Brussels, 14/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - The first results of the latest Eurobarometer survey, published on Monday 14 December 2009, show that for Europeans, unemployment is the most important issue facing their country, while concerns about the economic situation have lessened slightly. However, most still believes the worst of the crisis is yet to come. Now that the G20 and the IMF have given the impetus for economic recovery, people believe that national governments and the European Union are best placed to take action against the effects of the crisis.
A majority of Europeans (54%, down 7% on May-June 2009) believe that the worst is yet to come regarding the impact of the crisis on jobs, while 38% think that the crisis has already reached its peak. This figure is ten percent up from the previous survey. The same more positive trend, compared with spring 2009, can be observed in expectations for the economic situation in the EU in the next twelve months: 30% (up 6%) of Europeans think that the next twelve months will be better, 38% think it will stay the same (no change) and 21% (down percent) think it will get worse. Some 11% (up 1%) do not know.
Similar more positive expectations were recorded for the future of the world economy: 29% (up 5%) think it will be better in the next twelve months, 36% (no change) the same, and 24% (down 6%) worse. Some 11% (up 1%) do not know. Regarding expectations for the national economy, the positive trend is more moderate with many Europeans believing that their country's economic situation will be the same (37%, up 1%) or get worse (31%, down 3%), rather than better (28%, up 3%). Some 4% (down 1%) do not know.
Most Europeans polled (51%, up 2%) see unemployment as the most important issue in their country at the moment. The economic situation (40%, down 2%) comes second. Inflation (19%, down 2%) is the third most important issue, together with crime (19%, up 3%). In people's personal lives, inflation (38%, unchanged), the economic situation (26%, unchanged) and unemployment (20%, down 1%) remain the three most pressing areas of concern.
Both the European Union (22%, +2) and the national governments (19%, +7) are seen as being best able to deal with the crisis. They are followed closely by the G20 (18%, -2) which has lost its second position to the national governments since the spring. Europeans see the stimulation of research and innovation in European industry (31%), the support of environmentally-friendly production of goods and services (30%), the support to agriculture (27%) and the encouragement of enterprise creation (25%) as the main ways to boost growth in a sustainable way.
Trend indicators on confidence in the European institutions are stable: the majority of Europeans (53%, unchanged) continue to perceive their country's membership of the EU as a good thing, while 57% (+1) believe it has benefited from being a member of the EU.
Since autumn 2007, the appreciation of the way democracy works appears to have been reversed. 53% (-5) are satisfied with the way democracy works in their country, while the figure for the European Union is 54% (+2). Two years ago, the way democracy worked at national level (58%) was judged more satisfactory than at EU level (52%). The initial results can be found at: http: //ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm (O.L./transl.fl/rt)