Poll says European Union optimistic about future

IMMIGRATION and terrorism are the two top concerns for the European Un­ion as a bloc, but trust in the EU and op­timism about its future are on the rise, a European Commission poll showed.

The Commission’s twice-a-year Eu­robarometer poll showed 38 per cent of the EU’s 510 million citizens saw immigration as the most important is­sue facing the bloc. Paradoxically, the highest level of concern about the is­sue was registered in countries were immigration is minimal – Estonia, Czech Republic and Hungary.

Concern over terrorism was men­tioned by 29 per cent of Europeans. Again, it was highest in countries that have not had a single terrorist attack in recent years - Lithuania, Cyprus, Ireland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland and Latvia.

The poll also showed a one point in­crease since autumn 2017 in the level of trust towards the EU to 42 per cent and that one percentage point more people, at 45 per cent, felt that their voice counted in the 28-nation bloc.

But still 48 per cent said they tend­ed not to trust the EU, and 49 per cent do not believe their voice is heard.

The poll showed that optimism about the future of the EU, which Britain will leave in March next year, has risen for the third time in a row, reaching 58 per cent – the highest level since spring 2015.

Optimism about the EU’s future prevailed in all of the Union’s coun­tries except Greece and Britain, whe-re pessimists dominated. Also in 25 EU countries, a majority of citizens believe the situation of the EU econo­my is “good”. But in Italy, France and Spain, three of the euro zone’s four biggest economies, a majority belie-ves the situation of the European economy is “bad”, the poll said.

The survey showed that more than eight in 10 respondents supported the free movement of EU citizens with the right to live, work, study and do business anywhere in the EU.

Three-quarters supported a com­mon defence and security policy for the EU and more than seven in 10 a common energy policy and a common EU trade policy. But further enlarge­ment of the EU was supported only by 44 per cent with 46 per cent against.

Support for the single currency, the euro, was unchanged at 74 per cent with the highest enthusiasm in Estonia at 88 per cent, and Ireland and Slovenia both at 84 per cent. Support for the euro in Italy, where a euro-sceptic coalition won elections earlier this year, was 61 per cent.

A majority of 58 per cent of EU citi­zens saw the free movement of peo­ple, goods and services as the biggest achievement of the bloc, closely fol­lowed 54 per cent voting for peace among EU countries. The EU-wide student exchange programme Eras­mus was in third place with 24 per cent, together with the euro currency.