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Survey: Nearly two-thirds concerned about EU security

by AI | 29.Jul 2024 | Europe in brief AI

A large number of people in Europe are concerned about the security of the European Union, according to a survey. However, most look to the future with optimism.

Despite security concerns, most EU citizens look to the future with optimism. Photo: Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa

Brussels – Nearly two-thirds of EU citizens are concerned about the security of the European Union. About 47 percent of the Europeans surveyed said they were “quite worried” about the security of the EU in the next five years, while about 17 percent of respondents said they were “very worried,” according to a survey conducted on behalf of the European Commission.

According to the survey, people in Portugal (77 percent) have the biggest security concerns. In Germany, 54 percent of respondents said they were “quite” or “very” worried about the security of the EU.

More than 25,000 EU citizens aged 15 and above were surveyed online by the opinion research institute Ipsos between the end of June and the beginning of July for the representative survey, according to the information provided.

Optimistic view of the future

Nevertheless, according to the survey, about 58 percent of Europeans tend to be optimistic about the future of the EU. About 37 percent, on the other hand, tend to be more pessimistic.

About half (50 percent) of EU citizens see the war in Ukraine as the current biggest challenge for the EU, according to the survey. Forty-one percent of respondents consider irregular migration to be one of the biggest challenges currently. Environmental issues and climate change are cited as challenges by a good third (35 percent) of respondents. The responses from German respondents were nearly identical to the EU average.

Environment and migration at the top of the priority list

On the subjects the EU should prioritize, respondents most frequently mentioned the environment and climate change (33 percent) as well as irregular migration (also 33 percent), followed by security and defense (29 percent) and the war in Ukraine (25 percent).

Regarding the performance of the EU economy in the next five years, opinions among EU citizens are divided. About half (50 percent) of respondents are confident, while 45 percent are more skeptical. (July 26)