Three points to take away from the latest 2017 Eurobarometer
According to the latest Eurobarometer poll, Europeans have a positive opinion of the current situation of the European economy rather than a negative one. This comes for the first time since the economic and financial crisis began in 2007. The new publication offers three main takeaways.
“There is no better time to fix the roof than when the sun is shining.”
President Jean-Claude Juncker, 2017 State of the European Union Address
1. Positive opinions on the situation of European economy outweigh negative opinions
48% of respondents think that the situation of the European economy is good — up 6 points in only six months. 39% think the situation of EU economy is bad (-7 points). As for the situation of national economy, the Eurobarometer marks a return to pre-crisis level (2007): 49% of respondent consider the situation is bad, 48% consider it is good. More than 70% of citizens consider that the national situation of the economy is good in the following Member States: Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria (77%, +9 points since Spring 2017), Denmark, Sweden and Finland (71%, +12 points).
2. Support for the euro is at its highest since 2004 in the euro area
Support for EU political priorities remains steady. 61% of EU citizens are in favour of a European economic and monetary union with one single currency, the euro. In the euro area support for euro reached its highest peak ever: 74% of respondents are in favour. As for the other political priorities, free movement of citizens is the most supported (by 81% of respondents) followed by a common defence and security policy (75%), a common energy policy (72%) and a common European policy of migration (69%). Only 42% of citizens are in favour of further EU enlargements (+2% in six months).
3. Overall, trust in the EU remains high and a majority of Europeans are optimistic about the future of the EU
Trust in the EU stands at 41% (-1). A majority of respondents trust the EU in 18 Member States (compared to only 15 in spring). Trust in the EU is highest in Lithuania (64%), Bulgaria (57%) and Luxembourg (56%). Since spring 2017, trust in the EU has gained ground in ten countries, notably in Belgium (53%, +7), Slovakia (48%, +5) and the Czech Republic (35%, +5). Trust in the EU has declined in 17 countries but is on average greater than trust in national institutions. According to another newly published special Eurobarometer on the Future of Europe, 75% Europeans have a positive view of the European Union with the highest results in Lithuania (91%), Denmark (89%) and the Netherlands (87%). 71% of Europeans think that the EU is “a place of stability in a troubled world” (+5 since 2016).
Read about Spring 2017 Eurobarometer: EUROPEAN VIEWS: Positive feelings and optimism about the EU
These are the first results of Autumn 2017 Standard Eurobarometer survey. 28,055 citizens aged 15+ have been interviewed in the 28 Member States between 5 and 14 November 2017.
The full report of the special Eurobarometer survey on the future of Europe is available here.
