European Union citizens remain steadfast in confirming the EU’s support to Ukraine after the Russian invasion of the country, with 74% approving of this support, according to the European Parliament’s Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer survey.
This support varies between member states, with Cyprus ranking fourth from the end of the list (53%). The last place is shared by Greece and Bulgaria (48%).
The highest support levels have been recorded in Sweden (97%), Finland (95%), the Netherlands (93%), Portugal (92%), and Denmark (92%).
Citizen support for concrete measures taken by the EU – such as sanctions against the Russian government or financial, military or humanitarian support to Ukraine – continues to be equally high at 73%. Cyprus is third from last with 48% while Greece is the last country, with 46%.
Asked which values the European Parliament should defend as a matter of priority, democracy (36%) is mentioned most frequently, followed by the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (29%) and freedom of speech and thought (28%).
Most respondents in Cyprus said that the European Parliament should focus on human rights (44%).
The survey also shows that the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine is felt clearly by European citizens. Because of the war and its consequences, close to two thirds of EU citizens believe that their life will change (65%), which is an increase of 4 percentage points compared to April/May 2022.
At the same time, citizens see the real value of being part of the European Union, with 72% of Europeans saying that their country has benefited from being a member of the EU. The corresponding percentage in Cyprus is close to the EU average, at 68%.
The European Parliament’s Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer was carried out by Kantar between 12 October and 7 November in all 27 EU member states.
Source: Cyprus News Agency