EU citizens prioritise security, unity, record-high support for membership: survey

Brussels, March 25 (IANS) A survey published on Tuesday by the European Parliament reveals that EU citizens see protection against global crises and security risks, along with unity among member states, as top priorities.

The European Parliament's Winter 2025 Eurobarometer survey was conducted across all 27 EU member states in January and February of this year.

According to the survey, 66 per cent of EU citizens want the EU to play a greater role in protecting them against global crises and security risks; and 89 per cent call for EU member states to act more united to face current global challenges.

"This is a clear call for action which we will answer. Europe needs to be stronger so that our citizens feel safer," said Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament.

"The European Parliament will ensure that every proposal put forward is bold and ambitious enough to match the serious level of threat Europe faces. Europe must step up today, or it risks being stepped over tomorrow," she added.

Historical levels of approval were reached, with 74 per cent of EU citizens thinking that their country benefits from being a member of the union. It is the first time since 1983, when the question was first asked, that such a high level of approval is reached.

The main benefit of being an EU member, according to the survey, is maintaining peace and strengthening security, with 35 per cent of respondents. Fifty per cent of respondents recognise that the protective role of the EU has already grown in recent years.

Previously, improved cooperation between the member states was seen as the main benefit of being a member state of the EU.

Areas on which the EU should focus, according to the survey, include defence and security with 36 per cent of respondents, stable compared to a year ago, and competitive economy and industry with 32 per cent of respondents, or an increase of five points compared with a year ago.

Energy independence (27 per cent), food security and agriculture (25 per cent), and education and research (23 per cent) follow closely.

Topics that EU citizens want the European Parliament to tackle include rising prices and the cost of living (43 per cent), defence and security (31 per cent), fighting poverty and social exclusion (31 per cent), as well as support to the economy and creating new jobs (29 per cent), Xinhua news agency reported.

EU citizens have eroding expectations, with 33 percent of them expecting their standards of living to decrease over the next five years, back to the level of spring 2024 of 32 per cent after dipping to 29 per cent right after the recent European Elections.

When it comes to the EU core values, peace, democracy and the protection of human rights stably come first, with respectively 45 per cent, 32 per cent and 22 percent of respondents.

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