Ahead of the upcoming European elections scheduled from June 6 to 9, a recent Eurobarometer survey reveals that eight out of ten Greeks acknowledge the EU’s influence on their daily lives, while seven out of ten believe that the country has profited from its EU membership.
A percentage 83% of Greek citizens believe that the actions of the EU have an impact on their daily lives, while 70% of respondents support that the country has benefited overall from its accession to the EU.
However, Greeks are pessimistic about their future living standards. 48% of Greeks (compared to 32% in the EU) anticipate a decrease, while 35% expect no change (compared to 49% in the EU), and only 13% anticipate improvement (compared to 15% in the EU).
Moreover, Greeks (74%), French (69%), and Cypriots (63%) are the ones with the highest proportion in the EU stating that their living standards worsened the past five years.
On average, 45% of EU citizens declare that their living standards worsened, while 49% say it remained unchanged.
Regarding the future of the EU, 53% of Greeks and 61% of Europeans are “optimistic,” while 43% of Greeks and 35% of Europeans are “pessimistic.” The French appear to be the most pessimistic about the future of the EU (52%).
When asked about their opinion of the EU, 39% of Greeks and 47% of Europeans view it positively. Neutral responses come from 41% of Greeks and 36% of Europeans, while negative opinions are expressed by 20% of Greeks and 17% of Europeans.
Additionally, 38% of Greeks and 40% of Europeans see the EU’s role as increasingly significant globally, while 43% of Greeks and 35% of Europeans perceive it as unchanged.
Regarding future priorities, EU citizens prioritize defense and security (37%) as the top concern for enhancing the EU’s global position, followed by energy issues and food security/agriculture (both at 30%).
European citizens prioritize combating poverty and social exclusion (33%) and supporting public health (32%) in the pre-election campaign. Greeks emphasize public health (56%), economic support and job creation (55%), and combating poverty and social exclusion (55%) as focal points for the pre-election campaign.
Regarding their participation in the forthcoming European parliament elections, 60% of Europeans (+11 points compared to March 2019) and 56% of Greeks express interest in voting in the June European elections.
