Today’s pre-election publication reveals a positive and upward trend in key election indicators just weeks before EU citizens vote on June 6-9. Interest in the election, knowledge of when it will take place as well as the likelihood of voting are all on the rise since the last survey in fall 2023, when the last measurement. The increases are even more striking compared to the spring 2019 survey (three months before the previous European elections).
60% now say they are interested in voting in June (+3 pp compared to fall 2023 and +11 pp compared to February/March 2019). 71% say it is likely that they will vote (7 to 10 on a scale of 1 to 10), which represents +3 pp compared to fall 2023 and +10 pp compared to February/March 2019. The results suggest that EU citizens are very aware of the importance of elections in the current geopolitical context, with eight in ten (81%) respondents saying this makes voting even more important. Large majorities in all member states support this declaration.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, comments on the results of the survey: “Europeans are aware that the stakes are high at the polls and that voting is even more important in the current geopolitical context. I call on our citizens to vote in the next European elections, to strengthen European democracy and to shape the future of Europe.”
As this legislature concludes, 81% of EU citizens have a positive or neutral image of the European Parliament, while only 18% are negative. Furthermore, a majority in the EU (56%) would like the EP to play a more important role, while only 28% would like the opposite and 10% would keep the role as it currently is.
President Metsola added: “The Parliament and the European Union have achieved unprecedented results in recent years. We were faced with exceptional and difficult circumstances, but we emerged even stronger and more united. Parliament has been and will continue to be the voice and defender of citizens within the EU.”
European citizens would like the fight against poverty and social exclusion (33%) as well as support for public health (32%) to be the main issues addressed during the electoral campaign. Supporting the economy and creating new jobs, as well as EU defense and security come in third place (with 31%). The importance that citizens attach to EU defense and security has increased over the course of the legislature, particularly in light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. It is now mentioned as the first (or first municipality) election campaign priority in nine countries, with the highest results in Denmark (56%), Finland (55%) and Lithuania (53%).
Similarly, when it comes to the future, EU citizens place defense and security (37%) as top priorities to strengthen the EU’s position globally, energy issues and security food/agriculture follow (both with 30%). While four in ten citizens believe that the role of the EU has become more important in recent years, 35% think it has remained the same and 22% think it has diminished. At the national level, relative majorities in 15 countries believe that its role in the world has become more important over the years, with proportions reaching 67% in Sweden, 63% in Portugal and 60% in Denmark. At the same time, Slovenian and Czech citizens are the most likely to believe that the role of the EU has lost its importance (32% and 30% respectively).
Nearly three quarters of citizens (73%, +3 pp compared to autumn 2023) say that EU actions have an impact on their daily lives, including a fifth (20%) for whom they have “a lot » of impact. Furthermore, a large majority of Europeans believe that their country, overall, benefits from EU membership (71%). These results are stable compared to autumn 2023 and continue to benefit from high levels across the EU.
Full results can be found here.
Background
The Spring 2024 European Parliament Eurobarometer was carried out by the research agency Verian (formerly Kantar) between February 7 and March 3, 2024 in the 27 EU Member States. The survey was conducted face-to-face, with video interviews (CAVI) also used in Czechia, Denmark, Finland and Malta. In total, 26,411 interviews were conducted. The EU results were weighted according to the population size of each country.
Originally published in The European Times.
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