A year after the referendum in the United Kingdom, a growing majority of Europeans are optimistic about the future of the European Union, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey published by the European Commission on Wednesday 2 August.
Most Europeans (56%) are optimistic about the future of the EU - up six percentage points on autumn 2016. The greatest increases were observed in France (55%, +14 points since last autumn), Denmark (70%, +13 points) and Portugal (64%, +10 points). Confidence in the EU is increasing and stands at 42%) 36% in autumn 2016). It grew mainly in France (41%, +15 points), Denmark (56%, +11 points), Estonia (55%, +11 points) and Germany (+10 points to 47%).
40% of Europeans have a positive image of the EU (+5 points since autumn 2016), which is reflected in 24 member states, in particular France (40%, +11 points), Denmark (42%, +10 points) and Luxembourg (57%, +10 points). A record 68% of Europeans consider themselves EU citizens.
Almost half of Europeans feel that the current situation of their national economy is good (46%, +5 points since autumn 2016). In the Eurozone, nearly three quarters of respondents are in favour of the euro (73%, +3 points), the highest level since autumn 2004.
Terrorism is now seen as the greatest challenge facing the EU (44%, +12 percentage points since autumn 2016). Immigration, which had been the main concern since spring 2015, has now fallen to 2nd place (38%, -7 points). These concerns are a long way ahead of the rest of the pack, which includes the economic situation (18%, -2 points), the state of the public finances of the member states (17%, unchanged) and unemployment (15%, -1 point). Terrorism and immigration are named as the greatest challenges in every country except Portugal and Sweden.
Viewpoints from outside the EU. The survey assessed the EU’s image in 11 countries outside the EU. In the three most populated of these (China, India and the USA), three quarters of respondents have a positive image of the EU. More often than not, third countries have a positive image of the EU: 94% in Brazil, 84% in China, 83% in India, 76% in Japan, 79% in Canada, 75% in the US, 67% in Australia and 54% in Turkey. However, respondents in countries closer to the EU (Russia, Norway and Switzerland) generally expressed mixed feelings (between 43% and 46% have a positive image of the EU).
In Switzerland and Norway, at least half of respondents have a negative vision of the EU (54% and 50% respectively). The survey shows that the EU is largely seen as a place of stability in a world in crisis, with considerable differences, between 82% in India, where this feeling is shared, to 49% in Turkey, but this is not the case in Russia, where just 33% of respondents agree. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)