Public opinion in the EU in time of coronavirus crisis - 1

This is one of the few multinational surveys delving into European citizens’ attitudes and opinions over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, presenting the findings of a survey commissioned by the European Parliament and conducted by Kantar at the end of April 2020. The European Union has been working to contain the spread of the coronavirus, support national health systems, protect and save lives, as well as counter the socio-economic impact of the pandemic at both the national and EU level. Actions culminated in the Commission’s proposal for a Recovery Fund and modified multiannual budget for the EU, providing for an unprecedented level of support to help overcoming the crisis Three out of four respondents across all countries surveyed say they have heard, seen or read about EU measures to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic; a third of respondents (33%) also know what these measures are. At the same time around half (52%) of those who know about EU action in this crisis say they are not satisfied with the measures taken so far. Nearly seven out of ten respondents (69%) want a stronger role for the EU in fighting this crisis. In parallel, almost six out of ten respondents are dissatisfied with the solidarity shown between EU Member States during the pandemic. While 74% of respondents have heard about measures or actions initiated by the EU to respond to the pandemic, only 42% of them are satisfied with these measures so far. Around two-thirds of respondents (69%) agree that “the EU should have more competences to deal with crises such as the Coronavirus pandemic”. Less than a quarter of respondents (22%) disagree with this statement. This strong call for more EU competences and a more robustly coordinated EU response goes hand in hand with the dissatisfaction expressed by a majority of respondents as concerns the solidarity between EU Member States in fighting the Coronavirus pandemic: 57% are unhappy with the current state of solidarity, including 22% who are ‘not at all’ satisfied.