, with 11% who are ‘very satisfied’. One third of the respondents (33%) express dissatisfaction with this aspect of democracy in the EU.

Very satisﬁed 11 Fairly satisﬁed 48 Not very satisﬁed 26 Not at all satisﬁed 7 Don't know 8 QA11.7 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The opportunities for civil society (i.e. citizens, associations, NGOs) to protect democracy (EU27) (%) Respondents who are satisfied with the opportunities for civil society (i.e. citizens, associations, NGOs) to protect democracy are in the majority in 26 countries. Satisfaction levels are particularly high in Denmark, Luxembourg (both 75%) and Ireland (74%). Greece is the only country where a minority of respondents are satisfied (40% ‘satisfied vs 54% ‘dissatisfied’), and less than half are satisfied also in Slovakia (47%) and Slovenia (48%).

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.7 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The opportunities for civil society (i.e. citizens, associations, NGOs) to protect democracy (%)

Close to six in ten (58%) say they are satisfied with the rule of law in the European Union, including around one in ten (11%) who say they are ‘very satisfied’. More than one third (36%) express dissatisfaction.

Very satisﬁed 11 Fairly satisﬁed 47 Not very satisﬁed 27 Not at all satisﬁed 9 Don't know 6 QA11.5 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The rule of law (i.e. the respect for independence of the judiciary, the integrity and impartiality of the electoral system) (EU27) (%)

In 22 countries, majorities are satisfied with the rule of law in the European Union, with respondents in Ireland (79%), Denmark (74%) and Finland (73%) being the most likely to be satisfied with this aspect. Conversely, dissatisfaction outweighs satisfaction in four countries: Slovakia (36% ‘satisfied’ vs 59% ‘dissatisfied’), Bulgaria (37% vs 56%), Greece (38% vs 60%) and Slovenia (45% vs 50%). Opinions are divided in Croatia (48% ‘satisfied’ vs 48% ‘dissatisfied’).

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.5 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The rule of law (i.e. the respect for independence of the judiciary, the integrity and impartiality of the electoral system) (%)

More than four in ten (43%) are satisfied with political parties taking into account the interests of people like them, with less than a tenth (8%) saying they are ‘very satisfied. By contrast, a majority (52%) are dissatisfied with this aspect, including close to one fifth (18%) who say they are ‘not at all satisfied’.

Don’t know 5 Very satisfied 8 Fairly satisfied 35 Not very satisfied 34 Not at all satisfied 18 QA11.8 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Political parties taking into account the interests of people like you (EU27) (%) In ten countries, respondents are more likely to be satisfied than to be dissatisfied with political parties taking into account the interests of people like them, with proportions ranging from more than six in ten in Denmark, Poland (both 63%) and Ireland (62%), to 22% in Greece and 27% in Cyprus and France.

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.8 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? Political parties taking into account the interests of people like you (%)

A minority of respondents (41%) are satisfied with the fight against disinformation in the media, including less than one in ten (8%) who are ‘very satisfied’. Conversely, more than half (52%) are not satisfied with this aspect. This proportion includes 15% who say they are ‘not at all satisfied’.

Very satisﬁed 8 Fairly satisﬁed 33 Not very satisﬁed 37 Not at all satisﬁed 15 Don't know 7 QA11.9 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The fight against disinformation in the media (i.e. false, exaggerated or misrepresented news stories) (EU27) (%) Satisfaction with the fight against disinformation in the media outweighs dissatisfaction in nine countries. Poland (63%), Ireland (60%) and Portugal (58%) are the countries where respondents are the most likely to be satisfied with this aspect. On the flip side, 21% in Greece and 27% in Cyprus and France say they are satisfied.

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.9 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The fight against disinformation in the media (i.e. false, exaggerated or misrepresented news stories) (%)

Slightly above one third (35%) are satisfied with the fight against corruption, with 8% saying they are ‘very satisfied’. However the large majority of respondents (60%) express dissatisfaction with this aspect, including more than one fifth (22%) who are ‘not at all satisfied’.

Very satisﬁed 8 Fairly satisﬁed 27 Not very satisﬁed 38 Not at all satisﬁed 22 Don't know 5 QA11.10 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The fight against corruption (EU27) (%)

In Ireland (58%), Poland (57%) and Denmark (48%), a majority is satisfied with the fight against corruption, while this view is in the minority in the remaining 24 countries. The lowest level of satisfaction is observed in Czechia, Greece (both 18%) and Cyprus (20%).

Total 'Satisﬁed’ Total 'Not satisﬁed' Don't know QA11.10 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? The fight against corruption (%)

When analysing the results by the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, consistent patterns in levels of satisfaction can be observed for all the aspects of democracy in the European Union. In particular, satisfaction levels tend to vary according to age, education level, socio-economic status and attitudes towards the EU.

The youngest respondents (aged 15-24) tend to express higher levels of satisfaction with most aspects of democracy in the EU. This pattern is most notable when it comes to the fight against corruption (40% vs 31% of those aged 55 or over) and political parties taking into account the interests of people like them (48% vs 40%).

More highly educated respondents are more likely to be satisfied with each of the specific aspects. For instance, those who ended full-time education aged 20 or older are more likely to be satisfied with the respect for fundamental rights (72% vs 59% of those who finished education aged 15 or younger) and with the opportunities for civil society to protect democracy (64% vs 51%).

Managers are the most likely to be satisfied with the majority of aspects. For instance, close to seven in ten (68%) among managers are satisfied with the opportunities for civil society to protect democracy, compared to 49% of house persons.

Respondents who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills are much more inclined than those who have difficulties most of the time to be satisfied with each aspect of democracy. This is especially the case for the respect for fundamental rights (72% vs 49%) and for the rule of law (63% vs 40%). This pattern is similar for those who consider themselves as part of the upper or upper middle class of society compared to those who see themselves as working class, and for those who say their living standards have not changed compared to those who have experienced a deterioration. This finding signals that levels of satisfaction with each aspect of democracy tend to increase with the (perceived) socio-economic status of the respondents.

Respondents with a positive image of the EU are more likely than those who have a negative image to be satisfied with each aspect. This applies in particular to the respect of fundamental rights (83% vs 36%) and to the rule of law (75% vs 28%). Similarly, if respondents agree that their voice counts in the EU and in their own country, they are more likely to express satisfaction with each of the aspects. For instance, 76% of those who agree that their voice counts in the EU (vs 46% of those who disagree) and 72% of those who agree that their voice counts in their own country (vs 42% of those who disagree) are satisfied with the possibility for individual citizens to participate in political life.

Lastly, satisfaction levels are higher among those who voted in the last European elections, particularly when in comes to free and fair elections (76% vs 61% of those who did not vote).

QA11 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? (% - EU27)

Free and fair elections	Freedom of speech	The possibility for individual citizens to participate in political life (i.e. as candidates in elections, members of political parties)	Media diversity	The rule of law (i.e. the respect for independence of the judiciary, the integrity and impartiality of the eletoral system
EU27	70	70	61	60	56
Gender
Man	72	71	61	61	66
Woman	68	69	60	66	57
Age
15-24	73	73	64	64	63
25-39	71	69	62	61	60
40-54	67	69	59	60	59
55+	71	70	59	60	56
Education (End of)
-15	66	66	53	57	53
16-19	67	67	58	59	56
20+	75	75	65	64	64
Still studying	75	75	66	65	64
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	72	70	58	61	61
Managers	78	77	68	65	67
Other white collars	72	72	65	65	63
Manual workers	65	66	56	59	53
House persons	62	65	50	53	53
Unemployed	63	62	53	54	49
Retired	70	70	60	60	56
Students	75	75	66	65	64
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	56	56	43	51	46
From time to time	63	64	55	56	54
Almost never/ Never	76	75	65	65	63
Consider belonging to
The working class	63	61	51	55	50
The lower middle class	67	67	56	59	54
The middle class	73	73	64	62	61
The upper middle class	81	81	72	68	71
The upper class	81	83	72	67	77
Image of the EU
Positive	84	85	75	74	75
Neutral	66	66	55	57	53
Negative	42	39	35	38	26
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	83	83	76	74	74
Disagree	58	58	46	49	45
My voice counts in (Our country)
Agree	81	60	72	71	70
Disagree	54	54	42	45	41
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	76	75	65	65	64
No	61	62	52	53	51
Your standard of living has …
Already been reduced	64	64	54	55	51
Not yet been reduced, but will be	76	76	67	67	67
Not changed / increased	77	77	68	67	67

QA11 How satisfied or not are you with the following aspects of democracy in the European Union? (% - EU27)

Respect for fundamental rights	The opportunities for civil society (i.e. citizens, associations, NGOs) to protect democracy	Political parties taking into account the interest of people like you	The fight against disinformation in the media (i.e. false, exaggerated or misrepresented news stories)	The fight against corruption
EU27	66	59	43	41	35
Gender
Man	68	61	43	41	35
Woman	65	59	42	40	35
Age
15-24	70	63	48	45	40
25-39	68	63	45	43	38
40-54	66	58	43	42	35
55+	65	57	40	38	31
Education (End of)
-15	59	51	35	35	29
16-19	64	57	42	41	34
20+	72	64	46	42	35
Still studying	71	67	50	45	41
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	68	58	42	40	35
Managers	74	68	50	43	39
Other white collars	72	63	49	49	39
Manual workers	62	57	41	41	35
House persons	58	49	38	36	36
Unemployed	59	50	29	34	27
Retired	64	57	39	36	29
Students	71	67	50	45	41
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	49	43	25	31	24
From time to time	60	52	38	41	35
Almost never/ Never	72	64	47	43	36
Consider belonging to
The working class	57	50	33	35	29
The lower middle class	62	54	38	40	30
The middle class	70	64	46	44	38
The upper middle class	78	70	57	45	41
The upper class	86	78	63	42	53
Image of the EU
Positive	83	75	58	53	46
Neutral	60	54	36	37	29
Negative	35	30	18	21	17
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	80	75	59	51	46
Disagree	53	46	28	32	26
My voice counts in (Our country)
Agree	77	71	54	48	42
Disagree	49	42	26	30	25
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	71	65	48	44	37
No	58	52	37	37	32
Your standard of living has …
Already been reduced	59	53	34	35	28
Not yet been reduced, but will be	73	66	52	49	42
Not changed / increased	75	68	54	45	42

2. A REVIEW OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S LEGISLATIVE TERM: FOUR YEARS IN

The second chapter focuses on Europeans’ awareness of and attitudes towards the action of the European Union and the European Parliament over the most recent years. It starts by examining whether citizens have read, seen or heard anything on the media about the European Parliament and the impression left by this information. It then moves to analyse general attitudes towards the impact of the EU’s action and both awareness of and level of satisfaction with the recent actions undertaken by the EU and the European Parliament in a number of policy areas.

The results show that information about the European Parliament relayed by the media has left EU citizens with a favourable impression and that the vast majority are conscious of the impact the EU has on their daily lives. In addition, in a context marked by rapid major changes in EU policies to tackle multiple crises, levels of awareness of and satisfaction with the EU’s action in recent years are generally high. One year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU’s support for Ukraine is by far the action citizens are both most aware of and most satisfied with.

Media visibility of the European Parliament

Awareness of the European Parliament among EU citizens is generally at a very high level. Standard Eurobarometer surveys have shown that the European Parliament has consistently topped the list of EU institutions in terms of awareness since 2006. The results of the last Standard Eurobarometer survey conducted in January-February 2023 are no exception, with close to nine in ten saying they have heard of the European Parliament20 European Commission, Standard Eurobarometer 98 - Winter 2022-2023 (EB 98.2), available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2872 .

Hence, it is not surprising to find that, in the current survey, a clear majority of citizens (62%, -2 pp since October-November 2022) have recently read in the press, seen on the Internet or on television, or heard on the radio something about the European Parliament. Conversely, less than four in ten (38%, +2 pp) reply negatively to this question. These figures have remained broadly stable compared to October-November 2022.

No 38 Yes 62 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) (%) At least three quarters of respondents in six countries have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament, either from the Internet, television or radio: Finland (85%), Latvia (79%), Estonia, Luxembourg (both 78%), Lithuania (76%) and Sweden (75%). This contrasts with 39% in France, 50% in Ireland and 53% in Portugal who give this answer.

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 23 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 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) Compared to October-November 2022, ten countries show a decrease in the proportion of respondents who have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament. The largest declines are observed in Portugal (53%, -13 pp), Romania (55%, -12 pp) and Hungary (68%, -9 pp). At the same time, an increase in this share of respondents is found in five countries: Denmark (59%, +10 pp), Finland (85%, +6 pp), Cyprus (71%, +6 pp), Belgium (71%, +5 pp) and Latvia (79%, +4 pp). This figure has remained stable or unchanged in the remaining 12 countries.

Men are more likely than women to say they have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament, either from the Internet, television or radio (66% vs 57%). Moreover, this proportion increases with age, with two thirds of those aged 55 or over (66%) saying they have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament, compared to less than half of those aged 15-24 (49%).

The longer respondents remained in full-time education, the more likely they are to say they have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament. This is the case for 69% of those who finished education aged 20 or older, compared to 55% of those who left aged 15 or younger. Managers (72%) are the most likely to positively answer this question, especially when compared to the unemployed (45%) and house persons (46%). Higher proportions of respondents who have read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament can also be found among those who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills (66% vs 49% of those who have difficulties most of the time).

Respondents who have a positive image of the EU are more likely than those who have a negative image to say they have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament (69% vs 61%), and a similar gap can be seen between those who have a positive image of the European Parliament and those who have a negative image (73% vs 60%).

Lastly, higher proportions of those who have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament can be found among those who think their voice counts in the EU (70% vs 56% of those who think their voice does not count) and those who voted in the last European elections (71% vs 48% of those who did not vote).

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)

EU27	62	38	0
Gender
Man	66	33	1
Woman	57	43	0
Age
15-24	49	51	0
25-39	58	42	0
40-54	63	36	1
55+	66	33	1
Education (End of)
-15	55	44	1
16-19	61	39	0
20+	69	31	0
Still studying	53	47	0
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	67	32	1
Managers	72	28	0
Other white collars	65	35	0
Manual workers	57	43	0
House persons	46	54	0
Unemployed	45	55	0
Retired	67	32	1
Students	53	47	0
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	49	50	1
From time to time	56	44	0
Almost never/ Never	66	34	0
Image of tghe EU
Positive	69	31	0
Neutral	54	46	0
Negative	61	39	0
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	70	30	0
Disagree	56	44	0
Voted in the last European Parliament Elections
Yes	71	29	0
No	48	51	1
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	73	27	0
Neutral	53	46	1
Negative	60	39	1

Impression left by media coverage about the European Parliament

Respondents who said they have recently read, seen or heard something were also asked whether this has given them a generally favourable or unfavourable impression of the European Parliament. The majority (56%) say they were left with a generally favourable impression, while one third (33%) spontaneously say the impression was unfavourable and one in ten say this was neither favourable nor unfavourable.

Don't know 1 Neither favourable nor unfavourable (SPONTANEOUS} 10 Generally unfavourable 33 Generally favourable 56 QA1b Has what you have read, seen or heard given you a generally favourable or unfavourable impression of the European Parliament? (EU27) (%) Significant changes can be observed since this question was last asked in September 2015. In particular, the share of those who say what they have read, seen or heard has given them a favourable impression has surged by 26 percentage points – an increase that almost entirely results from the decline of the proportion who say the impression they have been left was neither favourable nor unfavourable (-23 pp)21 It should be noted that in September 2015, we were at the midst of the migrant crisis, and most interviewees had in mind the death of Aylan, this young child found drowned on the Turkish coast. This context definitely plays a role in the large evolution compared with the previous wave. In addition, it should be mentioned that spontaneous codes were more visible for the interviewees: as a consequence, during this period, these spontaneous codes were mentioned by a higher proportions of respondents. . On the contrary, the proportion of those who say the news they had consumed has left them with a negative impression has remained stable (-2 pp).

Generally favourable Generally unfavourable Neither favourable nor unfavourable (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know QA1B Has what you have read, seen or heard given you a generally favourable or unfavourable impression of the European Parliament? (%) There is wide variation in the shares of respondents who say the information they have received has given them a generally favourable impression of the European Parliament. The highest proportions giving a positive answer are observed in Ireland (82%), Croatia (75%) and Romania (73%). This compares with 28% in Greece, 36% in France and 44% in Belgium who say what they were left with a favourable impression.

Reflecting the large positive evolutions at EU level since September 2015, the proportion of respondents who were left with a generally favourable impression of the European Parliament has risen in all countries, and, in 12 countries, the increases are of at least 30 percentage points. This is especially the case for Latvia (70%, +53 pp), Malta (72%, +42 pp) and Ireland (82%, +37 pp).

Younger and more highly educated respondents are more likely to state that the news they had consumed about the European Parliament has left them with a favourable impression. In particular, 64% of those aged 15-24 (compared to 53% of those aged 55 or over) and 58% of those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older (compared to 48% of those who left aged 15 or younger) give a positive answer.

White-collar workers (61%) and managers (60%) are the most likely to say the impression they have been left with was favourable, particularly when compared to the unemployed (48%) and house persons (49%). Similarly, those who have never or rarely difficulties paying their bills are more likely to give this answer compared to those who have difficulties most of the time (57% vs 43%).

Those who have a positive image of the EU are much more likely to say what they have recently read, seen or heard has given them a favourable impression of the European Parliament (77% vs 12% of those who have a negative image). This holds true also among those who agree their voice counts in the EU (69% vs 40% of those who disagree), those who are satisfied with democracy in the EU (72% vs 33% of those who are not satisfied) and those who voted in the last European elections (59% vs 47% of those who did not vote).

QA1b Has what you have read, seen or heard given you a generally favourable or unfavourable impression of the European Parliament? (% - EU)

Generally favourable	Generally unfavourable	Neither favourable nor unfavourable (SPONTANEOUS)	Don't know
EU27	56	33	10	1
Gender
Man	55	34	10	1
Woman	56	32	10	2
Age
15-24	64	26	8	2
25-39	58	31	10	1
40-54	55	35	9	1
55+	53	35	10	2
Education (End of)
-15	48	39	11	2
16-19	54	35	10	1
20+	58	30	10	2
Still studying	61	27	10	2
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	54	34	10	2
Managers	60	30	9	1
Other white collars	61	29	9	1
Manual workers	55	35	9	1
House persons	49	36	12	3
Unemployed	48	42	9	1
Retired	52	35	11	2
Students	61	27	10	2
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	43	46	9	2
From time to time	54	38	7	1
Almost never/ Never	57	30	11	2
Image of the EU
Positive	77	14	8	1
Neutral	44	39	15	2
Negative	12	83	4	1
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	69	21	9	1
Disagree	40	49	10	1
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	72	18	9	1
Not satisfied	33	56	10	1
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	59	30	10	1
Not satisfied	47	41	10	2

Perceived impact of the EU on citizens’ daily life

A large majority think that the actions of the EU have an impact on their daily life. Around seven in ten (71%) share this opinion, including close to a fifth (18%) for whom the EU’s actions ‘very much’ have an impact. By contrast, nearly three in ten (28%) think this is not the case, with 6% saying the EU has not an impact on their daily lives ‘at all’.

Yes. very much 18 Yes. somewhat 53 No. not much 22 No. not at all 61 Don't know 1 QA12 Would you say the actions of the EU have an impact on your daily life? (EU27) (%) Majorities in all countries think the EU’s actions have an impact on their daily life, ranging from 87% in Cyprus and Malta and 86% in Luxembourg, to 60% in Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy and Latvia. Italy, Latvia (both 39%) and Estonia (38%) are also the countries where the proportions saying the EU does not have an impact on their lives are the highest.

Total 'Yes' Total 'No' Don’t know QA12 Would you say the actions of the EU have an impact on your daily life? (%)

A focus on the results among the youngest respondents shows that there are no substantial differences between the attitudes of 15-24 year olds and those of the general population on this question. Seven in ten of those aged 15-24 think the EU’s actions have an impact on their daily lives (compared with an average of 71%), with 17% (compared to 18%) saying these actions ‘very much’ have an impact. Conversely, 28% (same as the EU average) think the EU does not have an impact on their daily life.

Yes, very much Yes, somewhat No, not much No, not at all Don't know QA12 Would you say the actions of the EU have an impact on your daily life? (% - 15-24 years old) Respondents in central age cohorts (i.e. aged 25-54) are more likely than younger or older respondents to agree that the actions of the EU have an impact on their daily life (74% vs 68% of those aged 55+ and 70% of those aged 15-24). Moreover, those who have a higher level of education are also more likely to say the EU’s action have an impact. In particular, more than three quarters (77%) of those who completed full-time education aged 20 or older positively answer this question, compared to less than six in ten (58%) of those who finished aged 15 or younger.

Managers (82%) are the most likely to think the EU’s action have an impact, especially when compared to house persons (65%), and those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills are slightly more likely than those who have difficulties more often to give this answer (73% vs 68%).

Lastly, respondents who have a positive image of the EU are more likely to say EU’s action have an impact on their daily life (79% vs 69% of those who have a negative image). The same can be observed for those who follow European politics (81% vs 58% who do not) and those who voted in the last European elections (76% vs 63% of those who did not vote).

QA12 Would you say the actions of the EU have an impact on your daily life? (% - EU27)

Total ‘Yes’	Total ‘No’
EU27	71	28
Gender
Man	73	26
Woman	69	29
Age
15-24	70	28
25-39	74	25
40-54	74	25
55+	68	30
Education (End of)
-15	58	39
16-19	70	29
20+	77	22
Still studying	72	26
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	77	22
Managers	82	18
Other white collars	76	23
Manual workers	68	31
House persons	65	33
Unemployed	66	32
Retired	66	31
Students	72	26
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	68	29
From time to time	68	30
Almost never/ Never	73	26
Image of the EU
Positive	79	20
Neutral	63	35
Negative	69	30
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	76	23
No	63	35
Follow European politics
Follow	81	19
Not follow	58	39

Awareness of the European Parliament’s action in specific policy areas

When thinking about the topics the EU, and particularly the European Parliament, have acted upon in the past four years, support for Ukraine (74%) is by far the one EU citizens have most read, seen or heard about. This is followed by topics related to migration and asylum (38%) and by the EU Green Deal (37%). Foreign policy (29%) and economic and social recovery (28%) are mentioned by close to three in ten, while less than one quarter recall having read, seen or heard about health and consumer protection (24%), democratic rights and respect for the rule of law (23%) and the Digital agenda (17%).

Support for Ukraine Migration and asylum (ie. fair treatment of third countries nationals or protecting external borders] The EU Green Deal (i.e. aiming for zero carbon emissions) Foreign policy {i.e Europe as global player) Economic and social recovery (i.e. implementing a minimum wage law) Health and consumer protection (i.e. building a health Union or boosting sustainable consumption) Democratic rights and respect for the rule of law The Digital agenda (i.e. ensure safe, fair and transparent online services and platforms) Don’t know QA2 The European Union and in particular the European Parliament have acted on several topics during the past four years. Which of the following topics, if any, have you read, seen or heard about? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (EU27) (%)

In all Member States, support for Ukraine tops the list of topics respondents have read, seen or heard about among those the EU, and particularly the European Parliament, have acted upon in the past four years. Proportions who cite this topic range from 91% in Sweden, 90% in Finland and 89% in the Netherlands, to 52% in Poland, 54% in Romania and 55% in Croatia. This topic tends to be mentioned more in Nordic and Western countries than in Eastern ones.

QA2 The European Union and in particular the European Parliament have acted on several topics during the past four years. Which of the following topics, if any, have you read, seen or heard about? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) - Support for Ukraine (%)

In 24 countries, issues related to migration and asylum rank among the top three topics respondents have most read, seen or heard about. More than two thirds in the Netherlands (77%), Sweden (71%) and Finland (68%) mention these topics, while less than one quarter do so in Croatia (17%), Poland (19%) and Portugal (22%).

The EU Green Deal is among the three highest ranked topics in 20 countries, with respondents in Finland (75%), Sweden (71%) and the Netherlands (69%) being once again the most likely to mention this. At the other end of the spectrum, respondents in Portugal (18%), Romania (23%) and Croatia (24%) are the least likely to have read, seen or heard about the EU Green Deal.

QA2 The European Union and in particular the European Parliament have acted on several topics during the past four years. Which of the following topics, if any, have you read, seen or heard about? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) - The EU Green Deal (i.e. aiming for zero carbon emissions) (%)

Sweden (60%), Finland (54%), Denmark and the Netherlands (both 48%) are also the most likely to have read, seen or heard about foreign policy issues. This contrasts with less than a fifth who mention these topics in Portugal (12%), Croatia, Poland (both 18%) and Romania (19%).

Cyprus (59%) is by far the country with the highest proportion of respondents who say they have read, seen or heard about topics related to the economic and social recovery, followed by those in Sweden (44%) and the Netherlands (43%). Conversely, two in ten or less cite these topics in Portugal (17%), Czechia (18%), Bulgaria, Estonia and Poland (all 20%).

Cyprus (54%) stands out again for a particularly high proportion mentioning health and consumer protection, followed by Slovenia (38%) and Finland (35%). High shares of respondents say they have read, seen or heard about topics linked to democratic rights and respect for the rule of law in Finland (50%), Sweden (47%) and Cyprus (42%). Sweden (37%) is also the country where the Digital agenda is most widely mentioned, together with Denmark (35%) and Cyprus (33%).

QA2 The European Union and in particular the European Parliament have acted on several topics during the past four years. Which of the following topics, if any, have you read, seen or heard about? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (%)

Democratic rights and respect for the rule of law	Economic and social recovery (i.e. implementing a minimum wage law)	The EU Green Deal (i.e. aiming for zero carbon emissions)	The Digital agenda (i.e. ensure safe, fair and transparent online services and platforms)	Foreign policy (i.e. Europe as a global player)	Migration and asylum (i.e. fair treatment of third country nationals or protecting external borders)	Health and consumer protection (i.e. building a health Union or boosting sustainable consumption)	Support for Ukraine	Other (SPONTANEOUS)	None (SPONTANEOUS)	Don't know
EU27	23	28	37	17	29	38	24	74	0
BE	19	29	40	14	28	44	24	77	1
BG	14	20	32	10	22	26	12	65	0
CZ	20	18	55	17	27	45	19	70	0
DK	33	40	46	35	48	52	25	87	0	4	2
DE	30	31	48	21	42	49	25	83	0	2	0
EE	19	20	52	19	35	45	18	79	1	7	4
IE	17	26	31	13	23	39	17	81	0	2	3
EL	10	28	31	7	24	27	17	59	4	2	1
ES	18	37	28	15	24	28	21	78	1	3	0
FR	17	21	29	16	23	33	28	84	0	1	2
HR	20	28	24	12	18	17	21	55	0	4	1
IT	16	30	26	14	22	33	23	60	0	17	2
CY	42	59	56	33	33	63	54	80	0	6	2
LV	24	36	36	16	36	39	27	80	0	6	2
LT	19	30	35	16	41	43	30	77	0	2	1
LU	32	34	57	22	35	51	35	83	0	2	1
HU	30	26	25	13	20	46	21	61	0	5	2
MT	23	29	37	23	27	43	22	73	0	3	1
NL	36	43	69	31	48	77	33	89	0	5	3
AT	23	24	41	16	30	43	21	68	0	1	0
PL	29	20	33	12	18	19	20	52	0	2	1
PT	15	17	18	9	12	22	19	81	0	2	7
RO	21	25	23	19	19	27	26	54	0	2	0
SI	35	38	50	29	35	48	38	81	0	4	2
SK	24	26	40	20	32	39	25	70	0	2	3
FI	50	36	75	32	54	68	35	90	0	4	5
SE	47	44	71	37	60	71	28	91	0	2	2

A closer look at the results by socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents reveals that, among the topics the EU, and particularly the European Parliament, have acted upon in the past four years, men are more likely than women to say they have read, seen or heard about migration and asylum (41% vs 36%), foreign policy (33% vs 25%), democratic rights and respect for the rule of law (26% vs 20%) and the Digital agenda (20% vs 15%).

Respondents aged 55 or over are more likely to mention migration and asylum (41% vs 34% among those aged 15-24), foreign policy (31% vs 24%), health and consumer protection (26% vs 21%) and democratic rights and respect for the rule of law (25% vs 19%). The youngest are the least likely to be aware of action on the EU Green Deal (33% vs 37-38% of older respondents) and economic and social recovery (22% vs 29-30%).

Managers are the most likely to say they have sourced information about each of the topics. This is particularly the case for the EU Green Deal, which is mentioned by 51% of managers, compared to 25% who do so among house persons. Those who are in a better financial situation are also more likely to mention each of the topics. For instance, 43% of those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills say they have read, seen or heard about migration and asylum issues, compared to 29% of those who have difficulties most of the time.

Regular Internet users are more likely to be aware of actions taken for each of these topics. For instance, those who use the Internet every day are more likely to mention the EU Green Deal than those who use it less often (39% vs 22-25%).

Those who follow European politics are much more likely than those who do not to have sourced information on each of the topics, with this gap being especially wide when it comes to migration and asylum (48% vs 25%), the EU Green Deal (47% vs 24%) and foreign policy (39% vs 16%).

QA2 The European Union and in particular the European Parliament have acted on several topics during the past four years. Which of the following topics, if any, have you read, seen or heard about? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (% - EU27)

Democratic rights and respect for the rule of law	Economic and social recovery (i.e. implementing a minimum wage law)	The EU Green Deal (i.e. aiming for zero carbon emissions)	The Digital agenda (i.e. ensure safe, fair and transparent online services and platforms)	Foreign policy (i.e. Europe as a global player)	Migration and asylum (i.e. fair treatment of third country nationals or protecting external borders)	Health and consumer protection (i.e. building a health Union or boosting sustainable consumption)	Support for Ukraine
EU27	23	28	37	17	29	38	24	74
Gender
Man	26	29	39	20	33	41	25	74
Woman	20	28	35	15	25	36	23	73
Age
15-24	19	22	33	15	24	34	21	76
25-39	22	29	37	18	28	36	23	72
40-54	23	30	38	18	28	38	23	72
55+	25	29	37	17	31	41	26	74
Education (End of)
-15	16	25	21	8	19	29	20	69
16-19	21	28	33	15	25	36	23	72
20+	30	33	48	25	39	47	28	78
Still studying	19	22	37	17	28	36	23	76
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	27	30	40	21	31	41	23	71
Managers	30	31	51	26	40	49	29	80
Other white collars	24	29	38	18	29	37	22	71
Manual workers	21	29	32	15	24	34	23	70
House persons	15	27	25	11	19	29	18	69
Unemployed	16	25	32	15	24	31	22	74
Retired	25	29	36	15	30	42	25	76
Students	19	22	37	17	28	36	23	76
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	16	25	25	12	20	29	20	70
From time to time	18	26	28	14	22	31	22	67
Almost never/ Never	27	30	42	20	33	43	25	77
Use of the Internet
Everyday	24	30	39	19	31	40	25	75
Often/Sometimes	18	25	25	11	22	33	22	69
Never	16	20	22	7	17	27	19	66
No internet access	19	18	22	9	23	25	6	66
Follow European politics
Follow	32	37	47	24	39	48	31	77
Not follow	13	18	24	9	16	25	16	69

Satisfaction with EU’s action in different policy areas

The findings reported above illustrate that support for Ukraine is by far the topic EU citizens have most read, seen or heard about among those the EU, and particularly the European Parliament, have acted upon in the past four years. Support for Ukraine is also the area in which the level of satisfaction with the EU’s action is the highest, with close to seven in ten (69%) saying they are ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with what the EU has been doing. The satisfaction level is high also with the EU’s action in the area of democratic rights and respect for the rule of law (64%), and more than half say they are satisfied with what the EU has been doing in relation to foreign policy (54%), health and consumer protection (53%), the Digital agenda and economic and social recovery (both 51%).

Less than half say they are satisfied with the EU Green Deal (47%), while migration and asylum is the only area for which a minority of respondents are satisfied with the action of the EU (43% ‘satisfied’ vs 50% ‘not satisfied’).

Support for Ukraine Democratic rights and respect for the rule of law Foreign policy (i.e. Europe as a global player) Health and consumer protection (i.e. building a health Union or boosting sustainable consumption) Economic and social recovery (i.e. implementing a minimum wage law) The Digital agenda (i.e. ensure safe, fair and transparent online services and platforms) The EU Green Deal (i.e. aiming for zero carbon emissions) Migration and asylum (i.e. fair treatment of third country nationals or protecting external borders) Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Not very satisfied Not at all satisfied Don’t know QA13 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? (EU27) (%) At country level, the highest proportions of respondents who are satisfied with EU’s action across all domains are found in Ireland and Poland. The only exception is support for Ukraine, with respondents in Ireland nonetheless still among the most satisfied with EU’s action. However, Greece and, to a lesser extent, Bulgaria, France, Slovakia and Slovenia are consistently among the countries showing the lowest levels of satisfaction.

Nearly seven in ten (69%) are satisfied with what the EU has been doing in supporting Ukraine, including around one fifth (21%) who say they are ‘very satisfied’. By contrast, around one quarter (26%) are not satisfied with the EU’s action in this area.

Majorities in 25 countries are satisfied with the EU’s support for Ukraine, most notably in the Netherlands (90%), Finland, Ireland and Sweden (all 87%). Slovakia (45% ‘satisfied’ vs 51% ‘not satisfied’) and Greece (48% vs 49%) are the only countries in which majorities are dissatisfied.

Map Legend QA13.8 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? Support for Ukraine - Total ‘Satisfied’ (%) Nearly two thirds of the respondents (64%) are satisfied with the action of the EU in the area of democratic rights and respect for the rule of law, with slightly more than one in ten (12%) saying they are ‘very satisfied’. Three in ten express dissatisfaction with what the EU has been doing in this domain.

In 25 countries, a majority of respondents are satisfied with the EU’s action in the field of democratic rights and respect for the rule of law. Levels of satisfaction are especially high in Ireland (82%), Poland (77%), Denmark and the Netherlands (both 75%). Once again, Greece (42% ‘satisfied’ vs 56% ‘not satisfied’) and Slovakia (46% vs 48%) are the only countries where a majority is dissatisfied, with less than half being satisfied also in Bulgaria (46%) and Slovenia (49%).

Total 'Satisfied' Total 'Not satisfied' Don’t know QA13.1 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? Democratic rights and respect for the rule of law (%)

More than half (54%) are satisfied with the action of the EU in the area of foreign policy, including 9% who are ‘very satisfied’. More than one third (37%) say they are not satisfied.

A majority of respondents express satisfaction with what the EU has been doing in foreign policy in 22 countries, with proportions ranging from 79% in Ireland, 74% in Poland and 69% in Denmark, to 38% in France and Greece and 39% in Slovenia.

Total 'Satisfied' Total 'Not satisfied' Don’t know QA13.5 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? Foreign policy (i.e. Europe as a global player) (%)

The absolute majority of respondents (53%) are satisfied with the action of the EU in the domain of health and consumer protection, with close to one in ten (9%) saying they are ‘very satisfied’. Four in ten express their dissatisfaction, including one in ten who are ‘not at all satisfied’.

Total 'Satisfied' Total 'Not satisfied' Don’t know QA13.7 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? Health and consumer protection (i.e. building a health Union or boosting sustainable consumption) (%) In 22 countries, a majority is satisfied with the EU’s handling of health and consumer protection, led by Poland (70%), Ireland (67%), Belgium and Luxembourg (both 66%). The lowest levels of satisfaction with the EU’s action in this area are observed in Greece (29%), Bulgaria (37%), France and Slovakia (both 42%).

Slightly above half (51%) are satisfied with what the EU has been doing with regard to economic and social recovery, with one in ten saying they are ‘very satisfied’. More than four in ten (42%) are not satisfied, including 11% who are ‘not at all satisfied’.

In 18 countries, the majority of respondents are satisfied with the EU’s action concerning economic and social recovery. Levels of satisfaction are especially high in Poland (75%), Ireland and the Netherlands (both 71%), while slightly over one fifth in Greece (22%), 33% in France and 34% in Bulgaria express their satisfaction.

Total 'Satisfied' Total 'Not satisfied' Don’t know QA13.2 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? Economic and social recovery (i.e. implementing a minimum wage law) (%)

A majority of respondents (51%) are satisfied with the action of the EU when it comes to the Digital agenda, with 9% saying they are ‘very satisfied’. Around one third (32%) are unsatisfied with EU’s action in this domain. This is the only area for which more than one in ten (17%) answer that they ‘don’t know’ whether they are satisfied or not.

A majority of respondents in 26 countries say they are satisfied with what the EU has been doing with regard to the Digital agenda, with proportions ranging from two thirds or more in Poland (73%), Ireland (70%) and Malta (66%), to 36% in Greece, 40% in France and 43% in Czechia. However, it should be noted that at least one in five say they don’t know in ten countries, particularly in France (25%), Portugal and Sweden (both 24%).

Total 'Satisfied' Total 'Not satisfied' Don’t know QA13.4 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? The Digital agenda (i.e. ensure safe, fair and transparent online services and platforms) (%)

More than four in ten (47%) are satisfied with the action of the EU when it comes to the EU Green Deal, including one in ten who say they are ‘very satisfied’. A minority (43%) say they are unsatisfied, with 12% saying they are ‘not at all satisfied’.

Total 'Satisfied' Total 'Not satisfied' Don’t know QA13.3 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? The EU Green Deal, (i.e. aiming for zero carbon emissions) (%) Majorities of respondents in 18 countries are satisfied with the EU Green Deal, with levels of satisfaction being the highest in Ireland, Poland (both 69%) and Hungary (63%). On the flip side, 28% in Czechia, 31% in France and 36% in Estonia say they are satisfied with what the EU has been doing in this area.

Migration and asylum is the only area in which respondents who say they are satisfied with the EU’s action are in the minority (43%), with less than one in ten (8%) saying they are ‘very satisfied’. Conversely, half of the respondents are not satisfied with what the EU has been doing, including 14% who are ‘not at all satisfied’.

In 12 countries, a majority are satisfied with the action of the EU in the area of migration and asylum, with Poland (70%), Ireland (66%) and Lithuania (60%) exhibiting the highest levels of satisfaction. Less than three in ten are satisfied in Cyprus (25%), Greece (27%) and the Netherlands (28%). Opinions are divided in Denmark (46% ‘satisfied’ vs 46% ‘not satisfied’).

Map Legend QA13.6 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? Migration and asylum (i.e. fair treatment of third country nationals or protecting external borders) - Total ‘Satisfied’ (%)

The socio-demographic analysis shows that the youngest respondents are the most likely to be satisfied with what the EU has been doing in each of the areas tested in the survey. This is most evident when it comes to the Digital agenda, with six in ten among those aged 15-24 being satisfied, compared to 44% of those aged 55 or over.

With the exception of migration and asylum issues, the higher the level of education the more likely respondents are to be satisfied with the action of the EU. For instance, those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older are more likely to express satisfaction with what the EU has been doing with the Digital agenda (56% vs 37% of those who left education aged 15 or younger) and in the area of democratic rights and respect for the rule of law (69% vs 56%).

Respondents who are in a better financial situation are more likely to be satisfied with the EU’s action in each of the areas. This is particularly the case for democratic rights and respect for the rule of law, for which 69% of those who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills say they are satisfied with the EU’s action, compared to 45% of those who have difficulties most of the time, and for economic and social recovery (56% vs 32%).

Those who have a positive image of the EU are more likely than those who have a negative image to be satisfied in each area, with the gap being the widest when it comes to democratic rights and respect for the rule of law (82% vs 30%). Levels of satisfaction are also higher among those who follow European politics and those who talk more frequently about European political matters. For instance, 59% of those who follow European politics (compared to 41% of those who do not) and 61% of those who frequently talk about European political matters (compared to 41% of those who never do so) are satisfied with the action of the EU in dealing with the economic and social recovery.

QA13 Over the last few years, the European Union has focused on several key policy areas. How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? (% - EU27)

Democratic rights and respect for the rule of law	Economic and social recovery (i.e. implementing a minimum wage law)	The EU Green Deal (i.e. aiming for zero carbon emissions)	The Digital agenda (i.e. ensure safe, fair and transparent online services and platforms)	Foreign policy (i.e. Europe as a global player)	Migration and asylum (i.e. fair treatment of third country nationals or protecting external borders)	Health and consumer protection (i.e. building a health Union or boosting sustainable consumption)	Support for Ukraine
EU27	64	51	47	51	54	43	53	69
Gender
Man	64	53	48	53	54	43	55	68
Woman	63	51	46	49	53	42	52	70
Age
15-24	69	55	50	60	58	49	60	74
25-39	65	54	49	59	56	44	55	69
40-54	63	52	48	54	53	43	54	69
55+	62	48	45	44	52	40	50	68
Education (End of)
-15	56	43	42	37	47	41	47	64
16-19	61	50	47	50	52	42	52	66
20+	69	54	49	56	58	43	55	74
Still studying	71	57	49	59	60	49	62	76
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	45	32	34	36	39	30	35	54
From time to time	58	47	47	50	51	43	50	64
Almost never/ Never	69	56	49	54	57	45	57	73
Talk about European political matters
Frequently	70	61	57	61	64	48	60	73
Occasionally	67	55	50	55	57	45	56	71
Never	55	41	38	42	44	37	45	64
Image of the EU
Positive	82	66	61	65	72	56	69	85
Neutral	57	45	40	45	45	38	47	64
Negative	30	27	24	29	24	21	29	40
Follow European politics
Follow	70	59	54	57	61	47	60	74
Not follow	55	41	39	44	45	38	45	63

Combining citizens’ awareness of EU action in a specific policy area with their satisfaction with this action provides additional insight. In the case of the EU‘s support to Ukraine recall (74%) and satisfaction (69%) are closely aligned. On the other seven policy areas citizens’ awareness and satisfaction vary a lot. The highest levels of awareness after the support for Ukraine are for migration and asylum (38%) and the EU Green Deal (37%), yet they register the lowest satisfaction level compared to the rest of the topics (43% and 47% respectively).

Other areas of EU action are less known by citizens but register greater satisfaction, such as the digital agenda with 17% recall but 51% satisfaction. Also action in the field of democratic rights and the rule of law is recalled by 23% but has the second highest satisfaction (64%). Foreign policy is in a middle ground in terms of recall (29%) but enjoys the third highest satisfaction value (54%).

74% 69% 38% 43% 37% 47% 29% 54% 28% 51% 24% 53% 23% 64% 17% 51% Recall Satisfaction Support for Ukraine Foreign policy (i.e. Europe as a global player) Democratic rights and respect for the rules of law The Digital agenda (i.e. ensure safe, fair and transparent online services and platforms) Health and consumer protection (i.e. building a health Union or boosting sustainable consumption) Economic and social recovery(i.e. implementing a minimum wage law) The EU Green Deal (i.e. aiming forzero carbon emissions) Migration and asylum (i.e. fair treatment of third country nationals or protecting external borders) QA2 Which of the following topics, if any, have you read, seen or heard about? (% - EU27) & QA13 How satisfied or not are you with what the EU has been doing in each of the following areas? (% - EU27)

3. ONE YEAR BEFORE THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2024: CITIZENS IN FRONT OF THE BALLOT

The third chapter discusses citizens’ attitudes towards elections, particularly European elections. Among other things, it gauges the importance Europeans attach to voting in European and national elections, interest and likelihood to vote in the next European elections in 2024, their awareness of the election date, their voting behaviour and their views on the reasons leading people to vote or not to vote. The chapter also includes a focus on attitudes towards the next European elections among the European youth.

Overall, Europeans tend to consider voting in both European and national elections as of high personal importance and to be interested in the next European elections. As a consequence, likelihood to vote in these elections remains high, with a significant proportion already aware of the election date. Importantly, citizens appear to be more interested in the European elections than they were at a similar point in time before the last elections in 2019, and they are also more knowledgeable about the election date.

3.1. European elections

Importance of voting in the European elections

Total ‘High importance’ (3-10) Total ‘Medium importance’ (4-7) Total ‘Low importance’ (1-3) Don't know Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 QA16a 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. (%) The importance of voting in the European elections has remained broadly stable in the current survey compared to October-November 2022, with almost half of citizens (48%, +2 pp) placing high importance on voting. Close to four in ten (38%, -1 pp) think voting in the European elections is of medium importance, while 13% (-1 pp) attach low importance to these elections.

It is worth noting that these figures are consistent with those recorded at an equivalent time before the last European elections in 2019. In the European Parliament’s Eurobarometer survey conducted in April 2018 (i.e. around 13 months before the elections), 49% placed high importance on voting, while 17% attached low importance to it22 The findings of the April 2018 Eurobarometer Survey of the European Parliament (EB 89.2) are available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2332 .

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA16a 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 (8-10)’) In 17 countries, the saliency of European elections is recognised by a majority, with the highest proportions saying voting is highly important to them personally observed in Denmark, Sweden (both 70%) and the Netherlands (68%). In nine Member States, the majority places medium importance on voting in these elections, most notably in Romania, Italy (both 46%) and Croatia (45%). In Belgium, equal proportions attach high importance (43%) and medium importance (43%) to these elections. Finally, in six countries, at least one in five place low importance on voting in these elections, with respondents in Czechia (30%), Bulgaria (23%), Cyprus and Slovakia (both 22%) being the most likely to give this answer.

In 11 countries, respondents are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to place high personal importance on voting in the European elections. Lithuania (53%, +15 pp) stands out for a particularly large positive evolution, followed by Slovakia (34%, +8 pp) and Finland (57%, +7 pp). This proportion has decreased only in Hungary (46%, -6 pp), Greece (49%, -4 pp), Czechia (25%, -3 pp) and Ireland (60%, -3 pp), while it has remained stable or unchanged in the remaining 12 countries.

Importance of voting in national elections

Around two thirds of the respondents (67%) say it is highly important for them personally to vote in national elections. A quarter attribute medium importance to voting in these elections, while 7% say this is of low importance. These figures have remained unchanged since October-November 2022.

Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 Total ‘High importance’ (8-10) Total 'Medium importance' (4-7) Total 'Low importance' (1-3) Don't know QA16b And how important or not is it for you to vote in the national elections in (OUR COUNTRY)? (EU27) (%) In all Member States, a majority of respondents place high personal importance on voting in national elections, with proportions ranging from nine in ten or more in Sweden (95%), Denmark (91%) and the Netherlands (90%), to slightly above half in Bulgaria (51%), Croatia (52%), Belgium and Italy (both 54%). In eight countries, at least one in ten attach low importance to voting in these elections, most notably in Bulgaria (13%), Cyprus, Latvia and Malta (all 11%).

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA16b And how important or not is it for you to vote in the national elections in (OUR COUNTRY)? (% - Total ‘High importance (8-10)’)

Respondents are more likely to attach high importance to voting in national elections than they are to European elections in all countries. However, the size of this gap varies considerably across Member States. The largest one can be found in Czechia (national 63%, EU 25%), followed by Estonia (national 69%, EU 35%) and Slovenia (national 70%, EU 38%). The lowest difference can instead be observed in Italy, Belgium (national 54%, EU 43% for both countries), Luxembourg (national 65%, EU 53%) and Romania (national 57%, EU 45%).

In 11 countries, respondents are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say voting in national elections is of high importance for them personally. The largest increases are found in Estonia (69%, +13 pp), Lithuania (73%, +8 pp), Malta (71%, +7 pp), Cyprus (69%, +7 pp) and Romania (57%, +7 pp). This proportion has declined in seven countries, but only in Latvia (56%, -14 pp) has this decline been noticeable. This figure has remained stable or unchanged in nine countries.

The importance respondents attach to voting in national and European elections varies with their age, level of education and socio-economic status. Respondents aged 25 or more are more likely than younger ones to place high personal importance to voting in national (66-70% vs 58%) and European (48-50% vs 42%) elections. Similarly, those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older are more likely than those who left aged 15 or younger to attach high importance to it (77% vs 63% for national elections, 58% vs 38% for EU elections).

Managers (80% national, 61% EU) are the most likely to place high importance to voting in these elections, especially when compared to the unemployed (53% national, 36% EU) and house persons (55% national, 33% EU). Those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills are much more likely than those who have difficulties more often to say voting in national (74% vs 54%) and European (55% vs 35-37%) elections is highly important.

Predictably, the importance attached to voting is also related to the feeling that one’s voice counts and to the level of satisfaction with democracy at both national and EU level. For instance, those who agree that their voice counts in the EU (67% vs 31% of those who disagree) and those who are satisfied with democracy in the EU (59% vs 36% of those who are not satisfied) attach higher importance to voting in the European elections.

In a similar manner, those who have a positive image of the European Parliament are more likely to say voting in the European elections is of high importance (67% vs 33% of those who have a negative image), as are those who would like the European Parliament to play a more important role (59% vs 33% of those who would like its role to be less important).

QA16a 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)

Total 'Low importance' (1-3)	Total 'Medium importance' (4-7)	Total 'High importance' (8-10)
EU27	13	38	48
Gender
Man	15	37	47
Woman	13	38	48
Age
15-24	13	42	42
25-39	12	40	48
40-54	14	38	48
55+	13	36	50
Education (End of)
-15	21	40	38
16-19	15	41	44
20+	9	33	58
Still studying	11	38	48
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	12	39	49
Managers	7	32	61
Other white collars	10	40	50
Manual workers	15	44	41
House persons	18	48	33
Unemployed	24	39	36
Retired	16	33	51
Students	11	38	48
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	24	40	35
From time to time	15	47	37
Almost never/ Never	11	34	55
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	4	29	67
Disagree	23	45	31
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	6	34	59
Not satisfied	21	43	36
Role of the European Parliament
More important	7	34	59
Less important	23	44	33
No change	11	37	51

QA16b And how important or not is it for you to vote in the national elections in (OUR COUNTRY)? (% - EU27)

Total 'Low importance' (1-3)	Total 'Medium importance' (4-7)	Total 'High importance' (8-10)
EU27	7	25	67
Gender
Man	6	26	67
Woman	7	25	67
Age
15-24	8	31	58
25-39	7	27	66
40-54	6	26	67
55+	7	23	70
Education (End of)
-15	12	25	63
16-19	8	30	62
20+	4	19	77
Still studying	7	28	62
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	5	26	69
Managers	3	17	80
Other white collars	5	28	67
Manual workers	9	32	59
House persons	11	33	55
Unemployed	14	32	53
Retired	7	20	73
Students	7	28	62
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	14	31	54
From time to time	9	36	54
Almost never/ Never	5	20	74
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	2	18	80
Disagree	11	32	56
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	3	21	75
Not satisfied	11	31	58
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	2	17	80
Neutral	6	32	61
Negative	15	27	57
Role of the European Parliament
More important	4	22	74
Less important	11	33	56
No change	6	21	72

Interest in the next European elections

A clear majority of respondents (56%, +2 pp since October-November 2022) are interested in the next European elections, including 15% (+1 pp) who say they are ‘very interested’. Conversely, more than four in ten (43%, -2 pp) say they are not interested, with 14% (-1 pp) saying they are ‘not at all interested’. These proportions have remained stable compared to October-November 2022.

Don't know 1 Very interested 15 Somewhat interested 41 Not very interested 29 Not at all interested 14 QA15 The next European elections will be held in May or June 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (EU27) (%)

Comparing the results to those observed at an equivalent timeframe prior to the last European elections, it can be noted that the proportion of respondents interested in the next European elections is now 6 percentage points higher than it was in April 2018, when 50% said they were interested and 48% said they were not interested23 The findings of the April 2018 Eurobarometer Survey of the European Parliament (EB 89.2) are available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2332 .

In 20 Member States, majorities say they are interested in the next European elections, with the highest proportions seen in the Netherlands (75%), Ireland (66%) and Germany (65%). Slovakia (26%) and Czechia (27%) are by far the countries where interest in the next elections is the lowest, followed by France (40%) and Bulgaria (41%).

Very interested Somewhat interested Not very interested Not at all interested Don’t know QA15 The next European elections will be held in May or June 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (%)

In 14 countries, respondents are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say they are interested in the next European elections. The level of interest has increased by at least ten percentage points in Estonia (51%, +14 pp), Finland (64%, +11 pp) and Latvia (50%, +10 pp). Nonetheless, the proportion of those who are interested has decreased by seven percentage points in Greece (49%) and Malta (64%), and it has remained stable or unchanged in 11 countries.

As with the importance attached to voting, the level of interest in the next European elections varies according to the age, level of education and socio-economic status of the respondents. Those aged 25 or over are more likely than younger respondents to say they are interested (56-58% vs 49%). Those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older are more inclined to say they are interested compared to those who ended education aged 15 or younger (65% vs 45%). Managers (70%) show the highest level of interest, particularly when compared to the unemployed (41%), as do those who have never or rarely difficulties paying their bills (62% vs 40% of those who have difficulties most of the time).

Respondents living in large towns are more inclined to show interest in the next European elections than those living in rural villages or in smaller towns (62% vs 54%).

In addition, those who agree their voice counts in the EU (76% vs 40% of those who disagree) and those who are satisfied with EU democracy (69% vs 43% of those who are not satisfied) are more likely to say they are interested in the next European elections. Lastly, levels of interest are also higher among respondents who have a positive image of the European Parliament (79% vs 35% of those with a negative image) and those who would like it to play a more important role (70% vs 39% of those who would like its role to be less important).

QA15 The next European elections will be held in May or June 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - EU27)

Total 'Interested'	Total 'Not interested'
EU27	56	43
Gender
Man	58	42
Woman	54	45
Age
15-24	49	49
25-39	56	44
40-54	58	42
55+	58	42
Education (End of)
-15	45	54
16-19	53	46
20+	65	34
Still studying	56	43
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	61	39
Managers	70	30
Other white collars	59	40
Manual workers	50	49
House persons	45	54
Unemployed	41	58
Retired	57	42
Students	56	43
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	40	59
From time to time	49	50
Almost never/ Never	62	38
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	54	45
Smart / mid size town	54	45
Large town	62	37
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	76	24
Disagree	40	59
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	69	30
Not satisfied	43	56
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	79	20
Neutral	47	52
Negative	35	64
Role of the European Parliament
More important	70	30
Less important	39	61
No change	54	44

The results for this question also point to the fact that citizens’ interest in elections correlates with their level of income. European citizens with lower incomes only 44% are interested in the 2024 European elections. This is the only income group in which we find more citizens not interested (55%) in the elections than those who are interested (44%).

For the four upper income groups (quintiles) there is a majority of citizens that are interested in the elections: from a 53% that is interested in the elections in the 2nd quintile (still below the EU average), to more than two thirds of EU citizens within the highest income quintile (68%) being interested in these elections.

56% 44% 53% 59% 65% 68% EU27 3rd quintile 4th quintile 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1st income quintile (lowest) 2nd quintile 5th income quintile (highest) QA15 The next European elections will be held in May or June 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - EU27) & SD17 Household’s total disposable income (quintile) (% - Total ‘Interested’) Note: in the original chart, there was "3th quintile" instead of "4th quintile".

The interest on the European Elections 2024 is also much higher among those who follow European Union politics (75% of them are interested in the European Elections2024), than among those who don’t follow EU politics (33%).

80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% EU27 56% 43% 75% 25% 33% 66% Follow Not follow Total ‘Interested’ Total ‘Not interested’ QA15The next European elections will be held in May or June 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - EU27) & QA3 Would you say you follow what’s going on in European Union politics: (% - Total ‘Interested’)

Knowledge of the date of the next European elections

Close to three in ten (28%) correctly indicate that the next European elections will be held in May or June 2024 – a three-percentage point increase since October-November 202224 May/June 2024’ was considered as the correct answer since the exact date of the elections was not yet agreed upon at the time of fieldwork. . The proportion who correctly selects the year of the elections but does not specify any month or indicates the wrong month, has also increased (+6 pp) and is now at 17%. One quarter (+1 pp) give an incorrect answer by saying the elections will be held in 2023 (4%, +3 pp) or in 2025 (10%, -3 pp), or by giving another date (11%, +1 pp).

This year/ Later this year/ In 2023 4 Next year/ in 2024/ any month in 2024 (but May or June) 17 In May or June 2024 28 In two years/ in 2025/ any month in 2025 10 Other/ Another date 11 Don’t know 30 QA14 In your opinion, when will the next European elections be held here in (OUR COUNTRY)? (EU27) (%)

The level of knowledge of the next European elections date is significantly higher now (+9 pp) than it was at a similar point in time before the last European elections in 2019. Some 13 months prior to those elections, in April 2018, 19% correctly identified the date of the elections (May 2019) and 13% knew only that it would take place the next year25 The findings of the April 2018 Eurobarometer Survey of the European Parliament (EB 89.2) are available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2332 .

There is wide variation in the level of knowledge of the European elections date across countries. In 14 Member States, at least three in ten correctly identify May or June 2024 as the election date, with the highest proportions observed in Belgium (47%), Hungary (44%) and Cyprus (43%). At the opposite end of the scale, 9% in France, 13% in Spain and 16% in Ireland show correct knowledge of the exact date (May or June 2024).

The Netherlands (37%), Sweden (34%), Poland and Denmark (both 32%) are the countries where respondents are most likely to give an incorrect answer. More than half in Portugal (59%), France and Spain (both 53%) say they don’t know.

Total 'Correct knowledge of the month and year' Total 'Correct knowledge of the year but not month' Total 'Incorrect answer' Don't know QA14 In your opinion, when will the next European elections be held here in (OUR COUNTRY)? (%)

In 17 countries, the level of knowledge of the date of the next European elections has risen since October-November 2022. This is especially the case in Latvia (32%, +15 pp), Romania (42%, +12 pp) and Lithuania (30%, +11 pp). Knowledge levels have decreased in Malta (27%, -24 pp), Luxembourg (26%, -13 pp), Poland (27%, -7 pp) and Ireland (16%, -6 pp), while the proportion giving a correct answer has remained stable or unchanged in six Member States.

The socio-demographic findings highlight that respondents in the central age cohorts (aged 25-54) are slightly more likely than younger and older respondents to correctly identify the date of the next European elections (29-30% vs 24-26%).

Nonetheless, the level of education and the socio-economic situation of the respondents appear to play a larger role. Those who completed full-time education aged 16 or older are more likely than those who finished at the age of 15 or younger to give the correct date (29-30% vs 18%). Managers and other white collars are also more likely to correctly answer the question (35-36% vs 14% of house persons), as are those who have difficulties paying their bills from time to time or rarely/never (27-29% vs 17% of those who have difficulties most of the time).

Respondents living in large towns are more likely to know the election date than those living in rural villages or smaller towns (32% vs 25-27%).

Levels of knowledge are also higher among those who have a positive image of the European Parliament (34% vs 24% of those who have a negative image) and among those who voted in the last European elections (33% vs 18% of those who did not vote).

QA14 In your opinion, when will the next European elections be held here in (OUR COUNTRY)? (%)

Total 'Correct knowledge of the month and year'	Total 'Correct knowledge of the year but not month'	Total 'Incorrect answer'
EU27	28	17	25
Gender
Man	28	18	26
Woman	27	16	25
Age
15-24	24	15	27
25-39	29	18	27
40-54	30	18	25
55+	26	17	25
Education (End of)
-15	18	12	25
16-19	29	17	25
20+	30	19	27
Still studying	24	17	25
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	30	21	25
Managers	35	20	26
Other white collars	36	19	24
Manual workers	26	26	28
House persons	14	14	30
Unemployed	18	11	28
Retired	25	16	24
Students	24	17	25
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	17	15	28
From time to time	27	18	28
Almost never/ Never	29	17	25
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	25	16	26
Smart / mid size town	27	15	26
Large town	32	19	25
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	33	20	24
No	18	13	29
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	34	20	25
Neutral	25	15	26
Negative	24	15	28

Likelihood to vote in the next European elections

Following a slight decrease between April-May and October-November 2022, the likelihood to vote in the next European elections has remained stable in the current survey, with around two thirds (67%, no change) saying they would be likely to vote in such elections if they were held next week (7-10 on a scale from 1 to 10).

Total ‘Likely’ (7-10) Total ‘Neutral' (5-5) Total ‘Not Likely’(1-4) Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 QA22 If the next European 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) (%)

A similar question was included in the European Parliament’s Eurobarometer survey in April 2018. On a scale from 1 to 10, respondents were asked how likely they were to vote in the next European elections to be held in May 2019, with 58% saying they were likely to do so (7-10)26 It should be noted that results at EU level in 2018 also included the UK. The findings of the April 2018 Eurobarometer Survey of the European Parliament (EB 89.2) are available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2332 . Although the question was differently worded and the comparison should be interpreted with caution, this might nonetheless indicate that citizens are currently more inclined to participate in the 2024 European elections than they were at a similar point in time before the 2019 elections.

Majorities in all countries say they would be likely to vote in European elections if they were held next week, with proportions ranging from more than eight in ten in the Netherlands (87%), Denmark and Sweden (both 83%), to 50% in Czechia, 53% in Croatia and 55% in Bulgaria. At least one quarter say they are not likely to go to vote in Czechia (29%), Slovenia (27%), Bulgaria, Cyprus and France (all 25%).

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA22 If the next European 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’ (7-10))

The likelihood to vote in the next European elections has risen in ten countries since October- November 2022, most notably in Lithuania (71%, +12 pp), Cyprus (61%, +10 pp) and Estonia (59%, +10 pp). The proportion who say they would be likely to vote in such elections has decreased by seven percentage points in Latvia (59%) and by three or four points in a further six countries. This share of respondents has remained stable or unchanged in ten countries.

The likelihood to go to vote in the next European elections increases as the age, level of education and socio-economic status of the respondents increase.

Those aged 25 or over are more inclined to say they would be likely to vote if these elections were held next week (68-70% vs 55% of those aged 15-24), as are those who finished their full-time education aged 20 or older (78% vs 59% of those who ended aged 15 or younger). Managers (81% vs 54% of the unemployed) and those who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills (73% vs 52-58% of those who have difficulties more often) are also more likely to say they would go to vote.

Respondents who frequently talk about European political matters (84% vs 49% of those who never do so) and those who follow European politics (80% vs 51% of those who do not) are more likely to say they would vote if elections were held tomorrow, as are those who had already voted in the last European elections (88% vs 34% of those who did not vote). Lastly, the image respondents have of the European Parliament also plays a role, with 85% of those who have a positive image being more likely to say they would vote, compared to 51% of those who have a negative image.

QA22 If the next European 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)

Total ‘Not Likely’(1-4)	Total ‘Neutral' (5-5)	Total ‘Likely’ (7-10)
EU27	17	15	67
Gender
Man	17	15	66
Woman	16	15	67
Age
15-24	21	17	55
25-39	17	15	68
40-54	16	14	70
55+	16	14	69
Education (End of)
-15	25	15	59
16-19	18	17	64
20+	11	11	78
Still studying	19	15	58
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	13	15	72
Managers	8	11	81
Other white collars	13	16	71
Manual workers	19	18	63
House persons	24	19	56
Unemployed	32	13	54
Retired	17	12	70
Students	19	15	58
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	28	18	52
From time to time	21	20	58
Almost never/ Never	13	12	73
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	16	15	67
Smart / mid size town	18	16	65
Large town	14	13	71
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	3	9	88
No	40	23	34
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	5	8	85
Neutral	19	19	60
Negative	33	16	51

Reasons for voting in the European elections

The most mentioned reasons why respondents say people vote in the European elections are because it is their duty as citizens (38%, +1 pp since October-November 2022), because they usually vote in political elections and because they want to support a political party (both 36%, +2 pp). The ranking of these reasons has remained unchanged compared to October-November 2022. Other reasons given by at least one in five are: wanting to change things by voting in the European elections (29%, no change), wanting to support a specific candidate (23%, +1 pp), wanting to express their discontent (21%, -2 pp) and wanting to express their support for the European Union (21%, no change).

Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 It is their duty as citizens They want to change things by voting in the European elections They usually vote in political elections They want to support a political party They want to support a specific candidate They want to express their discontent They want to express their support for the European Union They want to avoid the electoral success of other political parties they dislike They want to support the (NATIONALITY) government Political and societal issues of their interest are raised during the election campaign They want to express dissatisfaction with the European Union They want to express dissatisfaction with the (NATIONALITY) government The information they have received during the campaign has persuaded them to go to vote Don't know QA17ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which people vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (EU27) (%) In 14 countries, the most mentioned reason leading people to vote in the European elections is that it is their duty as citizens. Usually voting in political elections is the most common reason given by respondents in five countries, and wanting to support a political party tops the list of reasons in a further five. In the Netherlands and Sweden, the reason that is most frequently given is that they want to change things by voting in the European elections, while, in Slovakia, wanting to support a specific candidate is ranked the highest.

Being their duty as citizens is among the top three reasons given for people to vote in European elections in 20 countries, with the highest proportions seen in Lithuania (61%), Cyprus (52%), Latvia and Luxembourg (both 51%). Respondents are least likely to select this reason in Czechia (17%), Poland and Slovakia (both 27%).

In 17 countries, usually voting in political elections ranks in the top three reasons. This is most frequently mentioned by respondents in Sweden (47%), Denmark (46%) and Finland (44%). Those in Latvia (21%), Estonia (24%), Belgium and Slovakia (both 25%) are the least likely to cite this as a reason.

Wanting to support a political party is among the top three reasons that are thought to lead people to vote in 23 Member States. Proportions mentioning this are particularly high in Greece (65%), Malta (61%) and Cyprus (58%). This is selected by less than three in ten in Estonia, France, Latvia and Luxembourg (all 29%).

They want to support a political party They usually vote in political elections It is their duty as citizens They want to support a specific candidate They want to change things by voting in the European elections QA17ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which people vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (% - The most mentioned answer by country)

Respondents in Sweden (51%), the Netherlands (48%) and Finland (43%) are the most likely to think people vote in European elections because they want to change things by doing so. This reason is least likely to be given in Poland, Portugal (both 21%), France and Slovenia (both 22%).

The highest proportions who mention wanting to support a specific candidate as a reason leading people to vote in European elections are found in Cyprus (53%), Malta (52%), Greece and Lithuania (both 39%), while this is given least frequently in the Netherlands, Spain (both 13%) and Sweden (14%).

At least one quarter in France, the Netherlands (both 31%) and Belgium (25%) give as a reason for people to vote that they want to express their discontent, whereas 8% in Lithuania, 10% in Bulgaria and 11% in Cyprus mention this reason.

Lastly, respondents in Denmark, Greece and Slovenia (all 27%) are the most likely to say people vote in the European elections because they want to express their support for the European Union, while those in Cyprus (12%), Romania (15%) and Belgium (16%) are the least likely to do so.

QA17ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which people vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (%)

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
It is their duty as citizens	38	49	29	17	49	35	38	42	33	41	44	38	39	52	51	61	51	33	34	45	32	27	41	37	37	27	35	37
They usually vote in political elections	36	25	40	35	46	42	24	41	36	33	35	31	33	33	21	41	34	37	27	35	38	35	29	35	29	25	44	47
They want to support a political party	36	36	42	33	36	37	29	33	65	36	29	33	35	58	29	30	29	30	61	42	39	33	34	34	34	30	41	45
They want to change things by voting in the European elections	29	28	29	32	26	33	29	26	37	26	22	29	31	34	38	27	25	27	23	48	29	21	21	25	22	29	43	51
They want to support a specific candidate	23	25	33	30	23	15	37	35	39	13	19	29	24	53	30	39	15	22	52	13	31	31	34	30	33	35	38	14
They want to express their discontent	21	25	10	19	14	20	15	16	16	21	31	23	22	11	17	8	23	14	12	31	19	14	13	20	15	19	15	22
They want to express their support for the European Union	21	16	25	25	27	21	19	19	27	22	17	23	24	12	20	20	23	22	24	23	22	22	23	15	27	24	19	18
They want to support the (NATIONALITY) government	16	13	10	13	14	19	16	22	23	12	12	10	21	17	21	17	14	17	26	9	21	14	28	16	17	11	15	9
They want to avoid the electoral success of other political parties they dislike	16	21	13	18	8	20	16	8	16	15	17	13	10	12	17	16	13	23	15	17	20	14	12	13	10	14	7	21
Political and societal issues of their interest are raised during the election campaign	13	19	14	12	24	14	18	17	14	9	6	17	14	7	13	12	8	14	9	28	20	12	11	16	12	14	23	26
They want to express dissatisfaction with the European Union	12	13	7	16	12	12	10	8	12	8	13	11	13	5	5	3	10	12	4	23	14	8	8	11	7	12	13	15
They want to express dissatisfaction with the (NATIONALITY) government	11	14	8	10	4	10	6	8	13	7	14	15	10	4	11	4	5	14	10	10	14	13	8	13	7	10	4	6
They want to influence who becomes next President of the European Commission	10	11	9	7	10	11	8	10	10	11	8	13	13	4	6	3	7	15	5	7	20	12	13	11	8	9	3	5
The information they have received during the campaign has persuaded them to go to vote	10	11	12	13	12	10	14	16	9	9	6	13	12	3	10	7	6	19	8	10	14	11	9	15	11	16	14	14
There was another important election at the same time	5	10	3	9	13	4	2	8	4	3	2	6	7	1	4	7	2	6	5	6	6	7	4	12	5	3	2	6
Don’t know	2	1	3	4	4	1	2	1	1	2	5	2	1	0	2	1	2	2	3	0	1	2	3	0	2	3	2	1
Other (Spontaneous)	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0
None (Spontaneous)	1	0	0	3	1	2	2	1	0	2	3	1	1	3	2	2	4	1	1	1	2	0	0	0	1	2	1	2

The share of respondents who say people vote in the European elections because it is their duty as citizens has increased in 14 countries since October-November 2022, most notably in Luxembourg (51%, +13 pp), Lithuania (61%, +10 pp) and Romania (37%, +8 pp). This proportion has decreased in eight countries, with the largest declines observed in Sweden (37%, -8 pp), Portugal (41%, -8 pp), Czechia (17%, -7 pp). This share of respondents has remained stable or unchanged in five countries.

In 12 countries, respondents are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say people vote in the European elections because they usually vote in political elections. Six-percentage point increases are seen in Finland (44%) and Lithuania (41%), while this proportion has only slightly decreased in Cyprus (33%, -4 pp) and Estonia (24%, -3 pp) and has remained stable or unchanged in 13 countries.

Increases in the proportions of respondents who say people vote in European elections because they want to support a political party are recorded in 12 Member States. These are of at least ten percentage points in Malta (61%, +18 pp), Latvia (29%, +13 pp) and Greece (65%, +10 pp). Decreases are seen only in Cyprus (58%, -7 pp) and Czechia (33%, -5 pp), while, in 13 countries, this share of respondents is stable or has remained unchanged.

Seven countries show an increase in the share of respondents who mention wanting to support a specific candidate as a reason leading people to vote, most markedly Malta (52%, +7 pp), Portugal (34%, +6 pp) and Belgium (25%, +6 pp). Declines are recorded in Czechia (30%, -5 pp), Slovakia (35%, -4 pp), Estonia (37%, -3 pp), Germany (15%, -3 pp) and the Netherlands (13%, -3 pp). This proportion has remained stable or unchanged in 15 countries.

The proportions of respondents who say people vote to express their support for the European Union have slightly increased in eight countries since October-November 2022, especially in Estonia (19%, +5 pp), Denmark, Greece, Slovenia (all 27%, -4 pp) and Cyprus (12%, -4 pp). This share of respondents has declined in five countries, particularly in Malta (24%, -10 pp), Luxembourg (23%, -5 pp) and Sweden (18%, -4 pp) and has remained stable or unchanged in 14 countries.

Respondents are currently more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say people vote in European elections to express their discontent in Luxembourg (23%, +6 pp), Sweden (22%, +5 pp), Latvia (17%, +5 pp) and the Netherlands (31%, +3 pp). Conversely, this proportion has declined in Greece (16%, -7 pp), France (31%, -4 pp), Italy (22%, -4 pp), Bulgaria (10%, -4 pp) and Germany (20%, -3 pp), and has remained stable or unchanged in 18 Member States.

The socio-demographic analysis shows that women are slightly more likely than men to say people vote in European elections because it is their duty as citizens (40% vs 36%). Moreover, respondents aged 55 or over are more likely to say people vote because it is their duty as citizens (40% vs 35% of those aged 15-24) and that they usually vote in political elections (39% vs 32%), while those aged 15- 24 are the most likely to mention wanting to change things as a reason (33% vs 28% of those aged 55 or over).

The longer the respondents remained in full-time education, the more likely they are to say people vote because they want to change things (31% of those who finished education aged 20 or older vs 25% of those who left aged 15 or younger) and because they want to express their support for the European Union (24% vs 17%).

Respondents who have the least difficulties paying their bills are more likely to say people vote because it is their duty as citizens (40% vs 32-33% of those who have difficulties from time to time or more often), because they usually vote in political elections (38% vs 31-34%) and because they want to express their support for the European Union (23% vs 18%). By contrast, those who have difficulties most of the time are more inclined to mention wanting to support a specific candidate as a reason to vote (28% vs 21% of those who rarely or never have difficulties).

Lastly, those who voted in the last European elections are more likely than those who did not vote to say people vote because it is their duty as citizens (43% vs 28%), because they usually vote in political elections (39% vs 32%), to support a political party (38% vs 33%), to change things (31% vs 26%) and to express their support for the European Union (23% vs 18%).

QA17ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which people vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (% - EU27)

It is their duty as citizens	They want to change things by voting in the European elections	They want to influence who becomes next President of the European Commission	They want to express their discontent	They want to support the (NATIONALITY) government	They want to express dissatisfaction with the (NATIONALITY) government	They want to express dissatisfaction with the European Union	They usually vote in political elections	They want to express their support for the European Union	Political and societal issues of their interest are raised during the election campaign	They want to avoid the electoral success of other political parties they dislike	They want to support a political party
EU27	38	29	10	21	16	11	12	36	21	13	16	36
Gender
Man	36	29	10	21	16	11	13	37	21	14	16	37
Woman	40	30	10	21	16	10	11	35	21	13	15	35
Age
15-24	35	33	14	22	15	14	12	32	19	14	17	35
25-39	36	31	11	23	14	11	13	35	20	14	17	36
40-54	36	29	12	21	16	11	13	35	21	14	15	37
55+	40	28	8	19	17	9	11	39	22	13	15	35
Education (End of)
-15	40	25	8	21	20	9	9	36	17	9	12	35
16-19	37	28	10	21	17	12	12	35	20	12	16	35
20+	39	31	10	20	14	10	13	39	24	16	16	38
Still studying	36	34	13	23	14	12	12	33	19	16	17	36
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	32	30	11	18	16	11	13	37	24	15	14	36
Managers	41	32	11	20	13	11	13	38	27	16	18	40
Other white collars	36	31	12	20	18	11	13	36	22	15	15	39
Manual workers	35	28	11	23	17	12	12	32	19	12	16	33
House persons	41	28	7	21	16	9	11	34	19	10	11	34
Unemployed	35	26	11	26	11	15	13	36	15	11	16	34
Retired	41	27	7	19	18	9	11	40	22	12	15	34
Students	36	34	13	23	14	12	12	33	19	16	17	36
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	32	27	10	21	18	13	13	31	18	10	16	35
From time to time	33	27	11	24	17	13	13	34	18	13	16	34
Almost never/ Never	40	30	10	20	15	9	11	38	23	14	16	37
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	43	32	12	15	17	8	9	39	29	17	15	37
Neutral	36	29	10	21	17	11	11	35	19	13	15	35
Negative	32	26	8	32	13	15	20	33	12	9	18	34

Reasons for not voting in the European elections

The most frequently mentioned reason by respondents for why people do not vote in the European elections is the belief that their vote will not change anything (47%, no change since October-November 2022). More than one third say people do not vote because they are not interested in politics in general (37%, +3 pp) or because they distrust the political system in general (36%, +2 pp).

Other reasons given by around one fifth or more are: they feel like what’s happening in the European Parliament doesn’t concern them (23%, +1 pp), they usually don’t vote in political elections, they are not convinced by any political party or candidate (both 22%, +1 pp), they are opposed to the European Union (19%, no change), they believe that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them (19%, -1 pp) and they don’t know very well what the role of the European Parliament is (19%, -2 pp).

Except for the proportion who say they are not interested in politics in general, which has slightly increased (+3 pp), all other figures have remained stable since October-November 2022.

They are not interested in politics in general They believe their vote will not change anything They are opposed to the European Union They don't know very well what the role of the European Parliament is They believe that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them They don't know enough about the positioning of the different political parties on European affairs They lack time, they are too busy They distrust the political system in general They face some practical issues preventing them to vote (difficulty to get to the polling stations, disability, health issues, etc.) They are not convinced by any political party or candidate There are not interested in the topics discussed during the campaign They feel like what's happening in the European Parliament doesn't concern them They usually don't vote in political elections They are not aware of the elections They don't know where, or how, to vote Don't know Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 QA18ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which people do not vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (EU27) (%)

In 19 Member States, the belief that their vote will not change anything is the first most frequently mentioned reason leading people not to vote in European elections. In four countries, the most common reason given by respondents is that they are not interested in politics in general, while distrust in the political system in general tops the list in a further four countries.

In all countries, the belief that their vote will not change anything is the first or second most frequently mentioned reason given by respondents for people not to vote in the European elections. Proportions range from 67% in the Netherlands, 59% in Finland and 58% in Lithuania, to 34% in Portugal, 35% in Poland and 37% in Romania.

‘They are not interested in politics in general’ ranks in the top three reasons leading people not to vote in 25 countries. The highest shares of respondents mentioning this are found in Lithuania (51%), Slovenia (48%) and Finland (46%). At the other end of the spectrum, this reason is least likely to be given in Austria (29%), Portugal (31%) and Poland (32%).

They believe their vote will not change anything They distrust the political system in general They are not interested in politics in general QA18ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which people do not vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (% - The most mentioned answer by country) Distrust in the political system in general is among the top three answers in 23 Member States. Greece (64%) and Cyprus (58%) stand out for particularly high proportions who select this reason for not voting, followed by Lithuania (46%). Around one quarter or less give this answer in Poland (23%), Finland and Sweden (both 27%).

Respondents in Denmark, Sweden (both 47%) and the Netherlands (41%) are the most likely to say people do not vote in European elections because they feel like what’s happening in the European Parliament doesn’t concern them. Conversely, 11% in Spain and 16% in Poland, Luxembourg and Romania cite this as a reason.

Greece (48%) is the country where respondents are most likely to say people do not vote because they are not convinced by any political party or candidate, followed by Cyprus (36%) and Austria (31%). Respondents are least likely to mention this as a reason in Denmark (6%), the Netherlands (10%) and Sweden (11%).

Not usually voting in political elections is most frequently mentioned in Poland (31%), Hungary and Ireland (both 29%), while it is less widely cited in Spain (13%), Malta (14%), Belgium and Estonia (both 15%).

The highest proportions of respondents saying that people do not vote because they are opposed to the European Union are observed in Austria (36%), Malta (30%) and Czechia (29%). By contrast, less than one in ten mention this in Cyprus (8%), Lithuania and Spain (both 9%).

More than three in ten in Sweden (36%), Denmark (34%), the Netherlands and Portugal (both 31%) say that a reason leading people not to vote is that they don’t know very well what the role of the European Parliament is. This compares with 11% in Poland, 13% in Greece and 14% in Slovakia who mention this as a reason.

QA18ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which people do not vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (%)

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
They believe their vote will not change anything	47	52	42	42	52	46	54	38	55	48	52	41	44	57	50	58	56	39	46	67	41	35	34	37	42	49	59	57
They are not interested in politics in general	37	42	35	43	40	35	45	42	37	44	34	40	33	41	39	51	36	43	42	44	29	32	31	33	48	35	46	41
They distrust the political system in general	36	41	38	30	29	36	32	30	64	44	32	39	38	58	42	46	31	33	34	45	35	23	36	39	37	31	27	27
They feel like what's happening in the European Parliament doesn't concern them	23	28	28	29	47	24	29	17	25	11	24	20	18	21	22	21	16	21	27	41	25	16	22	16	18	22	38	47
They are not convinced by any political party or candidate	22	15	27	20	6	26	22	18	48	24	15	25	26	36	18	25	14	21	29	10	31	21	16	29	20	25	17	11
They usually don't vote in political elections	22	15	25	26	20	23	15	29	18	13	25	26	19	23	18	24	20	29	14	18	21	31	20	23	20	18	26	19
They are opposed to the European Union	19	16	24	29	20	22	17	16	26	9	18	16	24	8	14	9	11	15	30	24	36	18	12	14	12	17	16	16
They don't know very well what the role of the European Parliament is	19	22	15	17	34	18	16	16	13	18	20	15	21	18	17	15	15	19	21	31	16	11	31	18	18	14	29	36
They believe that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them	19	21	28	24	23	24	22	14	33	11	16	22	18	17	20	16	16	20	20	23	26	17	14	19	15	24	20	24
They don't know enough about the positioning of the different political parties on European affairs	14	18	11	10	13	13	9	15	8	12	11	14	16	10	11	7	8	13	14	20	16	14	17	14	12	11	15	23
There are not interested in the topics discussed during the campaign	13	17	12	11	14	15	9	19	9	12	11	14	13	4	9	10	9	19	27	12	18	13	14	15	15	13	10	12
They lack time, they are too busy	11	10	8	11	12	11	13	18	5	9	7	13	10	6	14	12	12	13	4	11	19	16	8	20	13	16	9	10
They are not aware of the elections	9	8	3	7	8	6	9	17	5	10	12	10	10	2	10	5	13	8	2	7	12	8	17	12	9	7	11	17
They don't know where, or how, to vote	8	9	4	7	5	4	8	11	4	8	8	8	11	4	9	3	12	7	4	8	6	10	11	9	10	5	4	6
They face some practical issues preventing them to vote (difficulty to get to the polling stations, disability, health issues, etc.)	5	11	5	2	2	2	3	5	8	2	2	10	7	2	4	2	4	7	2	2	11	10	8	14	2	6	3	2
Don't know	2	1	1	3	3	1	2	1	0	1	3	1	2	0	2	1	1	1	1	0	1	2	3	0	2	1	2	1
Other (SPONTANEOUS)	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0
None (SPONTANEOUS)	1	1	0	2	1	3	1	2	0	1	2	0	0	6	1	2	4	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	1

Finally, more than one quarter in Greece (33%), Bulgaria (28%) and Austria (26%) mention the fact that people believe that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them. Those in Spain (11%), Ireland and Portugal (both 14%) are the least likely to cite this as a reason not to vote.

In 11 countries, respondents are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say that people do not vote in European elections because they believe their vote will not change anything. This is especially the case for Malta (46%, +14 pp), Luxembourg (56%, +12 pp) and Estonia (54%, +7 pp). This share of respondents has decreased in France (52%, -7 pp), Austria (41%, -4 pp), Bulgaria (42%, -3 pp) and Portugal (34%, -3 pp), and it has remained stable or unchanged in 12 countries.

The share of respondents who say people do not vote because they are not interested in politics in general has increased in 15 countries since October-November 2022, most notably in Malta (42%, +12 pp), Ireland (42%, +8 pp) and Sweden (41%, +7 pp). This proportion has decreased only in Portugal (31%, -5 pp), Cyprus (41%, -5 pp) and Greece (37%, -4 pp), and it has remained stable or unchanged in nine countries.

Increases in the proportions of respondents who say people do not vote in European elections because they distrust the political system in general are recorded in 14 Member States. Malta (34%, +9 pp) has once again seen the largest increase, followed by Cyprus (58%, +7 pp) and Latvia (42%, +7 pp). This share of respondents has only slightly decreased in Slovakia (31%, -3 pp) and has remained stable or unchanged in 12 countries.

Nine countries show an increase in the proportion who say people feel like what’s happening in the European Parliament doesn’t concern them as a reason leading them not to vote. The largest increases are found in Belgium (28%, +6 pp), Estonia (29%, +5 pp) and Cyprus (21%, +5 pp). Declines are observed in Luxembourg (16%, -7 pp), Spain (11%, -4 pp), Austria (25%, -3 pp) and Czechia (29%, -3 pp). This figure has remained stable or unchanged in 14 countries.

Respondents in seven countries are currently more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say people do not vote because they are not convinced by any political party or candidate, most notably in Malta (29%, +9 pp) and Latvia (18%, +6 pp). This proportion has slightly declined in Spain (24%, -4 pp) and Denmark (6%, -3 pp), and has remained stable or unchanged in 18 countries.

In eight countries, the share of respondents who mention that people usually don’t vote in political elections as a reason not to vote in the European elections has increased, and this is particularly the case in Lithuania (24%, +8 pp), Slovenia (20%, +7 pp), Hungary (29%, +6 pp) and Latvia (18%, +6 pp). This proportion has slightly decreased in Malta (14%, -4 pp), Czechia (26%, -3 pp) and Portugal (20%, -3 pp), and has remained stable or unchanged in 16 Member States.

Respondents in Latvia (14%, +6 pp) are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say people do not vote because they are opposed to the European Union, while those in Malta (30%, -6 pp) are currently less likely to do so. In Luxembourg, there have been declines in the proportions of respondents who mention as reasons not knowing very well what the role of the European Parliament is (15%, -7 pp) and believing that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them (16%, -5 pp). In Greece (33%, +5 pp), respondents are now more likely to say people do not vote because they believe that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them.

Respondents aged 15-24 are the most likely to say people do not vote in European elections because they are not interested in politics in general (42% vs 35-37% of older respondents) and least likely to say people believe their vote will not change anything (42% vs 45-48%), distrust the political system in general (30% vs 36-38%) and are opposed to the European Union (15% vs 19-20%).

The longer respondents remained in full-time education, the more likely they are to mention the belief that their vote will not change anything (49% of those who finished education aged 20 or older vs 43% of those who finished aged 15 or younger), feeling like what’s happening in the European Parliament doesn’t concern them (29% vs 16%), not knowing very well what the role of the European Parliament is (22% vs 16%) and the belief that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them (21% vs 16%) as reasons leading people not to vote. However, respondents who left education aged 15 or younger are more likely to say people do not vote because they are not convinced by any political party or candidate (25% vs 20% of those who finished education aged 20 or older).

Respondents who have the least difficulties paying their bills are more inclined to say that people do not vote because they are not interested in politics in general (38% vs 33% of those who have difficulties most of the time) and because they feel like what’s happening in the European Parliament doesn’t concern them (25% vs 16%). The reverse holds true for distrust in the political system in general (41% of those who have difficulties most of the time vs 35% of those who rarely or never have difficulties) and not being convinced by any political party or candidate (27% vs 21%).

Those who frequently talk about European political matters are more likely than those who never do so to say people do not vote because they feel like what’s happening in the European Parliament doesn’t concern them (25% vs 20%) and because they believe that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them (25% vs 14%).

Finally, respondents who voted in the last European elections are more likely than those who did not vote to say that people believe their vote will not change anything (49% vs 43%) and feel like what’s happening in the European Parliament doesn’t concern them (25% vs 18%).

QA18ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which some people do not vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (% - EU27)

They are not interested in politics in general	They believe their vote will not change anything	They are opposed to the European Union	They don't know very well what the role of the European Parliament is	They believe that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them	They don't know enough about the positioning of the different political parties on European affairs	They distrust the political system in general	They are not convinced by any political party or candidate	They feel like what's happening in the European Parliament doesn't concern them
EU27	15	6	6	0	1	1	36	22	23
Gender
Man	16	7	5	0	1	1	37	22	22
Woman	15	6	6	0	1	1	35	23	23
Age
15-24	16	10	7	0	0	0	30	24	23
25-39	15	7	6	0	1	1	36	21	24
40-54	16	6	5	0	1	1	36	23	24
55+	15	5	5	0	1	1	38	22	21
Education (End of)
-15	14	5	5	1	1	1	40	25	16
16-19	15	6	5	0	1	1	37	23	19
20+	16	6	6	0	1	1	36	20	29
Still studying	17	11	8	0	0	0	30	23	25
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	15	6	5	0	0	1	37	21	24
Managers	16	7	4	0	1	0	37	19	28
Other white collars	15	8	6	0	1	0	36	23	26
Manual workers	15	7	5	0	1	1	36	23	20
House persons	13	4	5	1	0	1	39	25	16
Unemployed	15	4	5	1	1	1	40	25	19
Retired	15	4	5	1	1	1	37	22	21
Students	17	11	8	0	0	0	30	23	25
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	15	7	5	1	1	1	41	27	16
From time to time	14	7	6	0	1	1	38	25	20
Almost never/ Never	16	6	5	0	1	1	35	21	25
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	17	6	6	0	1	1	34	22	26
Neutral	14	7	6	0	1	1	35	22	22
Negative	14	5	3	1	2	1	43	24	19

3.2. A focus on youth

This section focuses more specifically on attitudes towards elections, and particularly towards the next European elections, among the youngest respondents (i.e. those aged between 15 and 24 years old) and draws a comparison between the results observed among the European youth and those observed among the general population. The 2019 Post-Election Eurobarometer found that, although older citizens were the most likely to vote in the last European elections, the increase in turnout between 2014 and 2019 was the strongest among young people aged under 25 (42%, +14 pp) – a factor which helped achieve the highest overall turnout in European elections since 199427 The results of the European Parliament’s Post-Election Eurobarometer survey (EB 91.5) conducted in June 2019 are available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2312 . It appears therefore crucial to monitor attitudes in this age group in order to grasp more comprehensively trends in electoral and political participation across the EU.

More than four in ten of the respondents aged 15-24 (42%) say it is of high importance for them personally to vote in the European elections, while 13% attach low importance to these elections. Young respondents are thus slightly less likely than average (48%) to attribute high importance to European elections.

Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Mar 2023 Mar 2023 15-24 year olds QA16a 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 (8-10)’) Nearly six in ten of the youngest respondents (58%) attribute high personal importance to voting in national elections and less than one in ten (8%) say voting in these elections is of low importance. Once more, 15-24 year-olds are less likely than average (67%) to attach high importance to voting.

Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Mar 2023 Mar 2023 15-24 year olds QA16b And how important or not is it for you to vote in the national elections in (OUR COUNTRY)? (% - Total ‘High importance (8-10)’) Hence, as is the case with the results among the general population, young respondents are more likely to recognise the saliency of national elections than that of European elections.

Equal proportions say they are interested (49%) and not interested (49%) in these elections. More particularly, 13% say they are ‘very interested’ and 36% somewhat interested, while 16% are ‘not at all interested’ and 33% are ‘not very interested’. When comparing these figures with the ones found among the general population, it appears clear that 15-24 year-olds are less likely than average (56%) to be interested, even though the proportion of those who say they are ‘very’ interested is somewhat close to the one observed for the whole sample (15%).

EU27 15-24 years Very interested Somewhat interested Not very interested Not at all interested Don’t know QA15 The next European elections will be held in May or June 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - EU27)

When asked about the date of the next European elections, nearly one quarter of the youngest respondents (24%) give the correct answer of May or June 2024, while 15% correctly identify the year, but not the month, and around one quarter (27%) give an incorrect answer. This indicates that 15-24 year-olds are slightly less likely than average to be aware of the exact date of the next elections (24% vs 28%).

EU27 15-24 years This year/ Later this year / in 2023 Next year/ in 2024/ any month in 2024 (but May or June) In May or June 2024 In two years/ in 2025/ any month in 2025 Other / Another date Don't know QA14 The next European elections will be held in May or June 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - EU27) The likelihood to vote in the next European elections is lower among the youngest respondents than it is among the general population, with 55% of 15-24 year-olds saying they are likely to vote if the next European elections were held next week (compared to an average of 67%). Nonetheless, it should be noted that 6% of these respondents say they are not yet eligible to vote.

Likely voters still represent an absolute majority of young respondents, while only around one fifth (21%) say they are not likely to vote (compared to an average of 17%).

EU27 15-24 years Total 'Likely' (7-10) Total 'Neutral' (5-6) Total ‘Not likely' (1-4} Don’t know QA22 If the next European 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 ranking of reasons for which people vote in European elections as expressed by respondents aged 15-24 is only slightly different than the one observed among the general population. Being a duty as citizens (35%, compared to an average of 38%) and wanting to support a political party (35% vs 36%) are still in the top three reasons given by 15-24 year-olds. However, these respondents are more likely than average to say people vote because they want to change things (33% vs 29%), which ranks as third among the reasons given. Conversely, although usually voting in political elections ranks a close fourth (32%), the youngest respondents are less likely to mention this than the general population (36%).

Other reasons selected by around one fifth are the desire to express discontent (22%, compared to an average of 21%) and the desire to support a specific candidate (21% vs 23%).

Finally, it is noteworthy that the youngest respondents are more likely than average to say people vote in European elections because they want to influence who becomes next President of the European Commission (14% vs 10%).

EU27 15-24 years It is their duty as citizens They want to change things by voting in the European elections They usually vote in political elections They want to support a political party They want to support a specific candidate They want to express their discontent They want to express their support for the European Union They want to avoid the electoral success of other political parties they dislike They want to support the (NATIONALITY) government Political and societal issues of their interest are raised during the election campaign They want to express dissatisfaction with the European Union They want to express dissatisfaction with the (NATIONALITY) government The information they have received during the campaign has persuaded them to go to vote Don't know They want to influence who becomes next President of the European Commission There was another important election at the same time QA17ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which people vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (% - EU27)

Among the general population, respondents are most likely to say people do not vote in European elections because they believe their vote will not change anything, they are not interested in politics in general or they distrust the political system in general. This ranking is broadly the same among the youngest respondents, even though differences can be observed in the proportions who select each of these reasons. More particularly, 15-24 year-olds are more likely than average to say people do not vote because they are not interested in politics in general (42% vs 37%) – which makes of this the joint most frequently mentioned reason among the youth. Nevertheless, although the belief that their vote will not change anything is the joint top reason, the youngest respondents are less likely to mention this than the general population (42% vs 47%), and the same applies for distrust in the political system in general (30% vs 36%).

Other reasons mentioned by at least one fifth of the youngest respondents are: not being convinced by any political party or candidate (24%, compared to an average of 22%), feeling like what’s happening in the European Parliament doesn’t concern them (23% vs 23%), not usually voting in political elections (23% vs 22%) and not knowing very well what the role of the European Parliament is (20% vs 19%).

Among the other reasons, it is worth noting that 15-24 year-olds are less likely than the general population to say people do not vote because they are opposed to the European Union (15% vs 19%), but more inclined to say it is because they lack time or are too busy (15% vs 11%) and because they are not aware of the elections (14% vs 9%).

EU27 15-24 years They are not interested in politics in general They believe their vote will not change anything They are opposed to the European Union They don't know very well what the role of the European Parliament is They believe that the European Parliament does not deal sufficiently with problems that concern people like them They don't know enough about the positioning of the different political parties on European affairs They lack time, they are too busy They distrust the political system in general They face some practical issues preventing them to vote (difficulty to get to the polling stations, disability, health issues, etc.) They are not convinced by any political party or candidate There are not interested in the topics discussed during the campaign They feel like what's happening in the European Parliament doesn't concern them They usually don't vote in political elections They are not aware of the elections They don't know where, or how, to vote Don't know QA18ab In your opinion, what are the reasons for which some people do not vote in the European elections? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (% - EU27)

3.3. Voting behaviour

Frequency of voting in local/regional, national and European elections

When describing their voting behaviour in recent years at local, regional, national or European level, half of the respondents (50%, no change since October-November 2022) say they always vote. Close to four in ten (38%, no change) say they often vote, either ‘most of the time’ (25%, -1 pp) or ‘from time to time’ (13%, +1 pp), while around one in ten (11%, no change) say they ‘rarely’ (6%, no change) or ‘never’ (5%, no change) vote.

These proportions are stable or unchanged compared to October-November 2022 and are consistent with those observed at a similar point in time (April 2018) before the 2019 European elections, when 50% said they always vote and 35% that they often vote.

You were too young to vote before (SPONTANEDUS) 1 You never vote 5 You rarely vote 6 You vote from time to time 13 You vote most of the time 25 You systematically vote 50 QA19 Let’s now talk about your personal voting behaviour. Which of the following best describes your voting behaviour in recent years, whether at the local or regional, national or European level? (% - EU27) Respondents in Sweden (85%), the Netherlands (81%) and Denmark (79%) are the most likely to say they always vote in elections whether at local or regional, national or European level. This voting behaviour is less widespread in Croatia (25%), Bulgaria (26%) and Slovakia (30%). The shares of respondents who rarely or never vote are the highest in France, Latvia (both 17%), Bulgaria, Croatia and Luxembourg (all 16%), while they are the lowest in Sweden (1%), the Netherlands (2%) and Denmark (4%).

Total ‘Not often or never vote’ Total ‘Alwavs vote’ Total ‘Often vote’ Total ‘Other’ Don’t know QA19 Let’s now talk about your personal voting behaviour. Which of the following best describes your voting behaviour in recent years, whether at the local or regional, national or European level? (%)

QA19 Let’s now talk about your personal voting behaviour. Which of the following best describes your voting behaviour in recent years, whether at the local or regional, national or European level? (%)

You systematically vote	You vote most of the time	You vote from time to time	You rarely vote	You never vote	It depends/ You only vote in certain elections (SPONTANEOUS)
March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022	March 2023	Diff. March 2023 - Oct/Nov 2022
EU27	50	0	25	-1	13	1	6	0	5	0	0	0
BE	68	2	16	0	7	0	3	-1	3	-2	0	0
BG	26	-1	33	-2	23	2	12	-1	4	1	0	0
CZ	34	-3	34	2	15	3	8	-2	7	0	0	-1
DK	79	1	14	-1	3	-1	2	1	2	1	0	0
DE	54	-3	23	-3	12	4	5	1	5	1	1	0
EE	45	13	25	0	15	-6	9	-5	5	-3	0	0
IE	51	-4	27	2	10	1	4	-1	7	2	0	0
EL	67	-2	19	0	8	3	3	0	2	0	0	0
ES	52	-6	24	3	8	1	6	0	7	1	1	1
FR	50	2	22	-3	10	1	8	1	9	-2	0	0
HR	25	-8	35	3	23	4	10	0	6	1	0	0
IT	42	-2	31	1	15	2	8	1	3	-1	0	-1
CY	56	2	21	1	11	1	3	-4	8	1	1	1
LV	40	-15	25	3	17	7	10	3	7	1	0	0
LT	52	8	25	-5	13	1	5	0	4	-3	0	0
LU	54	2	21	-3	8	0	8	1	8	1	0	0
HU	48	-5	27	4	12	-1	7	2	5	0	0	0
MT	62	-3	21	-3	10	4	4	1	2	0	0	0
NL	81	4	14	-3	2	-1	1	0	1	-1	0	0
AT	37	-2	34	-1	18	0	4	-1	5	3	0	0
PL	35	5	26	-4	24	-3	8	-1	5	3	0	0
PT	46	2	35	2	9	-4	4	-1	6	1	0	0
RO	45	13	24	-7	16	-4	9	-5	3	1	0	0
SI	43	4	29	-2	12	-1	9	1	6	-2	0	0
SK	30	-3	30	-3	24	5	7	-1	6	1	0	0
FI	62	10	25	-2	7	-2	3	-3	3	-2	0	0
SE	85	-4	12	4	2	0	0	-1	1	1	0	0

The proportion who always vote in elections rises with age, as 57% of those who are aged 55 or over say they always vote, compared to 37% of those aged 15-24.

Education levels also play a role when it comes to voting behaviour. Those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older are more likely to say they always vote than those who finished aged 19 or younger (61% vs 44-49%).

Managers (63%) are the most likely to systematically go to vote, particularly when compared to the unemployed (35%). There is also a difference in terms of the respondents’ financial conditions, with those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills being more likely than those who have difficulties more often to say they always vote (59% vs 34-37%).

The feeling that one’s voice counts and satisfaction with democracy in the EU and in their country are also traits that accompany a higher propensity to vote in elections. For instance, 61% of those who agree their voice counts in their country always vote, compared to 36% of those who disagree. The same applies to the image respondents have of the European Parliament, with 63% of those who have a positive image saying they always vote, compared to 39% of those who have a negative image.

Declared turnout in the 2019 European elections and in the last national elections

60% (-1 pp since October-November 2022) say they voted in the last European elections in May 2019, while 36% (+1 pp) say they did not vote.

It should be noted that this proportion is higher than the actual turnout in the last European elections (50.6%), which signals that a number of non-voters (including a share of those who were not of voting age) reported that they voted in the current survey.

Don't know 2 Total 'Satisfied' 33 Total 'Not satisﬁed’ 65 QA24.1 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? (EU27) (%) In all countries, the majority of respondents say they voted in the last European elections. The highest shares of respondents are seen in the Netherlands (81%), Belgium (78%) and Denmark (77%). On the flip side, less than half say they voted in Czechia (47%), Slovenia (48%), France and Slovakia (both 49%).

Total 'Satisfied‘ Total “Not satisﬁed’ Don’t know QA24.1 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? (%)

Respondents in six countries are now more likely to say they voted in the last European elections than they were in October-November 2022, most notably in Estonia (55%, +15 pp), Lithuania (64%, +8 pp), the Netherlands (81%, +7 pp) and Romania (68%, +7 pp). This proportion has decreased in six countries, and by five percentage points in Croatia (51%), Sweden (69%) and Malta (74%).

Declared turnout is higher when it comes to national elections. Close to eight in ten (79%, -1 pp since October-November 2022) say they voted in the last national elections, while around one fifth (19%, +1 pp) say they did not vote.

Very satisfied 4 Fairly satisﬁed 28 Not very satisfied 34 Not at all satisﬁed 23 Don’t know 11 QA24.2 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? (EU27) (%)

Majorities in all Member States say they voted in the last national elections, with the highest proportions recorded in the Netherlands (93%), Denmark (92%) and Sweden (91%). Declared turnout in national elections is lowest in Luxembourg (61%), Croatia (68%) and Latvia (70%).

Total 'Satisfied‘ Total “Not satisﬁed’ Don’t know QA24.1 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 EU? (%)

The share of respondents who say they voted in the last national elections have increased in eight countries since October-November 2022. Once again, Estonia (73%, +12 pp) and Lithuania (76%, +6 pp) are the countries where declared turnout has increased the most. Conversely, this share has decreased in a further eight countries, most markedly in Latvia (70%, -9 pp), Croatia (68%, -7 pp) and Sweden (91%, -6 pp).

The socio-demographic analysis shows that declared turnout is higher among respondents aged 55 or over (87% national, 69% European) than among those aged 25-39 (80% national, 59% European). Nonetheless, the figures are the lowest among those aged 15-24 (45% national, 23% European), even though this might be due to the fact that a number of these respondents were not of voting age when these elections were held.

The level of education also plays a role in the level of declared turnout, with those who finished education aged 20 or older being more likely to say they voted in each of these elections compared to those who finished aged 15 or younger (89% vs 77% national, 74% vs 58% European).

Managers (90% national, 76% European) are the most likely to say they voted, particularly when compared to the unemployed (61% national, 46% European). The more the respondents have financial difficulties, the less likely they are to say they voted. For instance, 84% of those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills say they voted in national elections, compared to 67% of those who have difficulties most of the time.

Declared turnout is also related to the feeling that one’s voice count and satisfaction with democracy at EU and national levels. For instance, 68% of those who are satisfied with democracy in the EU say they voted in the last European elections, compared to 53% of those who are not satisfied. In addition, respondents who have a positive image of the European Parliament are more likely to say they voted in the last European elections than those who have a negative image (74% vs 52%).

QA24.1 For one reason or another, some people in (OUR COUNTRY) did not vote in the recent elections. Did you yourself vote in the last... European elections, in May 2019? (% - EU27)

Yes	No	Don’t know
EU27	60	36	4
Gender
Man	61	36	3
Woman	60	36	4
Age
15-24	23	71	6
25-39	59	38	3
40-54	66	31	3
55+	69	27	4
Education (End of)
-15	58	39	3
16-19	60	37	3
20+	74	23	3
Still studying	26	68	6
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	69	28	3
Managers	76	21	3
Other white collars	64	33	3
Manual workers	56	40	4
House persons	56	41	3
Unemployed	46	51	3
Retired	70	27	3
Students	26	68	6
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	47	49	4
From time to time	54	42	4
Almost never/ Never	66	31	3
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	74	23	3
Disagree	59	47	3
My voice counts in (OUR COUNTRY)
Agree	70	27	3
Disagree	49	48	3
Satisfaction with democracy in one’s country
Satisfied	67	30	3
Not satisfied	53	43	4
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	68	29	3
Not satisfied	53	43	4
Image of the European Parliament
Positive	74	23	3
Neutral	53	42	5
Negative	52	45	3

QA24.2 For one reason or another, some people in (OUR COUNTRY) did not vote in the recent elections. Did you yourself vote in the last... National elections? (% - EU27)

Yes	No	Don’t know
EU27	79	19	1
Gender
Man	79	20	1
Woman	79	19	2
Age
15-24	45	50	5
25-39	80	19	1
40-54	83	16	1
55+	87	12	1
Education (End of)
-15	77	21	2
16-19	80	18	1
20+	89	10	1
Still studying	47	48	5
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	87	12	1
Managers	90	9	1
Other white collars	85	14	1
Manual workers	77	21	2
House persons	72	27	1
Unemployed	61	36	3
Retired	87	12	1
Students	47	48	5
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	67	30	3
From time to time	72	26	2
Almost never/ Never	84	15	1
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	88	11	1
Disagree	74	25	1
My voice counts in (OUR COUNTRY)
Agree	88	11	1
Disagree	69	30	1
Satisfaction with democracy in one’s country
Satisfied	83	16	1
Not satisfied	75	23	2
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	83	16	1
Not satisfied	76	23	1

Main reasons for not participating in elections or referendums

The respondents who said they often, rarely or never vote in elections whether at local or regional, national or European level were also asked the main reasons for not participating in an election or a referendum in the past five years. The majority of these respondents (56%, no change since October-November 2022) say they didn’t vote for practical or personal reasons, while close to three in ten (28%, +1 pp) cite ideological or political reasons. One in ten (-1 pp) spontaneously say neither of the two reasons apply to their case or that they have always voted in the past five years.

You didn't vote for ideological or political reasons 28 You didn't vote for practical or personal reasons 56 For both reasons {SPONTANEOUS} 3 Neither/ You have always voted in the past five years (SPONTANEOUS) 10 Don't know 3 QA20 If you did not participate in an election or a referendum in the past five years, what was the main reason? (% - EU27)

These figures have remained stable since October-November 2022. As also noted in the last report, compared to April 2018, larger proportions now say that the main reasons for not voting were practical or personal (56% vs 41%), or ideological or political (28% vs 23%).

In all but one country, the majority say they did not participate in an election or a referendum in the past five years because of practical or personal reasons. This proportion ranges from around seven in ten or more in the Netherlands (78%), Slovenia (70%) and Poland (69%), to half or less in Germany, Portugal (both 46%), Cyprus and Finland (both 50%). Malta (33%) is the only country where this reason is given by a minority, and where a majority say instead that the reasons were mainly ideological or political (43%).

Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 QA20 If you did not participate in an election or a referendum in the past five years, what was the main reason? (% - You didn’t vote for practical or personal reasons)

Following Malta, more than one third say the reasons for not participating were ideological or political in France (36%), Germany and Luxembourg (both 34%). The lowest proportions citing this as a reason are seen in Estonia, Finland (both 14%) and Slovakia (15%).

In ten countries, the proportion of respondents who did not participate in elections or referendums in the last five years for practical or personal reasons has increased since October-November 2022. This is especially the case for Malta (33%, +10 pp), Sweden (62%, +10 pp) and France (55%, +9 pp). By contrast this share has decreased in six countries and most notably in Cyprus (50%, -10 pp).

Respondents in Poland (22%, +6 pp), Germany (34%, +4 pp) and Romania (27%, +3 pp) are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to mention ideological or political reasons for not voting. This proportion has declined in nine countries, especially in Sweden (17%, -9 pp), Malta (43%, -9 pp) and France (36%, -6 pp).

Oct/Nov 2022 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 Mar 2023 QA20 If you did not participate in an election or a referendum in the past five years, what was the main reason? (% - You didn’t vote for ideological or political reasons)

The most common reasons in all groups for not participating in an election or a referendum in the past five years are practical or personal, rather than ideological or political.

In particular, men are more likely than women to say they didn’t vote because of ideological or political reasons (30% vs 26%), while the youngest respondents are the least likely to do so (21% vs 27-32% of those aged 25 or over), but the most likely to mention practical or personal reasons (68% vs 51-59%). The unemployed (32%) and those who have difficulties paying their bills from time to time or more often (30-31%) are the most likely to say they didn’t vote for ideological or political reasons.

Proportions who did not vote for ideological or political reasons are also high among those who frequently talk about European political matters (33% vs 26% of those who never do so), those who have a negative image of the EU (41% vs 21% of those who have a positive image) and those who have a negative image of the European Parliament (39% vs 23% of those who have a positive image).

QA20 If you did not participate in an election or a referendum in the past five years, what was the main reason? (% - EU27)

You didn’t vote for ideological or political reasons	You didn’t vote for practical or personal reasons	Don’t know
EU27	28	56	3
Gender
Man	30	55	3
Woman	26	58	3
Age
15-24	21	68	3
25-39	29	59	2
40-54	32	51	2
55+	27	55	3
Education (End of)
-15	25	60	3
16-19	31	54	2
20+	27	56	3
Still studying	21	68	4
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	29	51	5
Managers	30	59	3
Other white collars	29	56	2
Manual workers	30	54	3
House persons	24	62	3
Unemployed	32	54	4
Retired	26	56	3
Students	21	68	4
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	30	56	4
From time to time	31	54	3
Almost never/ Never	25	59	2
Talk about European political matters
Frequently	33	55	1
Occasionally	28	55	3
Never	26	59	3
Image of the EU
Positive	21	61	3
Neutral	27	58	3
Negative	41	47	2
Image of European Parliament
Positive	23	59	2
Neutral	26	59	3
Negative	39	48	3

Practical reasons for not voting in elections or referenda

When asked in more detail about practical reasons for not voting in an election or referendum, the most common answers these respondents give is that they were on holiday or away from home (19%), that they were sick or had a health problem (16%, no change) or that they were too busy or had to work (16%). Other reasons mentioned by more than one in ten are being involved in a family or leisure activity (12%) and forgetting to vote (11%).

You were on holiday or away from home You were sick or had a health problem at the time You were too busy/ had to work at the time You were involved in a family or leisure activity You forgot to vote It takes too much time to go to vote/ had no time You could not get to the polling station because of an unexpected problem (for example, transport problems, a flat tyre or bad weather) You are not autonomous, and could not find anyone to help you to go to the polling station You didn't know that there was an election You had registration or voting card problems Don't know Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 QA21 Which of the following reasons have ever prevented you from voting in an election or a referendum at local, national or European level? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (% - EU27)

In eight countries, the most frequently (or joint most frequently) mentioned practical reason by respondents for not voting in an election or referendum is that they were sick or had a health problem. In seven countries, the most common (or joint most common) reason is being on holiday or away from home, and being too busy or having had to work at the time is the top reason in a further six countries. In Finland, most respondents say they forgot to vote, while, in Sweden, most didn’t know that there was an election. In Hungary, being involved in a family or leisure activity is the joint top answer, together with being too busy or having no time and being sick or having a health problem.

You were too busy/ had to work at the time You forgot to vote You were on holiday or away from home You were sick or had a health problem at the time You didn't know that there was an election You were involved in a family or leisure activity QA21 Which of the following reasons have ever prevented you from voting in an election or a referendum at local, national or European level? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (% - The most mentioned answer by country)

Respondents are most likely to say they did not vote in an election or referendum in the past five years because they were on holiday or away from home in Czechia (30%), Austria (28%) and Slovenia (26%). The lowest shares of respondents mentioning this practical reason are found in Malta (5%), Spain (9%) and Sweden (12%).

Being sick or having had a health problem at the time of elections is most frequently mentioned in Austria, Czechia (both 28%) and Greece (27%). By contrast, 7% in France and Malta and 8% in the Netherlands cite this reason.

The Netherlands (37%) is by far the country with the highest proportion who say they were too busy or had to work, followed by Latvia and Lithuania (both 24%). Respondents are least likely to mention this in Malta, Portugal (both 6%) and Italy (11%).

At least one in five in Austria (21%), Bulgaria and Hungary (both 20%) mention being involved in a family or leisure activity as a reason not to vote. This compares with less than one in twenty who cite this as a reason in the Netherlands (2%), Greece and Malta (both 4%).

Forgetting to vote is most common in Finland (30%), the Netherlands (20%), Luxembourg and Sweden (both 18%), while it is least common in Greece (less than 1%), Malta (1%), Bulgaria and Slovakia (both 3%).

You were on holiday or away from home You were sick or had a health problem at the time You were too busy/ had to work at the time Other (SPONTANEOUS) You were involved in a family or leisure activity You forgot to vote It takes too much time to go to vote/ had no time None/ you have always voted (SPONTANEOUS) You didn't know that there was an election You could not get to the polling station because of an unexpected problem (for example, transport problems, a flat tyre or bad weather) You had registration or voting card problems You are not autonomous, and could not find anyone to help you to go to the polling station Don't know QA21 Which of the following reasons have ever prevented you from voting in an election or a referendum at local, national or European level? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (%) Interesting differences can be noted when analysing the results according to the socio-demographic categories of respondents. Women are more likely than men to mention that they were sick or had a health problem as a reason they did not vote (18% vs 14%). Older respondents are also more likely to mention this as a reason (24% of those aged 55 or more vs 9-14% of those aged 15-54). Respondents aged 15-39 are more likely than their older counterparts to say they forgot to vote (14% vs 7-11%), while those in the central age cohorts are more likely to mention that they were too busy or had to work at the time (19-21% of those aged 25-54, compared to 15% of those aged 15-24 and 11% of those aged 55 or over).

There are also differences in terms of education levels, with respondents who finished full-time education aged 16 or older being more likely than those who left earlier to mention being on holiday or away from home (19-24% vs 12%) or being too busy or having had to work (17-18% vs 10%). Conversely, respondents who finished education aged 15 or younger are most likely to say they were sick or had a health problem (26% vs 13-16%).

Those who have less financial difficulties are more likely to say they were on holiday or away from home (19-21% of those who have difficulties paying their bills from time to time or less often vs 13% of those who have difficulties most of the time), while the reverse holds true for the proportions mentioning being sick or having a health problem (15-16% vs 20%).

QA21 Which of the following reasons have ever prevented you from voting in an election or a referendum at local, national or European level? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (% - EU)

You were sick or had a health problem at the time	You were on holiday or away from home	You were too busy / had to work at the time	It takes too much time to go to vote / had no time	You were involved in a family or leisure activity	You didn't know that there was an election	You could not get to the polling station because of an unexpected problem (for example, transport problems, a flat tyre or bad weather)	You are not autonomous, and could not find anyone to help you to go to the polling station	You forgot to vote	You had registration or voting card problems
EU27	16	19	16	8	12	6	6	4	11	5
Gender
Man	14	18	18	9	12	7	7	4	10	6
Woman	18	20	15	8	12	6	6	4	12	5
Age
15-24	9	18	15	11	9	8	4	4	14	8
25-39	10	21	21	9	13	9	6	4	14	7
40-54	14	19	19	9	14	5	7	3	11	5
55+	24	18	11	7	10	5	7	5	7	4
Education (End of)
-15	26	12	10	6	10	4	7	6	10	3
16-19	16	19	17	9	12	6	7	4	11	5
20+	13	24	18	7	12	5	5	4	10	7
Still studying	7	18	15	12	11	10	5	3	14	9
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	13	23	21	7	13	3	5	5	7	9
Managers	12	26	17	9	13	7	8	4	13	7
Other white collars	13	24	22	8	15	7	6	4	12	4
Manual workers	12	17	20	10	12	6	7	4	13	6
House persons	20	15	13	7	11	4	8	6	14	3
Unemployed	15	15	11	8	9	5	2	1	11	6
Retired	29	17	8	7	10	5	6	5	7	3
Students	7	18	15	12	11	10	5	3	14	9
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	20	13	17	6	11	4	6	5	10	6
From time to time	16	19	16	9	13	8	9	5	11	6
Almost never/ Never	15	21	16	9	11	6	5	3	11	5
Image of European Parliament
Positive	15	23	17	8	13	6	8	4	11	6
Neutral	17	19	16	9	11	7	7	4	12	5
Negative	15	16	16	8	12	5	5	3	9	5

4. CITIZENS’ PERCEPTION OF THE EU AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The last chapter of the report assesses citizens’ opinions of the EU and the European Parliament. It starts by discussing Europeans’ perceptions that their voice counts, their engagement with political/European matters and their attitudes towards the EU, before delving into an analysis of perceptions of the European Parliament.

While the feeling that the voice of Europeans counts in the EU is somewhat lukewarm, majorities of citizens discuss European political matters and follow EU politics. Moreover, positive attitudes are prevalent and optimism regarding the future of the EU is again on the rise, with membership of the EU being both valued and considered as important.

4.1. Perception of the EU

Feeling that one’s voice counts in the EU and in their country

The feeling of Europeans regarding the extent to which their voice counts in their country and in the EU as well as their country’s voice counts in the EU remain unchanged with no discernible difference from October-November 2022.

Opinions are divided on whether one’s voice counts in the EU, with 47% (no change since October- November 2022) agreeing that their voice counts and 48% (-1 pp) disagreeing with this statement.

The proportion who feel their voice counts in the EU had decreased by six percentage points between April-May and October-November 2022, following a positive evolution between November- December 2021 and April-May 2022, and is back at levels seen throughout the 2017-2019 period.

In contrast, the feeling that their voice counts in their country is shared by a majority of respondents (59%, -1 pp since October-November 2022), while less than four in ten (38%, +1 pp) disagree their voice counts.

These proportions have remained stable in the current survey, following a large positive evolution between October 2019 and April-May 2022, and a less rapid decline between April-May and October- November 2022.

Lastly, close to two thirds (63%, -1 pp since October-November 2022) feel that their country’s voice counts in the EU, while 32% (no change) think this is not the case.

Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 (OUR COUNTRY)’s voice counts in the EU My voice counts in (OUR COUNTRY) My voice counts in the EU Total ‘Agree’ Total ‘Disagree’ Don’t know Mar. 2023 – Oct/Nov 2022 D72 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? (EU27) (%)

In 13 countries, a majority of respondents agree their voice counts in the EU, with more than seven in ten in Sweden (78%), Denmark (75%) and the Netherlands (71%) who feel this is the case. Conversely, one quarter or less in Estonia (16%), Greece (24%) and Cyprus (25%) feel their voice is heard at EU level.

Total ‘Agree’ Total ‘Disagree’ D72.1 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? My voice counts in the EU (% - EU27)

Compared to October-November 2022, levels of agreement with this statement have risen in five countries and have declined in seven. Portugal (53%, +7 pp) and Finland (59%, +6 pp) are the countries where the increase has been the largest, while Malta (50%, -21 pp) stands out for a particularly large decrease in this proportion, followed by Slovenia (41%, -7 pp), Hungary and Romania (both 38%, -5 pp).

In 18 countries, the majority view is that citizens’ voice counts in their country, with respondents in Sweden (95%), Denmark (92%) and Finland (88%) being particularly inclined to hold this opinion. Conversely, respondents in Greece (29%), Cyprus (33%) and Lithuania (38%) are the least likely to feel their voice counts.

Total ‘Agree’ Total ‘Disagree’ D72.2 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? My voice counts in (OUR COUNTRY) (% - EU27)

Since October-November 2022, the level of agreement that their voice counts in their country has increased among respondents in six countries, most notably in Lithuania (38%, +9 pp), Estonia (43%, +7 pp) and Luxembourg (73%, +6 pp). Agreement levels have declined in seven countries. Once again, Malta (54%, -27 pp) has seen a very large decrease in this proportion, while decreases of seven percentage points are recorded in France (54%) and Slovenia (62%).

A majority in 22 Member States think that their country’s voice counts in the EU, with respondents in Sweden (89%) and Denmark (87%) being again the most likely to agree with this statement, followed by those in the Netherlands (84%). Even in this case, Greece (32%) and Cyprus (36%) are the countries with the lowest proportions who agree, together with Czechia (44%).

Total ‘Agree’ Total ‘Disagree’ D72.3 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? (OUR COUNTRY)’s voice counts in the EU (% - EU27)

Compared to October-November 2022, increases in the level of agreement that their country’s voice counts in the EU can be observed in six countries, led by Ireland (75%, +8 pp), Portugal (81%, +7 pp) and Lithuania (64%, +7 pp). Declines are recorded in five countries, especially in Malta (70%, -12 pp), Czechia (44%, -7 pp) and Slovenia (50%, -7 pp).

Observing the results according to the respondents’ socio-demographic profile, it can be noted that the youngest respondents are the least likely to feel that their voice counts in their country (54% vs 57-60% of those aged 25 or over). In addition, differences can be found in the levels of agreement with the three statements according to education level and socio-economic conditions.

The longer respondents stayed in full-time education, the more likely they are to agree with each statement. For instance, 55% of those who finished education aged 20 or older feel that their voice counts in the EU, compared to 36% of those who left aged 15 or younger.

Managers are the most likely to agree with each statement, while house persons and the unemployed are the least likely to do so. For instance, 72% of managers feel that their voice counts in their country, compared to 40% who agree among the unemployed. Respondents who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills are more likely to agree that their voice counts in the EU (52% vs 27-39% of those who have difficulties more often) and in their country (66% vs 37-48%), and that their country’s voice counts in the EU (71% vs 46-53%).

Respondents living in large towns are more likely to feel their voice counts in the EU (50% vs 45% of those living in smaller towns or rural villages) and in their country (63% vs 56-58%), and that their country’s voice counts in the EU (67% vs 62-63%).

Those who follow European politics are more likely to agree with each statement. For instance, 72% of those who follow European politics feel their country’s voice counts in the EU, compared to 53% of those who do not follow.

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	48
Gender
Man	47	49
Woman	46	48
Age
15-24	47	45
25-39	47	49
40-54	46	50
55+	46	49
Education (End of)
-15	36	57
16-19	43	53
20+	55	41
Still studying	50	41
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	50	47
Managers	62	35
Other white collars	49	47
Manual workers	40	56
House persons	33	60
Unemployed	30	64
Retired	46	48
Students	50	41
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	27	67
From time to time	39	57
Almost never/ Never	52	43
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	45	49
Small/mid size town	45	50
Large town	50	45
Follow Eŭropean politics
Follow	58	39
Not follow	32	60

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	59	38
Gender
Man	59	38
Woman	58	38
Age
15-24	54	38
25-39	59	39
40-54	57	40
55+	60	37
Education (End of)
-15	49	47
16-19	55	42
20+	68	30
Still studying	58	34
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	61	38
Managers	72	26
Other white collars	61	37
Manual workers	53	44
House persons	43	52
Unemployed	40	56
Retired	61	36
Students	58	34
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	37	59
From time to time	48	49
Almost never/ Never	66	31
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	58	38
Small/mid size town	56	41
Large town	63	34
Follow European politics
Follow	69	29
Not follow	46	49

D72.3 To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? (OUR COUNTRY)'s voice counts in the EU (% - EU)

Total 'Agree'	Total 'Disagree'
EU27	63	32
Gender
Man	63	33
Woman	63	32
Age
15-24	64	28
25-39	65	31
40-54	63	34
55+	63	32
Education (End of)
-15	53	38
16-19	60	36
20+	71	26
Still studying	67	24
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	65	32
Managers	77	21
Other white collars	62	35
Manual workers	60	36
House persons	48	44
Unemployed	53	40
Retired	64	30
Students	67	24
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	46	48
From time to time	53	42
Almost never/ Never	71	25
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	63	31
Small/mid size town	62	34
Large town	67	29
Follow European politics
Follow	72	26
Not follow	53	39

Discussion of national, European and local political matters

Large majorities of citizens discuss national, European and local politics with friends or relatives at least occasionally.

An absolute majority (55%, + 1 pp since October-November 2022) discuss national political matters occasionally and one quarter (no change) ‘frequently’ do so, while one in five (-1 pp) never engage in such discussions. These figures have remained stable since October-November 2022.

In comparison, European political matters are discussed by fewer respondents, albeit still by the majority. More than half (53%, +1 pp) discuss European politics with friends or relatives occasionally and 14% (-1 pp) hold such discussions frequently, whereas around one third (32%, -1 pp) never do so.

Lastly, more than half (53%, -1 pp) occasionally discuss local political matters and around one quarter (23%, +2 pp) do so frequently, while around one quarter (24%, -1 pp) never engage in these discussions.

Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 National political matters European political matters Local political matters Mar. 2023 – Oct/Nov 2022 Frequently Occasionally Never Don’t know D71 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? (EU27) (%)

In 25 countries, majorities discuss national politics with friends or relatives occasionally, with the highest proportions seen in Hungary (69%), Poland and Slovenia (both 67%).

The Netherlands (47%) and Greece (46%) are the only countries where a majority hold such discussions frequently. More than four in ten frequently discuss national politics also in Sweden (43%). Conversely, 11% in Slovenia, 14% in Portugal and 15% in Belgium say they frequently discuss national political matters.

Frequently Occasionally Never Don’t know D71.1 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? National political matters (%)

As in the case with national politics, majorities in 25 countries discuss European political matters with friends or relatives occasionally, most notably in Hungary (68%), Germany (63%) and Slovakia (63%).

More than one in five in Greece (25%), Denmark (22%) and Cyprus (21%) discuss European politics frequently. This compares to 5% in Slovenia and 7% in France and Malta who say they frequently have such discussions.

France (54%) and Spain (53%) are the only countries where a majority never discuss European political matters.

Frequently Occasionally Never Don’t know D72.2 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? European political matters (%)

Majorities in all countries say they discuss local political matters occasionally. Once again, the highest proportion who occasionally engage in such discussions can be found in Hungary (68%), followed by Slovenia (66%) and Slovakia (65%).

Respondents in Greece (37%), Germany (33%) and Sweden (32%) are the most likely to frequently discuss local politics with friends or relatives, while those in Hungary (12%), Slovenia (13%) and Poland (14%) are the least likely to do so.

Frequently Occasionally Never Don’t know D73.3 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? Local political matters (%)

The socio-demographic analysis highlights that proportions who frequently discuss national, European or local political matters are higher among older and more highly educated respondents. For instance, between 22% and 25% of those aged 25 or over frequently discuss local political matters, compared to 13% of 15-24 year-olds. Similarly, 34% of those who finished full-time education aged at least 20 frequently discuss national politics, compared to 14% of those who left education aged 15 or younger.

Managers are the most likely to frequently discuss political matters at each level, while house persons are the least likely to do so. For instance, 23% of managers frequently discuss European politics, compared to 6% of house persons.

Respondents living in large towns are more likely than those living in smaller towns or rural villages to frequently discuss national (30% vs 22-24%) and European (17% vs 12-13%) political matters.

D71.1 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? National political matters (% - EU)

Frequently	Occasionally	Never
EU27	25	55	20
Gender
Man	29	54	17
Woman	22	55	23
Age
15-24	20	48	31
25-39	25	56	18
40-54	27	56	17
55+	26	54	20
Education (End of)
-15	14	51	35
16-19	23	58	19
20+	34	53	13
Still studying	21	50	28
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	37	53	10
Managers	41	51	8
Other white collars	26	60	13
Manual workers	19	59	22
House persons	12	52	36
Unemployed	16	50	33
Retired	25	53	22
Students	21	50	28
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	22	55	23
Small / mid size town	24	54	21
Large town	30	55	15

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	14	53	32
Gender
Man	16	55	28
Woman	12	52	35
Age
15-24	11	45	43
25-39	15	55	29
40-54	15	56	28
55+	14	53	32
Education (End of)
-15	7	43	49
16-19	13	56	31
20+	19	57	23
Still studying	12	47	40
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	21	58	21
Managers	23	59	17
Other white collars	13	62	24
Manual workers	12	53	34
House persons	6	47	46
Unemployed	9	40	50
Retired	13	53	34
Students	12	47	40
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	12	51	36
Small/mid size town	13	54	32
Large town	17	56	26

D71.3 When you get together with friends or relatives, would you say you discuss frequently, occasionally or never about...? Local political matters (% - EU27)

Frequently	Occasionally	Never
EU27	23	53	24
Gender
Man	26	53	21
Woman	20	54	26
Age
15-24	13	48	38
25-39	22	54	24
40-54	24	56	20
55+	25	53	22
Education (End of)
-15	16	48	36
16-19	23	55	22
20+	28	55	17
Still studying	14	48	37
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	31	56	13
Managers	34	54	11
Other white collars	22	58	19
Manual workers	20	54	26
House persons	11	50	39
Unemployed	14	48	37
Retired	25	52	23
Students	14	48	37
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	22	53	25
Small/mid size town	22	53	25
Large town	24	55	20

Engagement with EU politics

An absolute majority (56%, no change since October-November 2022) say they follow what’s going on in European Union politics, with 15% (-1 pp) following most of the time and 41% (+1 pp) following from time to time. By contrast, more than four in ten (44%, no change) do not follow EU politics: 27% (no change) saying they rarely follow and 17% (no change) saying they never follow.

Never or almost never 17 Rarely 27 Most of the time 15 From time to time 41 QA3 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) (%)

Following a ten-percentage point decline between April-May and October-November 2022, the proportion who follow EU politics has remained stable in the current survey.

In 18 countries, the majority of respondents say they follow what’s going on in EU politics. The highest proportions are seen in Finland (73%), Germany (72%) and Luxembourg (69%). In a further eight countries, a minority follow EU politics, with respondents in Slovakia (41%), France and Slovenia (both 42%) being the least likely to do so. Equal proportions ‘follow’ and ‘do not follow’ EU politics in Romania (both 50%).

At least a quarter of respondents follow EU politics most of the time in Germany (27%), Cyprus and Finland (both 25%). This contrasts with 6% who do so in Croatia, Lithuania, Malta and Slovakia.

Map Legend QA3 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’ - %) Engagement with EU politics has declined in 11 countries since October-November 2022. The largest decreases in the proportion who follow EU politics can be observed in Malta (48%, -12 pp), Greece (52%, -9 pp) and Austria (55%, -8 pp). Increases of at least five percentage points are found in Finland (73%, +9 pp), Denmark (66%, +6 pp), Belgium (61%, +5 pp) and Portugal (52%, +5 pp).

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA3 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’)

A focus on the results among the youngest respondents shows that 15-24 year-olds are less likely than average to follow EU politics. In particular, around four in ten (41%) say they follow EU politics – a 15-percentage point gap with the proportion who follow EU politics among the general population (56%). Less than one in ten (8%) follow EU politics most of the time (compared to 15% among the general population) and 33% from time to time (compared to 41%). Around six in ten (59%) do not follow what’s going on in EU politics (compared to 44%), with youngest Europeans being much more likely than average to say they never follow (28% vs 17%).

Most of the time From time to time Rarely Never or almost never Don’t know EU27 15-24 years QA3 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)

A deeper look at the findings across socio-demographic categories illustrate that men are more likely than women to say they follow what’s going on in EU politics (61% vs 51%). Moreover, the longer respondents remained in full-time education, the more likely they are to say they follow EU politics (67% of those who finished education aged 20 or older vs 44% of those who ended aged 15 or younger).

Managers (73%) are the most likely to follow EU politics, especially in comparison to house persons (42%) and the unemployed (43%). The financial situation of the respondents also plays a role, with 60% of those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills following EU politics, compared to 44% of those who have difficulties most of the time.

Those living in large towns are more inclined than those living in rural villages or smaller villages to say they follow EU politics (60% vs 52-55%). Those who have a positive image of the EU are more likely to follow EU politics than those who have a negative image (69% vs 47%), and the same applies when it comes to the image of the European Parliament (75% vs 46%).

Engagement with EU politics is also related to the feeling that one’s voice counts in the EU and to levels of satisfaction with EU democracy. In particular, those who agree their voice counts in the EU (69% vs 45% of those who disagree) and those who are satisfied with democracy in the EU (64% vs 49% who are not satisfied) are more likely to follow EU politics.

Lastly, those who voted in the last European elections are more likely than those who did not vote to follow EU politics (68% vs 38%).

QA3 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)

Total 'Follow'	Total 'Not follow'
EU27	56	44
Gender
Man	61	39
Woman	51	49
Age
15-24	41	59
25-39	54	46
40-54	59	41
55+	59	41
Education (End of)
-15	44	56
16-19	54	46
20+	67	33
Still studying	45	55
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	62	38
Managers	73	27
Other white collars	59	41
Manual workers	50	50
House persons	42	58
Unemployed	43	57
Retired	59	41
Students	45	55
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	44	56
From time to time	51	49
Almost never/ Never	60	40
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	52	48
Small/mid size town	55	45
Large town	60	40
Image of the EU
Postitive	69	31
Neutral	45	55
Negative	47	53
My voice counts in the EU
Agree	69	31
Disagree	45	55
Satisfaction with democracy in the EU
Satisfied	64	36
Not satisfied	49	51
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	68	32
No	38	63
Image of European Parliament
Positive	75	25
Neutral	45	55
Negative	46	54

Image of the EU

The image of the EU among citizens is in prevalence positive, even though the gap between positive and negative views continues to narrow. A majority (45%) say the EU conjures up for them a positive image, while 38% have a neutral image and 17% have a negative image.

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? (% - EU27)

The proportion of respondents who have a positive image of the EU has remained relatively stable since October-November 2022 (-2 pp), while the level of those having a negative view has slightly increased (+3 pp). Following the negative evolutions observed between April-May and October- November 2022, the gap between positive and negative views further narrowed and now stands at 28 percentage points (-5 pp). Nonetheless, the broader picture remains relatively favourable when observing these figures over the long term, with positive views remaining firmly in the majority.

In all countries, positive views prevail over negative views. Most respondents have a positive image of the EU in 20 countries, while neutral views prevail in six countries. In Czechia, opinions are divided (35% ‘positive’ vs 35% ‘neutral’).

Respondents are most likely to have a positive image of the EU in Ireland (72%), Portugal (70%), Luxembourg and Sweden (both 64%). At the opposite end of the scale, 31% in Greece and Slovakia and 35% in Austria, Czechia and France have a positive image.

At least one quarter have a negative image of the EU in five countries: Czechia (29%), Greece, Slovakia (both 28%), Austria (26%) and France (25%).

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? (%) Compared to October-November 2022, positive views of the EU have increased in Cyprus (48%, +6 pp), Portugal (70%, +5 pp), Finland (57%, +5 pp), Italy (46%, +4 pp) and Croatia (49%, +3 pp). Conversely, these have declined in ten countries, especially in Malta (51%, -13 pp), France (35%, -8 pp) and Latvia (43%, -7 pp). The proportion who have a positive image of the EU has remained stable in the remaining 12 countries.

Age appears to play a role when it comes to the image respondents have of the EU, with young people more likely than average to have a positive image of the EU. Half of 15-24 year-olds (50%) say they have a positive image of the EU, compared to an EU average of 45%. What’s more, only 7% of young people say they have a ‘fairly negative’ image of the EU, a result that is 13% on an EU level.

EU27 15-24 years Very positive Fairly positive Neutral Fairly negative Very 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? (% - EU27)

Variations can be observed also according to the level of education and the socio-economic status of the respondents. Those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older are more likely than those who finished aged 15 or younger to have a positive view of the EU (53% vs 33%). Managers (58%) are by far the most likely to hold a positive view, particularly when compared to the unemployed (34%) and house persons (35%). In addition, respondents who have the least financial difficulties are also more likely to have a positive image of the EU (52% of those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills vs 28% of those who have difficulties most of the time).

Positive views are also more widespread among those living in large towns, as compared to those living in rural villages or smaller towns (50% vs 42-44%).

D78 In general, does the EU conjure up for you a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image? (% - EU27)

Total 'Positive'	Neutral	Total 'Negative'	Don't know
EU27	45	38	17	0
Gender
Man	46	35	19	0
Woman	43	41	15	1
Age
15-24	50	40	9	1
25-39	46	39	15	0
40-54	46	36	18	0
55+	43	38	18	1
Education (End of)
-15	33	45	20	2
16-19	40	40	20	0
20+	53	32	14	1
Still studying	54	37	8	1
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	49	34	17	0
Managers	58	29	13	0
Other white collars	48	37	15	0
Manual workers	37	43	19	1
House persons	35	43	21	1
Unemployed	34	45	20	1
Retired	43	37	19	1
Students	54	37	8	1
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	28	43	28	1
From time to time	36	43	20	1
Almost never/ Never	52	34	14	0
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	88	10	2	0
Small/mid size town	26	68	6	0
Large town	8	23	68	1

Is membership of the EU a good thing?

A clear majority (61%, -1 pp since October-November 2022) think that their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing, while only around one in ten (11%, +1 pp) consider this to be a bad thing. Slightly more than a quarter (27%, no change) think this is neither a good nor a bad thing.

These figures are stable compared to October-November 2022, with the share of respondents who see membership of the EU as a good thing remaining consistently above 60% since the end of 2020.

A good thing A bad thing Neither a good thing nor a bad thing Don’t know QA8 Generally speaking, do you think that (OUR COUNTRY)’s membership of the EU is...? (% - EU27) Majorities in 25 countries think their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing, with more than eight in ten who share this view in Ireland (85%), Luxembourg (83%) and Lithuania (81%). Slovakia (39%), Greece (40%) and Romania (43%) are the countries where this opinion is least widespread. Slovakia and Greece are also the only countries where the majority think EU membership is neither a good thing nor a bad thing (45% and 42%, respectively).

More than one fifth think their country’s membership of the EU is a bad thing in Austria and Romania (both 22%).

A good thing A bad thing Neither a good thing nor a bad thing Don’t know QA8 Generally speaking, do you think that (OUR COUNTRY)’s membership of the EU is...? (%)

Positive views of EU membership are more widespread in Northern and Western countries than they are in Eastern countries, while results are mixed when it comes to Southern countries.

Estonia (69%, +3 pp) and Slovenia (61%, +3 pp) are the only countries where the proportion who think EU membership is a good thing has increased since October-November 2022, albeit only slightly. This share of respondents has instead declined in eight countries, with Malta (65%, -14 pp) again standing out for the largest decrease, followed by Czechia (44%, -7 pp) and Luxembourg (83%, -7 pp). This positive view of EU membership has remained stable or unchanged in 17 countries.

Map Legend QA8 Generally speaking, do you think that (OUR COUNTRY)’s membership of the EU is...? - A good thing (%) Positive views of EU membership are more widespread among younger respondents, those with a higher education level and those in a better socio-economic condition.

Respondents aged 15-24 are more likely than those aged 55 or over to thing their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing (68% vs 58%). Similarly, those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older are more likely than those who left aged 15 or younger to have a positive view (72% vs 49%).

Managers (74%) are by far the most inclined to think EU membership is a good thing, while house persons (48%) are the least likely to hold this view. Respondents who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills are more likely than those who have difficulties more often to say EU membership is a good thing (69% vs 41-49%).

Those living in large towns are more likely to think their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing (65% vs 58-60% of those living in rural villages or small/mid-sized towns).

Support for EU membership is also closely linked to the image respondents have of the EU, with 91% of those who have a positive image holding a favourable opinion of EU membership, compared to 16% of those who have a negative image. In addition, respondents who frequently talk about European politics (67% vs 52% of those who never do so) and those who follow EU politics (71% vs 49% of those who do not follow) are more likely to have a positive view of EU membership.

QA8 In general, does the EU conjure up for you a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image? (% - EU27)

A good thing	A bad thing	Neither a good thing nor a bad thing
EU27	61	11	27
Gender
Man	62	12	25
Woman	59	10	30
Age
15-24	68	7	24
25-39	62	11	26
40-54	60	13	27
55+	58	11	30
Education (End of)
-15	49	12	37
16-19	54	13	32
20+	72	8	20
Still studying	72	6	21
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	64	9	27
Managers	74	9	16
Other white collars	65	10	25
Manual workers	52	14	33
House persons	48	15	35
Unemployed	53	12	34
Retired	59	10	30
Students	72	6	21
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	41	18	40
From time to time	49	16	34
Almost never/ Never	69	8	23
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	60	11	28
Small/mid size town	58	12	29
Large town	65	9	26
Talk about European political matters
Frequently	67	15	18
Occasionally	64	10	26
Never	52	11	35
Image of the EU
Positive	91	2	7
Neutral	45	8	46
Negative	16	43	40
Follow European politics
Follow	71	9	20
Not follow	49	13	37

Is membership of the EU important?

Around two thirds (67%, +1 pp since October-November 2022) consider their country’s membership of the EU as important. One in ten (-1 pp) think it is not important that their country is a Member State of the EU, while 22% (no change) have a neutral opinion.

These figures have remained stable since October-November 2022.

Don’t know (1) Total ‘Not important’ (1-4) 10 Total ‘Neutral’ (5-6) 22 Total ‘Important’ (7-10) 67 QA9 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) (%)

In all Member States, a majority think their country’s membership of the EU is important, with proportions ranging from 84% in Ireland, Luxembourg and Lithuania, to 49% in Czechia, 50% in Slovakia and 52% in Bulgaria.

More than one fifth consider EU membership as not important in three countries: Czechia (26%), Austria and Bulgaria (both 21%).

The view that it is important that their country is a Member State of the EU is less widespread among respondents in South-Eastern countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Greece) and in some Eastern countries (such as Czechia and Slovakia) than it is in other countries.

Map Legend QA9 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 opinion that their country’s membership of the EU is important has progressed among respondents in six Member States since October-November 2022, most notably in Estonia (71%, +9 pp), Slovenia (63%, +4 pp) and Croatia (59%, +4 pp). By contrast, the proportion who think this is important has declined in five countries, especially in Malta (74%, -8 pp), Czechia (49%, -7 pp) and Luxembourg (84%, -5 pp). This share of respondents has remained stable or unchanged in 16 countries.

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA9 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)) In line with the results of other indicators concerning attitudes towards the EU, the view that their country’s membership of the EU is important is more widespread among the youngest respondents, those with a higher level of education and those in a better socio-economic situation.

More particularly, those aged 15-24 (70% vs 65% of those aged 55 or over) and those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older (76% vs 55% of those who finished aged 15 or younger) are more likely to think this is important. The same applies to managers (78%, compared to 53% of house persons) and those who never or rarely have difficulties paying their bills (73% vs 51-57% of those who have difficulties more often).

Proportions who think their country’s EU membership is important are also higher among those living in large towns (71% vs 65% of those living in rural villages or smaller towns).

Those who have a positive image of the EU (92% vs 28% of those who have a negative image), those who frequently discuss about European political matters (76% vs 55% who never do so) and those who follow EU politics (76% vs 54% of those who do not follow) are more likely to consider their country’s EU membership as important.

QA9 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)

Total 'Not important' (1-4)	Total 'Neutral' (5-6)	Total 'Important' (7-10)
EU27	10	22	67
Gender
Man	13	19	67
Woman	10	23	66
Age
15-24	8	20	70
25-39	10	22	67
40-54	13	19	67
55+	11	23	65
Education (End of)
-15	14	28	55
16-19	13	24	62
20+	9	15	76
Still studying	6	18	74
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	12	19	68
Managers	8	14	78
Other white collars	10	19	71
Manual workers	13	26	60
House persons	18	27	53
Unemployed	15	26	57
Retired	11	22	65
Students	6	18	74
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	19	28	51
From time to time	14	28	57
Almost never/ Never	9	17	73
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	12	22	65
Small/mid size town	12	22	65
Large town	10	18	71
Talk about European political matters
Frequently	10	14	76
Occasionally	9	20	71
Never	16	27	55
Image of the EU
Positive	1	7	65
Neutral	9	35	54
Negative	44	27	28
Follow European politics
Follow	8	16	76
Not follow	15	29	54

Optimism about the future of the EU

Optimism about the future of the EU is on the rise. Close to two thirds (64%) say they are optimistic about the future of the EU, while 32% say they are pessimistic.

The proportion who are optimistic has increased by seven percentage points in the current survey, more than offsetting the five-percentage point decline observed between April-May and October- November 2022.

Don’t know 4 Total ‘Pessimistic’ 32 Total ‘Optimistic’ 64 SD22 Would you say that you are very optimistic, fairly optimistic, fairly pessimistic or very pessimistic about the future of the EU? (EU27) (%) In 25 countries, the majority are optimistic about the future of the EU. At least eight in ten are optimistic in Ireland (87%), Denmark (81%) and Lithuania (80%), while respondents in France, Greece (both 45%) and Slovakia (53%) are the least likely to be optimistic.

Greece (53%) and France (50%) are also the only countries where a majority are pessimistic about the future of the EU.

Total ‘Optimistic Total ‘Pessimistic’ Don’t know SD22 Would you say that you are very optimistic, fairly optimistic, fairly pessimistic or very pessimistic about the future of the EU? (%)

The level of optimism about the future of the EU has increased in 19 countries since October- November 2022, and by more than ten percentage points in three countries: Portugal (71%, +17 pp), Latvia (75%, +12 pp) and Cyprus (55%, +11 pp). Optimism levels have remained stable or unchanged in the remaining eight countries.

The level of optimism about the future of the EU is highest among 15-24 year olds (70% vs 59% of those aged 55 or over) and those who finished full-time education aged 20 or older (69% vs 52% of those who finished aged 15 or younger).

Optimism is most widespread among managers (73%) than it is among house persons and the unemployed (both 55%), and it is higher among those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills (68% vs 45% of those who have difficulties most of the time).

Respondents living in large towns are the most likely to be optimistic about the future of the EU (68% vs 61% of those who live in rural villages or small/mid-sized towns).

Optimism about the future of the EU is also closely related to the image respondents have of the EU, with 90% of those who have a positive image saying they are optimistic, compared to 13% of those who have a negative image. Lastly, those who follow EU politics are more likely to be optimistic about the future of the EU (72% vs 52% of those who do not follow).

SD22 Would you say that you are very optimistic, fairly optimistic, fairly pessimistic or very pessimistic about the future of the EU? (% - EU27)

Total 'Optimistic'	Total 'Pessimistic'
EU27	64	32
Gender
Man	63	34
Woman	63	32
Age
15-24	70	26
25-39	65	32
40-54	64	33
55+	59	36
Education (End of)
-15	52	41
16-19	59	37
20+	69	28
Still studying	73	23
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	65	32
Managers	73	26
Other white collars	69	29
Manual workers	57	39
House persons	55	38
Unemployed	55	40
Retired	59	36
Students	73	23
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	45	51
From time to time	56	40
Almost never/ Never	68	28
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	61	34
Small/mid size town	61	35
Large town	68	29
Image of the EU
Positive	90	9
Neutral	54	39
Negative	13	85
Follow European politics
Follow	72	26
Not follow	52	41

4.2. Perception of the European Parliament and its role

This section is more focused on Europeans’ perceptions of and attitudes towards the European Parliament and its role. It will first examine the image citizens have of this EU institution and subsequently move to their opinion of the topics it should address as a priority and over whether it should play a more or less important role. In sum, the European Parliament conjures up neutral to positive opinions and Europeans think its role should be more important. In addition, in a context marked by rising cost of living and uncertainties around future living standards, the fight against poverty and social exclusion is picked by most citizens as the topic this institution should address as a matter of priority.

Image of the European Parliament

Respondents are much more likely to have a positive than they are to have a negative image of the European Parliament. More than one third (37%, +1 pp since October-November 2022) have a positive image of the European Parliament, while less than one in five (19%, +2 pp) have a negative image. The majority of respondents (43%, -2 pp) hold a neutral view of this institution.

These figures have remained broadly stable since October-November 2022. Observing the long trend, the proportion who have a positive image of the European Parliament remains at a relatively high level – and close to the record level achieved in April-May 2022 (39%).

Total ‘Positive’ Neutral Total ‘Negative’ Don’t know QA4 In general, do you have a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image of the European Parliament? (% - EU27)

In ten countries, respondents who have a positive image of the European Parliament are in the majority, while positive views outweigh negative views in 23 countries. This is particularly the case for those in Ireland (64%), Portugal (58%) and Denmark (54%). By contrast, France (22% ‘positive’ vs 30% ‘negative’), Greece (22% vs 31%), Czechia (27% vs 32%) and Slovakia (28% vs 32%) are the only countries where negative views prevail over positive views.

A majority have a neutral view of the European Parliament in 16 Member States, while opinions are divided in Italy (41% ‘positive’ and 41% ‘neutral’).

Total ‘Positive’ Neutral Total ‘Negative’ Don’t know QA4 In general, do you have a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image of the European Parliament? (%)

Positive perceptions of the European Parliament have progressed in 14 countries since October-November 2022, most notably in Finland (41%, +10 pp), Lithuania (39%, +9 pp) and Estonia (35%, +8 pp). The shares of respondents who have a positive view of this institution have declined in four countries: Malta (48%, -14 pp), Greece (22%, -5 pp), Czechia (27%, -3 pp) and Austria (30%, -3 pp). This proportion has remained stable or unchanged in the remaining nine countries.

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA4 In general, do you have a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image of the European Parliament? (% - Total ‘Positive’) Results are consistent across age groups, even though the youngest respondents aged 15-24 are the least likely to have a negative image of the European Parliament (12% vs 18-21% of those aged 25 or over).

Respondents with a higher education level and those with a higher socio-economic status are more likely to have a positive image of the European Parliament. Those who finished education aged 20 or older are more likely to hold a positive view than those who left aged 15 or younger (43% vs 27%). Managers (47%, compared to 26% of the unemployed) are the most likely to have a positive view, as are those who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills (41% vs 23-30% of those who have difficulties more often).

Respondents living in large towns are also more likely to have a positive image of the European Parliament (41%, vs 34-36% of those living in rural villages or small/mid-sized towns).

Finally, positive views of the European Parliament are much more widespread among those who have a positive image of the EU in general (72% vs 3% of those who have a negative image), those who frequently talk about European political matters (50% vs 23% of those who never do so) and follow EU politics (50% vs 21% of those who do not follow), and those voted in the last European elections (45% vs 24% of those who did not vote).

QA4 In general, do you have a very positive, fairly positive, neutral, fairly negative or very negative image of the European Parliament? (% - EU27)

Total ‘Positive’	Total ‘Negative
EU27	37	19
Gender
Man	38	22
Woman	35	17
Age
15-24	37	12
25-39	37	18
40-54	37	21
55+	36	21
Education (End of)
-15	27	22
16-19	34	22
20+	43	17
Still studying	39	11
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	42	20
Managers	47	17
Other white collars	42	17
Manual workers	30	21
House persons	29	23
Unemployed	26	26
Retired	36	21
Students	39	11
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	23	31
From time to time	30	23
Almost never/ Never	41	17
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	34	20
Small/mid size town	36	20
Large town	41	17
Talk about European political matters
Frequently	50	18
Occasionally	42	17
Never	23	23
Image of the EU
Postitive	72	3
Neutral	10	11
Negative	3	79
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	45	17
No	24	24
Follow European politics
Follow	50	16
Not follow	21	23

Priorities for the European Parliament

The fight against poverty and social exclusion (38%, +1 pp since October-November 2022) tops the ranking of the topics citizens would like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament. Around three in ten would like to see the European Parliament address public health (33%, -1 pp), action against climate change and support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (both 31%, no change). At least one in five think democracy and the rule of law (26%, -1 pp), the future of Europe (25%, -2 pp), the EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders (23%, -1 pp) and the fight against terrorism and organised crime (20%, no change) should be addressed as a matter of priority.

There have been no notable changes in these proportions since the last time this question was asked in October-November 2022.

The fight against poverty and social exclusion Public health Action against climate change Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs Democracy and the rule of law The future of Europe The EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders The fight against terrorism and organised crime Consumer rights Humanitarian aid and development assistance Migration and asylum The EU’s autonomy in the fields of industry and energy Gender equality, inclusion and diversity Agricultural policy The digitalisation of the European economy and society Don’t know Mar. 2023 Oct/Nov 2022 QA7ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (EU27) (%)

In seven countries, the fight against poverty and social exclusion is the top (or joint top) priority respondents think the European Parliament should address, while the most common answer in six countries is public health. Action against climate change is also the most frequently (or joint most frequently) mentioned priority in six countries, and, in a further six, support to the economy and the creation of new jobs ranks as the top (or joint top) priority. Respondents in Germany and Finland are most likely to cite democracy and the rule of law, while the future of Europe is the most common answer in Czechia. Estonia is the only country where the EU’s defence and security is the most frequently mentioned priority the European Parliament should address.

Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs The fight against poverty and social exclusion Public health Action against climate change The future of Europe The EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders Democracy and the rule of law QA7ab 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) The fight against poverty and social exclusion ranks in the top three topics the European Parliament should address in priority in 22 countries, with proportions ranging from at least half in Greece (56%), Portugal (54%) and Lithuania (50%), to less than three in ten in Czechia (24%), Poland (27%) and Romania (29%).

Public health is one of the three most frequently mentioned priorities in 16 countries. Respondents in Cyprus (52%), Greece (50%) and Slovenia (48%) are the most likely to mention this, while those in Sweden (16%), Czechia (18%) and Germany (19%) are the least likely to do so.

In ten countries, action against climate change is among the top three priorities to address. This is especially the case for Sweden (58%), the Netherlands (51%) and Denmark (48%). The lowest proportions citing this as a priority are seen in Bulgaria (10%), Romania (11%) and Estonia (12%).

Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs ranks in the top three priorities in 17 countries. The highest proportions mentioning this are found in Greece (59%), Cyprus and Portugal (both 49%). This compares to 12% in the Netherlands, 16% in Denmark and 17% in Sweden who consider this as a priority for the European Parliament.

At least four in ten in Finland, Sweden (both 46%) and Germany (40%) consider democracy and the rule of law as a priority for the European Parliament, while this is the case for 12% in Lithuania, 15% in Portugal and 16% in Luxembourg.

The future of Europe is most frequently mentioned in Czechia (39%), Germany and Luxembourg (both 35%). This compares with less than one fifth who cite this as a priority in Cyprus (12%), Greece (17%), France and Portugal (both 18%).

The EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders, is considered as a topic the European Parliament should address in priority by at least four in ten in Estonia, Lithuania (both 43%) and Finland (40%). Respondents in Spain (8%), Slovenia (12%) and France (13%) are the least likely to mention this topic.

The highest shares of respondents who think the fight against terrorism and organised crime should be addressed by the European Parliament in priority can be found in Sweden (39%), followed by Denmark and the Netherlands (both 28%). This is least likely to be mentioned in Lithuania (12%), Luxembourg and Poland (both 14%).

As for the other topics, consumer rights is mentioned by 27% in Bulgaria and Malta, while high proportions in Czechia (37%), Estonia (28%) and Portugal (27%) consider the EU’s autonomy in the fields of industry and energy as a priority for the European Parliament. Migration and asylum is selected by at least one quarter in Cyprus (33%), the Netherlands (28%), Ireland (26%) and Austria (25%) and one third cite gender equality, inclusion and diversity in Sweden (33%). Relatively high proportions consider agricultural policy as a priority in Slovakia (33%) and Latvia (27%). All other topics are mentioned by less than one quarter of the respondents in each country.

The fight against poverty and social exclusion Public health Action against climate change Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs Democracy and the rule of law The future of Europe The EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders The fight against terrorism and organised crime Consumer rights Humanitarian aid and development assistance Migration and asylum The EU’s autonomy in the fields of industry and energy Gender equality, inclusion and diversity Agricultural policy The digitalisation of the European economy and society Other (SPONTANEOUS) Don’t know None (SPONTANEOUS) QA7ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (%)

In 11 countries, respondents are more likely than they were in October-November 2022 to say the fight against poverty and social exclusion is a topic they would like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament. This is particularly the case for those in Malta (37%, +12 pp), Cyprus (48%, +7 pp) and Slovenia (42%, +7 pp). This proportion has declined only in three countries: Portugal (54%, -5 pp), Czechia (24%, -4 pp) and Slovakia (36%, -3 pp). Figures are stable or unchanged in the remaining 13 countries.

Compared to October-November 2022, public health is more likely to be selected as a topic to be addressed in priority in seven countries, most notably in Latvia (43%, +7 pp) and Luxembourg (32%, +7 pp). Conversely, this share of respondents has declined in five countries, particularly in the Netherlands (20%, -5 pp) and Croatia (26%, -5 pp).

Focusing on the results among the youngest respondents, it can be noted that the ranking of the priorities the European youth would like to see addressed by the European Parliament is slightly different than the one observed among the general population. While the fight against poverty and social exclusion (40%, compared to an average of 38%) still ranks on top, this is joined by action against climate change, which is significantly more likely to be mentioned by 15-24 year-olds than by the general population (40% vs 31%). Three in ten among the youngest cite public health (30%, compared to an average of 33%) and support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (30% vs 31%) as priorities, followed by the future of Europe (28% vs 25%). The youngest respondents are less likely than average to mention democracy and the rule of law (22% vs 26%), but much more likely to consider gender equality, inclusion and diversity (22% vs 14%) as a priority the European Parliament should address.

EU27 15-24 years The fight against poverty and social exclusion Public health Action against climate change Support to the economy and the creation of new jobs Democracy and the rule of law The future of Europe The EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders The fight against terrorism and organised crime Consumer rights Humanitarian aid and development assistance Migration and asylum The EU’s autonomy in the fields of industry and energy Gender equality, inclusion and diversity Agricultural policy The digitalisation of the European economy and society Don’t know QA7ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (% - EU27)

15-24 year-olds are also more likely than the general population to think humanitarian aid and development assistance (20% vs 16%) and the digitalisation of the European economy and society (12% vs 8%) as a priority for the European Parliament. However, they are less inclined to mention the EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders (18% vs 23%), the fight against terrorism and organised crime (16% vs 20%), consumer rights (13% vs 16%) and agricultural policy (8% vs 13%).

The socio-demographic analysis focuses on the top eight priorities respondents would like to see addressed by the European Parliament. It shows that women are more likely than men to consider the fight against poverty and social exclusion (40% vs 36%) and public health (36% vs 30%), while the reverse is true for the future of Europe (27% of men vs 23% of women) and the EU’s defence and security, including the protection of EU’s external borders (25% vs 21%).

Older respondents are more likely to say public health (36% of those aged 55+ vs 30% of those aged 15-39), democracy and the rule of law (28% of those aged 55+ vs 22% of those aged 15-24), the EU’s defence and security (25% vs 18%) and the fight against terrorism and organised crime (23% vs 16%) are priorities the European Parliament should address.

Differences can be observed also with regard to the level of education. Respondents who spent more time in full-time education are more likely to mention action against climate change (38% of those who finished education aged 20 or older vs 22% of those who finished aged 15 or younger), democracy and the rule of law (30% vs 23%) and the future of Europe (26% of those who finished education aged 16 or older vs 19% of those who finished aged 15 or younger). Conversely, respondents who left full-time education aged 15 or younger are more inclined to consider the fight against poverty and social exclusion (42% vs 35% of those who finished education aged 20 or older), public health (44% vs 30%) and support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (34% vs 28%) as topics the European Parliament should address in priority.

The unemployed are the most likely to mention the fight against poverty and social exclusion (48%) and public health (39%). Managers are most inclined to select action against climate change (41%), democracy and the rule of law (32%) and, jointly with the self-employed, the EU’s defence and security (both 26%), but are the least likely to cite support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (27%).

The more often respondents have difficulties paying their bills, the more likely they are to think the European Parliament should address the fight against poverty and social exclusion (46% of those who have difficulties most of the time vs 36% of those who rarely or never have difficulties) and public health (40% vs 31%). The reverse holds true for action against climate change (34% of those who rarely or never have difficulties vs 21% of those who have difficulties most of the time) and the EU’s defence and security (25% vs 18%). Respondents who rarely or never have difficulties paying their bills are also the most likely to mention democracy and the rule of law (29% vs 21-22% of those who have difficulties more often) and the future of Europe (27% vs 22-23%), but the least likely to consider support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (29% vs 34%) as a priority.

Respondents who voted in the last European elections are more likely to think action against climate change (33% vs 27% of those who did not vote), democracy and the rule of law (30% vs 21%), the future of Europe (27% vs 23%) and the EU’s defence and security (25% vs 19%) should be addressed by the European Parliament in priority. These topics are more likely to be mentioned also by those who have a positive image of the European Parliament, as opposed to those who have a negative image. Conversely, those who have a negative image are more likely to cite the fight against poverty and social exclusion (40% vs 35% of those who have a positive image), public health (35% vs 30%) and the fight against terrorism and organised crime (23% vs 18%).

QA7ab Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (MAX. 4 ANSWERS) (% - EU27)

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 EU’s external borders
EU27	33	31	38	31	25	20	26	23
Gender
Man	30	30	36	32	27	20	28	25
Woman	36	31	40	29	23	21	25	21
Age
15-24	30	40	40	30	28	16	22	18
25-39	30	32	36	32	25	18	25	20
40-54	33	29	39	33	25	20	27	23
55+	36	28	38	29	25	23	28	25
Education (End of)
-15	44	22	42	34	19	22	23	21
16-19	34	26	39	32	26	22	26	24
20+	30	38	35	28	26	19	30	24
Still studying	28	43	39	28	27	15	24	15
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	28	30	33	32	30	18	28	26
Managers	27	41	33	27	28	17	32	26
Other white collars	31	33	36	34	25	20	28	23
Manual workers	36	26	40	32	25	22	24	21
House persons	37	20	37	36	21	19	21	16
Unemployed	39	27	48	35	23	15	23	17
Retired	37	28	39	28	24	25	28	26
Students	28	43	39	28	27	15	24	15
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	40	21	46	34	22	18	21	18
From time to time	36	27	40	34	23	20	22	20
Almost never/ Never	31	34	36	29	27	21	29	25
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	33	33	37	30	27	21	30	25
No	34	27	40	32	23	20	21	19
Image of European Parliament
Positive	30	36	35	31	29	18	31	26
Neutral	35	30	40	31	25	22	24	21
Negative	35	23	40	31	20	23	23	21

Should the European Parliament play a more important role?

An absolute majority (54%, -1 pp since October-November 2022) would personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important role, while around three in ten (29%, +1 pp) would prefer this institution to play a less important role.

This finding dovetails with the Standard Eurobarometer results, which reveal that the European Parliament has consistently topped the list of the institutions most trusted by Europeans since 2006. For instance, the last Standard Eurobarometer survey shows that the European Parliament is trusted by close to half (49%) of the respondents28 European Commission, Standard Eurobarometer 98 - Winter 2022-2023 (EB 98.2), available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2872 .

Following the decline observed between November-December 2020 and October-November 2022, the share of respondents who would like the European Parliament to play a more important role has stabilised in the current survey. Although this proportion is now far from the peak reached at the end of 2020 (63%), it remains at a level that is still higher than the one seen in most surveys before October 2019.

More important Less important No change / As it is now (SPONTANEOUS) Don’t know QA5 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 of the European Parliament is shared by the majority of respondents in 21 countries, most markedly in Cyprus (88%), Spain (70%) and Luxembourg (69%). In five countries, the majority would like to see the European Parliament to play a less important role: Czechia (55% ‘less important’ vs 31% ‘more important’), Slovakia (54% vs 28%), Austria (43% vs 34%) and Estonia (42% vs 34%). Opinions are divided in Bulgaria (39% vs 39%).

More important Less important No change / As it is now (SPONTANEOUS) Don’t know QA5 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role? (%)

Compared to October-November 2022, the share of respondents who would like to see the European Parliament play a more important role has declined in nine countries. Greece (66%, -9 pp) stands out for a relatively large decrease, followed by Austria, Estonia (both 34%, -5 pp) and Spain (70%, -5 pp). Sweden (43%, +4 pp) is the only country where this proportion has increased, while it has remained stable or unchanged in the remaining 17 countries.

Oct/Nov 2022 Mar. 2023 Evolution Oct/Nov 2022 QA5 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role? (% - More important)

As observed earlier in the report, 15-24 year-olds are the least likely to have a negative image of the European Parliament. It is therefore not surprising to find that the youngest Europeans are more likely than average to want the European Parliament to play a more important role (58% vs 54%) and, consequently, less likely to think it should play a less prominent role (22% vs 29%).

More important Less important No change / As it is now (SPONTANEOUS) Don’t know EU27 15-24 years QA5 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role? (% - EU27) A closer look at the results according to the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents reveals that the oldest respondents are the least likely to want the European Parliament to play a more important role (50% of those aged 55 or over vs 54-58% of younger respondents). Differences can be observed also in terms of the respondents’ level of education, with those finishing full-time education aged 20 or older being more likely to want the European Parliament to play a more prominent role than those who left aged 15 or younger (59% vs 46%).

Managers (62%) are the most likely to think the European Parliament should play a more important role, especially when compared to house persons (48%) or manual workers (49%). Respondents who have difficulties paying their bills most of the time are the least likely to express a desire for a more important role for the European Parliament (47% vs 53-55% of those who have difficulties less often).

Respondents living in large towns are more inclined than those living in rural villages to want the European Parliament to have a more prominent role (57% vs 50%).

There is also a link between the desire to see the European Parliament play a more important role and respondents’ image of the European Parliament, with those having a positive image being much more likely to want the European Parliament to have a more prominent role (77% vs 27% of those who have a negative image).

Lastly, those who voted in the last European elections are more likely to want the European Parliament to play a more important role (60% vs 43% who did not vote), as are those who follow EU politics (64% vs 40% of those who do not follow).

QA5 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role?

More important	Less important	Don’t know
EU27	54	29	7
Gender
Man	54	31	6
Woman	53	27	9
Age
15-24	58	22	10
25-39	57	27	6
40-54	54	31	6
55+	50	31	8
Education (End of)
-15	46	29	14
16-19	50	33	7
20+	59	27	4
Still studying	62	18	11
Socio-professional category
Self- employed	55	30	5
Managers	62	26	3
Other white collars	57	30	4
Manual workers	49	33	8
House persons	48	30	10
Unemployed	52	30	10
Retired	49	30	9
Students	62	18	11
Difficulties paying bills
Most of the time	47	33	11
From time to time	53	33	6
Almost never/ Never	55	27	7
Subjective urbanisation
Rural village	77	10	3
Small/mid size town	46	30	11
Large town	27	65	5
Voted in the last European Parliament elections
Yes	60	25	5
No	43	37	11
Image of European Parliament
Positive	77	10	3
Neutral	46	30	11
Negative	27	65	5

CONCLUSION

One year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and amid a post-pandemic economic recovery affected by rising inflation and living costs, the present Spring 2023 Eurobarometer survey highlights that Europeans have already seen or foresee in the next year a deterioration in their living standards. Perhaps partly as a consequence, they are not satisfied with the measures taken at national and European levels to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and generally think that things are going in the wrong direction in both their country and the EU. It is therefore not surprising that they consider the fight against poverty and social exclusion as the top priority the European Parliament should address.

Nonetheless, the findings of this survey paint by no means a negative picture. Despite the difficulties, Europeans continue to approve the EU’s support for Ukraine by a large margin. They feel things are going in the right direction in their life personally and they are now less pessimistic than they were in autumn 2022 about the situation of their national economy.

Citizens continue to show attachment to democratic values, to be generally pleased with the way democracy works in the EU and in their country, and to be satisfied with more specific aspects of EU democracy, such as free and fair elections and freedom of speech. In line with these findings, when considering the action of the EU (and particularly of the European Parliament) in recent years, the levels of satisfaction are generally high, most notably when it comes to support for Ukraine and democratic rights and respect for the rule of law.

Europeans’ embrace of democratic values is best reflected by their attitudes towards elections in general, and European elections in particular. Majorities attach great personal importance to voting in national elections and, albeit to a lesser extent, European elections. Moreover, citizens tend to be interested in the next European elections and to say they would likely participate if they were to be held next week. In addition, when asked to indicate the date these elections will take place, nearly three in ten give the correct answer of May or June 2024. It is worth noting that both the level of interest and the level of awareness of the date of the elections are now higher than they were at a similar point in time before the 2019 European elections.

Opinions of the EU and the European Parliament remain generally positive, and the deterioration in attitudes observed between spring and autumn 2022 seems to have come to a halt. The level of optimism about the future of the EU is on the rise and a majority have a positive image of the EU. Similarly, Europeans continue to think that their country’s membership of the EU is a good thing and that it is important. In addition, although opinions are divided over whether their voice counts in the EU, most discuss European political matters with friends or relatives and follow what’s going on in European politics.

In line with these findings, a majority have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament and the impression they have been left with by this information is generally positive. As a consequence, the European Parliament continues to project a positive image and most Europeans share a desire for this institution to play a more prominent role.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Between 2 and 26 March 2023, Kantar Public on behalf of Kantar Belgium carried out the wave 99.1 of the Eurobarometer survey, on request of the European Parliament, Directorate-General for Communication, Public Opinion Monitoring Unit.

Wave 99.1 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 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.29 Urban Rural classification based on DEGURBA (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/degree-of-urbanisation/background)

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 two other eligible members in the household (2/3 of the time). Where the two 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, 2nd 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 Commission beforehand; they may give this information once the survey is completed, upon request.

The recruitment phase was slightly different in the Netherlands, Finland, and Sweden. In the two latter 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.

Belgium Bulgaria Czechia Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece Spain France Croatia Italy Rep. of Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovaka Finland Sweden TOTAL EU27 COUNTRIES INSTITUTES N° Interviews FIELDWORK DATES Population 15+ Proportion EU27 * It should be noted that the total percentage shown in this table may exceed 100% due to rounding.

Belgium Bulgaria Czechia Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece Spain France Croatia Italy Rep. of Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden COUNTRIES N° of CAPI interviews N° of CAVI interviews Total N° Interviews Total EU27 CAPI : Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing CAVI : Computer-Assisted Video Interviewing

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, Denmark, Malta and Finland.)

Belgium Bulgaria Czechia Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece Spain France Croatia Italy Rep. of Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden COUNTRIES Response rates

Response rates

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.

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 99.1 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 European Parliament’s Spring 2023 Eurobarometer survey pictures continued attachment of citizens to democratic values and their overall satisfaction with EU democracy amid continuing personal and economic difficulties. Moreover, it focuses on Europeans’ awareness of and attitudes towards the actions of the European Union and European Parliament and gauges the importance Europeans attach to voting in European and national elections.

This survey was carried out by KANTAR PUBLIC between 2 and 26 March 2023 in all 27 EU Member States. It was conducted face-to-face, with video interviews (CAVI) used additionally in Czechia, Denmark, Finland and Malta. 26.376 interviews were conducted in total. EU results were weighted according 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

EB043EP

CATALOGUE NUMBER: QA-CE-23-001-EN-N

ISBN: 978-92-848-0498-6

DOI: 10.2861/93879

© European Union, 2023

Comments in freedom

(Pierre Dieumegard)

The original Eurobarometer document was only available in English, except for the European Parliament press release which was available in the various official languages.

Self-congratulatory statements in the press release are no substitute for accurate information

This press release, which mainly contains claims of self-satisfaction, has been widely disseminated. A week after the report was published, a Google search on the subject brought up around ten articles in the French-language press. These articles reproduced the sentences of the communiqué, some included textual information from the report, but none had graphs showing the diversity of national views. This is to be expected, as the graphs in English were difficult to translate into other languages.

As a result, readers of major newspapers or websites specialising in Europe were unable to read the results of this Eurobarometer survey.

It would be a good idea not to quote only the positive results

The statement begins with various claims, which are not false, but which are only part of the outcome of the investigation.

It says "Young people are most likely to support a more important role for the European Parliament"; this is true (QA5) but it would be good to add that young people are less interested than average in European elections (QA15) and that they are less likely than average to vote in the next election (QA22).

The text in English is often unclear, and was not proofread properly before publication.

At the beginning, a double page presents 10 key points of the survey. The general title is “10 KEY TAKE AWAYS”, which is not very easy to understand and translate. Each of the points has a title that is not always simple either.

The beginning of the executive summary refers to the spring and cherry blossoms in Japan, and the word ‘permacrise’ from the latest edition of the Collins English dictionary: it has little connection to the main subject.

There are various errors in detail:

— duplicated paragraphs: last paragraph on page 98 of the original (question QA2) and last paragraph on page 108 of the original (question QA13)

— errors in graphic caption: in the original page 25 (“% - Equality between women and men”) is too much in the title of the second graph)

- page 124 (“ 3th quintile”).

— page 28, a graph devoted to the emotional state of interviewees (QA10ab) is entitled "Which of the following topics would you like to see addressed in priority by the European Parliament? Firstly? And then? (EU27) (%)”, whereas it should have been ‘When thinking about the life you lead, how would you best describe your current emotional status?’. The title in question is that of question QA7ab.

Similarly, on page 145 of the original, the graph on knowledge of polling dates (QA14) is entitled QA15 "The next European elections will be held in May or June 2024. How interested or not would you say you are in these elections? (% - EU27)", when it should have "In your opinion, when will the next European elections be held here in (OUR COUNTRY)?".

— an incorrect page reference, page 19 of the original: “For more information, please refer to the table indicated on page XX for the margin of error depending on the number of interviews.” The symbol XX should have been replaced by the indication “218”, page with the table of statistical confidence margins is located.

It is not very serious, but it shows that this report was not properly proofread before publication.

Differences of opinion between countries are much greater than between social groups

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 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 EU27 Man Woman 15-24 25-39 40-54 55+ -15 16-19 20+ Still studying Self- employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students QA5 Would you personally like to see the European Parliament play a more important or less important role ? (Total more important) QA11.1 How satisfied or not are you with the fol lowing aspects of democracy in the European Union? Free and fair elections (total satisfied) -

The social groups (age, sex, level of education, occupations) are red, the countries are blue. We can see that Cypriots are three times as many (90 %) as Slovaks (30 %) who want the European Parliament to play a greater role. For social groups, managers and students are only 30 % more likely than those who left school before the age of 15 to have the same desire.

This is just one example, which can be found for many questions, in this Eurobarometer survey or in another.

Conclusion; the usual national policy categories are not relevant at EU level.

Women and men have the same opinions, the rich and the poor differ little, and there is little difference between the young and the old. At European level, it is the nation that counts: Poles have a distinctly different opinion from Portuguese or Danes.

A major cause of these differences of opinion, although not the only one, is the difference in language. Within a country, people talk to their neighbours and relatives, watch the same television and read the same newspapers, whether they are rich or poor, young or old. A consensus may emerge, different from that of a neighbouring country.

The title of this Eurobarometer report is “Democracy in Action”. This is an ambitious title: for democracy to be possible in Europe, a democratic debate would have to be possible. Europeans must be able to share the same information, comment on it, criticise it, disseminate it, interpret it together.

For a true democracy to be possible in Europe, we need a common language. The best common language, the easiest to learn, the most accurate, the fairest, is the international language Esperanto.