The rising cost of living is the biggest concern for 100% of Greeks, compared with 93% of EU citizens, according to the Eurobarometer survey released today.
In all EU member states, more than seven out of ten respondents are concerned about the rising cost of living, with the worst results observed in Greece (100%), Cyprus (99%), Italy, and Portugal (98% for both countries). Rising prices, including those for energy and food, are being felt across all social and demographic groups, regardless of gender, age, or educational and socio-professional background.
The second-biggest concern among European citizens, at 82%, is the threat of poverty and social exclusion, a figure that stands at 97% in Greece.
At the EU level, climate change and the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries are the third-biggest concern (81%). Migration, however, is of particular concern to Greek citizens and ranks as the third most common concern with a score of 86%, followed by climate change at 84% and the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries (78%).
Moreover, according to Eurobarometer, the recent crises have strengthened citizens’ support for the EU: At the European level, 72% believe that EU membership has benefited their country, and 62% view the EU positively (65% and 43%, respectively, in Greece).
Citizens expect the EU to continue working to find solutions to mitigate the mounting effects of the chain of crises that have struck the continent. The high level of support for the EU stems from the experience of recent years, during which the EU has demonstrated a remarkable ability to act in unity and take effective measures. For now, Europeans are not satisfied with the measures taken at the national and European levels, as only one in three respondents views the initiatives to address the rising cost of living positively. The results are more negative in Greece, where only one in five respondents responded positively.
Regarding the financial situation of citizens, the survey shows that the effects of successive crises are becoming increasingly noticeable. Nearly half of the EU population (46%), compared to 66% in Greece, reports that their standard of living has already declined due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the rising cost of living. Furthermore, 39% of respondents in the EU, compared to 29% in Greece, say they have not yet seen their standard of living decline, but expect this to happen next year, painting a rather bleak outlook for 2023.
Another telling indicator of growing financial hardship is the increase in the percentage of citizens who have difficulty paying their bills «most of the time» or «sometimes,» with a nine-point increase from 30% to 39% at the EU level since the fall of 2021. In Greece, there was a 14-point increase, with this percentage reaching 86%.
The multiple geopolitical crises of recent years continue to pose serious challenges for citizens and policymakers. With inflation at its highest level in decades, European citizens want the European Parliament to focus on combating poverty and social exclusion (37%). Public health remains important to many European citizens (34%), as does continued action against climate change (31%). Supporting the economy and creating new jobs (31%) are also high on European citizens’ list of priorities. In Greece, respondents ranked the fight against poverty and social exclusion as their top priority (58%), second was supporting the economy and creating new jobs (55%), and third was public health (44%).
At the same time, recent crises—and particularly Russia’s war against Ukraine—are strengthening public support for the EU: 62% of respondents view EU membership positively, which is one of the highest figures recorded since 2007. The percentage of respondents in Greece is significantly lower, at 43%. Two-thirds of Europeans (66%) consider their country’s EU membership to be important, while 72% believe their country has benefited from being an EU member. In Greece, 59% consider their country’s EU membership to be important, while 65% believe that their country has benefited from its status as a member state.
In this context, «peace» comes to mind for citizens as one of the key and fundamental reasons for the founding of the European Union: 36% of Europeans say that the EU’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security are the main benefits of EU membership, an increase of six points since fall 2021. The percentage is higher in Greece, where it reaches 46%. Furthermore, Europeans believe that the EU facilitates better cooperation among member states (35%) and contributes to economic growth (30%).
Almost a year and a half before the 2024 European elections, one in two European citizens say they are interested in the process (54%), at the same level as during the corresponding period before the 2019 European elections (53% in October 2017). In Greece, 56% of citizens express interest, a significant increase of 14 points. When asked if they would vote if these elections were scheduled for next week, Greeks responded affirmatively, with one of the highest rates among the 27 (75%), up by six points compared to the European Parliament’s spring 2022 Eurobarometer. On average, 67% of European respondents answered positively.
