The latest Eurobarometer survey shows that Europeans consider respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law (38%) and economic, industrial and commercial strength (34%) as the EU’s main strengths.
If this is the prevailing view in Europe, then how is it that European citizens themselves, when they go to the polls, vote for parties that, at best, look the other way when it comes to respecting these three fundamental principles?
Perhaps this is because Europeans consider the war in Ukraine to be the number one challenge facing the EU, as cited by 50% of respondents. In second and third place are irregular migration and environmental issues and climate change, with 41% and 35% respectively. In other words, interpreted, voters are looking for solutions to problems that have significant effects on their daily lives. On the one hand, war is the well-known energy crisis, while immigration is putting social cohesion in several countries to the test. Are Europeans willing to put the fundamental principles of a united Europe on the back burner? This trend seems to be steadily gaining ground, as the majority of EU citizens are concerned about security and feel increasingly insecure about geopolitical developments.
The only encouraging element for the future is that 51% of Europeans express confidence in the performance of the EU economy over the next five years, which is perfectly normal given that inflation is falling and the European Central Bank has started to cut interest rates. However, Europe’s economy is caught up in the trade war between China and the West, and its power seems weakened.
The new Commission has a lot of work ahead of it to improve the situation on the old continent.