Europeans lose confidence in EU’s future, Italians even more so

Brussels – The future of the European Union is now (a little) scarier. Due to global tensions and uncertainties arising, Europeans are less optimistic about the future of the EU. This is what emerges from the last Eurobarometer survey, released today (7 November). Many different questions were asked to the approximately 26,000 European citizens surveyed, including one on the degree of optimism for the months and years to come. The outcome shows Europe split in two: one half (52 per cent) believes things will go well, while the other half (48 per cent) admits they have no confidence. 

This is a widespread, generalised sentiment, referring to the EU average, and it has deteriorated in just over a year. Of course, there are countries where people look to the future of the European Union with great optimism, such as Lithuania (72 per cent) and Portugal (69 per cent). Still, compared to the period June–July 2024, confidence is declining everywhere, even in these two countries. Only Poland and Hungary (+1 per cent and +2 per cent, respectively) show trends opposite to those of the rest of the EU.

Italy has one of the highest rates of loss of confidence in the future of the European Union in this narrow timeframe: -10 per cent. The result is that people are now looking ahead with greater difficulty than a year ago in the rest of the European Union. The country is perfectly split in half: 50 per cent hopeful, 50 per cent worried. In the Italian case, the conflict in Ukraine in particular is a cause for concern because of its repercussions, but it is in general the conflicts around the world that Italians consider as the main challenge for the EU’s future (44 per cent of men and women interviewed from north to south of the Boot think so). One Italian in three (34 per cent) is also concerned about the cost of living.