Europeans and the Ukrainian crisis

europeans and the ukrainian crisis Europeans are increasingly concerned with the economic situation in Europe, while Romanians are particularly worried about inflation and the economy

EU citizens' trust in the EU is on the rise, amidst the robust support Brussels has provided to Ukraine and due to its energy policies, the latest Eurobarometer published on Tuesday shows. Conducted over June-July, the study reveals that Europeans are increasingly concerned with the economic developments in the EU and at home, most fears targeting inflation and the energy market. The positive perception of European economy has dropped starting this year, standing at 40% at present. Over half of Europeans believe the economy is experiencing difficulties. In turn, Romanians are worried about inflation and the economic situation. Only a half of them believe the economic situation will improve over the next 12 months. Europeans are more skeptical, with only 16% of them holding optimistic prospects. 


As regards the consequences of the war in Ukraine, Romanians say the price hike and a possible crisis raise most concerns, in addition to a possible expansion of the war or nuclear warfare. Still, two thirds of Romanian and European respondents are optimistic about the future of the EU, which represents an increase compared to a similar survey conducted in January-February this year, ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Furthermore, European citizens have confirmed their firm support for the EU's response to the war. As regards the EU's actions at community level, humanitarian assistance got the most approval (92% on average at EU level and 75% in Romania), followed by the EU taking in Ukrainian refuges (90% at EU level and 75% in Romania). In this context, 69% of Romanians endorse the economic sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia, Russian businesses and people, which is below of the EU average of 78%. 61% of Romanians are in favor of funding the distribution and delivery of military equipment to Ukraine, against an EU average of 68%. 



As regards energy and energy security, the majority of both EU citizens and Romanians in particular agree the EU should invest in renewable energy, curb its dependency of Russian gas and that stockpiling natural gas should be a major priority in order to allow uninterrupted gas supplies in winter. Both Europeans and Romanians believe increasing energy efficiency won't make countries any less dependent on non-EU energy producers, and are in favor of purchasing energy from other countries to obtain a better price. Furthermore, 65% of Romanians believe they have taken appropriate action to curb their energy consumption or intend to do so in the coming future, compared to an EU average of 78%. (VP)



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Publicat: 2022-09-07 14:00:00
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