Trust in EU at 18-year high but fears for economy rising
More than half of Europeans - 52% - tend to trust the European Commission and EU, the highest result since 2007, according Eurostat's most recent barometer, but the survey also recorded rising fears for the economic outlook in Europe.
The survey showed 43% of EU citizens continue to have a positive image of the EU, while 38% have a neutral image and 18% have a negative image of the EU.
Eurobarometer surveys are conducted regularly on the basis of face to face research across the member states, providing a snapshot of public opinion.
Nearly nine in ten Europeans (88%) agreed that there should be more rules-based cooperation between countries and regions of the world and 78% said they were concerned about the EU's defence and security in the next five years.
For the first time since 2004 the percentage in favour of a common defence and security policy among EU member states topped four-fifths at 81%.
However, when it came to the perception of the situation of the European economy, 44% of Europeans found it good, down by four percentage points, while 48% found it bad, up by five percentage points.
According to Europeans, the EU should take measures in the medium-term in the area of security and defence (39%), followed by the economy (29%), migration (24%) and climate and the environment (24%).
74% in the EU as a whole and 83% in the euro area were for the single currency, the euro, representing the highest support ever.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine continued to be considered as the most important issue at EU level (27%) followed by the international situation at 24% and security and defence at 20%, while 77% of European respondents agreed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a threat to the security of the EU.
Three quarters of respondents (75%) - the highest level in more than two decades - said they felt they are citizens of the EU.
In addition, more than six in ten EU citizens (62%) were also optimistic about the future of the EU.
The Eurobarometer survey was conducted between late March and late April 2025 across the 27 Member States, with 26,368 EU citizens interviewed face-to-face.
The findings reflected a trend for boosted perceptions for the EU amid a tense geopolitical backdrop.
In March a Eurobarometer survey found some 74% of those surveyed said that their country benefits from EU membership, the best result recorded since the question was first introduced in 1983.
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