Europeans Pessimistic About World, Optimistic About EU

Europeans are increasingly pessimistic about the state of the world, but their belief in the EU is riding high, according to polling published Wednesday.

A Eurobarometer survey found 74 percent of citizens reckon their country has benefited from being part of the EU — a high only matched once before, early last year.

The survey’s results suggest the bloc’s appeal has grown in lockstep with anxiety about international turmoil and war. Some 58 percent reported feeling pessimistic about the future of the world, a 6-percentage-point increase from November last year. By contrast, 59 percent said they’re optimistic about the EU’s future.

Citizens singled out the bloc’s contribution to protecting peace and security as the most important advantage of EU membership, with 40 percent of respondents listing it in their top three.

They also listed defense and security; energy independence; and competitiveness as three areas the bloc should focus on to strengthen its position in the world. Energy independence in particular has grown as a topic of importance for Europeans, against a backdrop of increased energy prices in the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.

“At a time of global uncertainty, Europeans increasingly see the European Union as a beacon of stability. In a troubled world, that trust is Europe’s greatest asset,” said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in a statement accompanying the polling.

Not all countries were equally satisfied with the benefits of EU membership. While more than 90 percent of people interviewed in Malta, Denmark, Luxembourg and Portugal said the EU had been beneficial, that share dropped to about 60 percent in Greece, Austria, France and Bulgaria.

Eurobarometer interviewed more than 26,000 citizens aged 15 or older between May and April across all EU member countries.