The hundredth edition of the Eurobarometer was recently published. In the latest edition, the European survey revealed that a notable percentage of European citizens are optimistic about the future of the Union European and considers the latter as a place of stability. Using this tool, the European Union periodically measures citizens' feelings towards European institutions and current political issues. Furthermore, the use of these means allows the institutions themselves to strengthen the role of citizens within political systems.
The perception of European citizens
The first Eurobarometer survey was implemented in 1974 by the European Commission. Initially, the instrument was designed to “reveal Europeans to themselves» and therefore to periodically monitor the state of thepublic opinion of European citizens. Over time, the survey was conducted every six months and also became a valuable data source for academics and information workers.
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In 2007, a special version was also added to the regular version of the Eurobarometer which asks a sample of citizens about certain aspects of European policies. Furthermore, in 2022, the European Parliament and the European Commission jointly launched their new interinstitutional online platform, which also represents one of the largest investigative archives in the world.
Data from the 100th Eurobarometer
The 100th issue of the European survey was recently published on the Eurobarometer platform. Since the first survey was carried out in 1974, this year also marks the 50th anniversary of this project. In particular, the latest data shows that the percentage of citizens who consider themselves optimistic about the future of the European Union remains in the majority (61%).
Among other data, it appears that seven out of ten European citizens consider the European Union to be a place of stability in a world in difficulty. Concerning the degree of confidence, the positive percentage remains more or less stable compared to previous years, remaining close to half of the responses. In particular, this 100th edition of the Eurobarometer focused on citizens' opinions regarding Russian aggression against Ukraine. In this regard, the percentages show that the majority of citizens are satisfied with the European Union's response in favor of Ukraine.
The main topics of interest to EU citizens
During the public consultation, European Union citizens were also asked what their main concerns were. First of all, we observe the war in Ukraine, followed by immigration and the international situation. Subsequently, other relevant issues are inflation and climate change. This information is very important because it helps the decision-makers to guide European policies and priorities.
In support of the Eurobarometer, there are other platforms used by European institutions to provide the opportunity to collect and develop citizens' proposals and ideas. An example of this is the Conference on the Future of Europe, which constitutes one of the main moments of dialogue. It is a series of citizen discussions in which the possibility of discussing the main topics of interest and proposing recommendations to institutions is guaranteed.
The conference lasted one year, from April 2021 to May 2022, and ended with the presentation of a final report containing 49 proposals and 326 measures aimed at the main European institutions. Other similar conferences are organized periodically to collect stimuli and proposals from European citizens. An example of this is European Week of Regions and Cities.
Currently, there are still democratic deficits – particularly in terms of the weight and functions of the European Parliament – in decision-making processes. However, these activities demonstrate a certain the attention of the European Union on involve European citizens in policy making. This thus confirms the fundamental role of citizens in building the future of Europe.
