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Immigration has risen to the highest three of European residents’ considerations, in keeping with an Eurobarometer survey printed by the European Fee on Monday (10 July).
Inflation and the price of residing, and the battle in Ukraine, stay the 2 most urgent present points going through EU voters, however immigration has moved from sixth to 3rd place in simply six months.
And the variations between EU residents’ first concern and the second and third are tiny: 27 % replied inflation, 25 % the worldwide scenario and 24 % immigration.
As well as, nearly three-quarters of respondents are in favour of strengthening the EU’s exterior borders and greater than two-thirds assist a typical European asylum system.
In distinction with the immigration challenge, considerations about Europe’s vitality provide dropped sharply, by ten share factors — and greater than eight-out-of-ten respondents stated the EU ought to put money into renewable vitality and enhance vitality effectivity.
With European elections scheduled for June 2024 and home elections in nations corresponding to Spain, Luxembourg, Poland, and the Netherlands within the coming months, the survey exhibits which points are of most concern to voters on the bottom.
On a nationwide degree, rising prices stay by far essentially the most urgent challenge for 45 % of European residents, who’ve seen meals and vitality costs soar within the wake of the coronavirus disaster and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Financial prospects have improved because the final survey in January and February, however all member states — besides Portugal — nonetheless imagine that the nationwide economic system will keep the identical or worsen over the subsequent yr.
Regardless of a celebration political backlash of ‘regulatory fatigue’ in opposition to the EU’s Inexperienced Deal, the atmosphere and local weather change have additionally risen up the agenda of Europeans at nationwide degree, alongside different points corresponding to housing, pensions and schooling.
Belief the EU — or not?
Total, neither the rise of the far-right events in some European nations nor the Qatargate scandal within the European parliament appear to have affected residents’ picture of the EU.
Residents’ belief within the European Union has remained secure, and acceptance of European establishments stays larger than that of nationwide ones (47 % vs 32-33 %).
Denmark, Portugal and Sweden are the member states the place political belief within the EU establishments is highest.
In Greece, France, and Cyprus the image is sort of the alternative, with 54-56 % of respondents saying they don’t belief the EU.
Then again, belief within the EU-27 has improved among the many candidate nations. Nonetheless, it stays very low in Serbia, Moldova, North Macedonia and Turkey (regardless of a rise of 12 share factors), the place it doesn’t even attain half of the inhabitants.
The survey couldn’t be performed in Ukraine “as a result of scenario on the bottom”, however the majority of member states agree with the choice to grant it potential EU candidate standing, albeit with nuances.
Opposition was sturdy in nations corresponding to Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the place a minimum of 45 % of respondents stated they disagreed with the choice.
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