(17 December 2014) – The Autumn 2014 Standard Eurobarometer published today is the first EU-wide opinion poll conducted since the Juncker Commission took office on 1 November 2014. The new results show an improvement in key political indicators.
The number of Europeans who say they have a positive image of the EU has risen from 35% last June to 39% in November. 37% have a neutral image and 22% a negative image (down from 25% in June).
Moreover, the number of Europeans who say they trust the European Union has also risen to 37% (up 6 percentage points since the previous survey immediately after the European Parliament elections). The average level of trust in national governments has also risen slightly to 29% (+2 points).
On the economy, the expectations of Europeans remain rather stable, with more than one in five of them (22%, -1 point) being optimistic about the next twelve months while 45% expect the situation to remain the same. The positive stance on the euro is stable (56% in the EU, 67% in the euro area). Support for the single currency has risen in 18 Member States, most strikingly in Lithuania (63%, +13) which will join the euro zone on 1 January 2015 and Latvia (74%, +6).
In terms of citizens’ main concerns, immigration continues to rise in the ranking of the most frequently cited issues at national and EU levels. With 24% (+3 points) it is now the fourth most frequently cited item at EU level and with 18% (+3 points) the third most frequently cited item at national level. In Malta, the UK and Germany citizens even cite it as number one concern.
Finally, citizens remain optimistic about the future of the EU. 56% (no change) of Europeans say they are optimistic while 37% (-1) say they are pessimistic.