The elections in June are approaching, and the latest Eurobarometer of the European Parliament before the elections records vigilance among citizens and concern about the current geopolitical context.
The pre-election publication highlights a positive, upward trend in the main electoral indicators.
Results for Cyprus:
- 80% of respondents in Cyprus (81% in the EU) believe that voter turnout is even more important given the geopolitical situation.
- 55% of Cypriot citizens (60% in the EU) are interested in the elections on 9 June, 19 percentage points more than at the same time compared to the May 2019 elections. 60% say they are likely to vote, a figure that has increased by 10 percentage points in the last six months and 16 percentage points compared to 2019.
- 73% of European citizens say that EU actions impact their daily lives. Significantly higher among respondents in Cyprus (84%).
- 85% of respondents in Cyprus (56% in the EU) would like the European Parliament to play a more significant role.
- Combating poverty and social exclusion (33%) and public health (32%) are the main issues concerning voters at the European level.
- In Cyprus, priority is given to immigration and asylum (41%), supporting the economy and creating new jobs (40%), as well as combating poverty and social exclusion, at the same percentage as public health (38%).
Today’s pre-election publication reveals a positive, upward trend in the main electoral indicators, with just a few weeks remaining until citizens go to the polls on 9 June. Interest in the elections, awareness of when they will be held, and the likelihood of participation have all increased compared to the previous measurement in the autumn of 2023. The increases are even more impressive compared to the spring 2019 survey, i.e., three months before the previous European elections.
Now, 60% of Europeans express interest in voting this June – a percentage increased by 3 percentage points compared to autumn 2023 and by 11 compared to February/March 2019. 71% say they are likely to vote, rating the possibility between 7 to 10 (on a scale from 1 very unlikely – 10 very likely), a measure that has increased by three percentage points over the last six months and 10 percentage points compared to 2019. The findings suggest that EU citizens are well aware of the importance of the elections in the current geopolitical context, with eight out of ten (81%) respondents agreeing that this makes voting even more significant. Large majorities in all member states agree with this statement.
In Cyprus, a similar alertness for the elections has been recorded: 55% are interested in the process, and 60% are likely to vote. 80% of Cypriot citizens seem to recognise the high importance of participation in the upcoming European elections due to the current geopolitical situation.
Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, commenting on the survey results, stated: “Europeans know that the stakes at the polls are high, and that the existing geopolitical context makes voting even more important. I call on our citizens to vote in the upcoming European elections, to strengthen European democracy and shape the future of Europe.”
As the current parliamentary term comes to an end, 81% of EU citizens (85% in Cyprus) have a positive or neutral view of the European Parliament, while only 18% express a negative one. Moreover, a majority in the EU (56%) would like the EP to play a more significant role, while only 28% would prefer the opposite, and 10% to maintain its current role.
In Cyprus, there is a significant differentiation in this category, with 85% stating they would like a stronger role for the Parliament.
President Metsola added: “The Parliament and the European Union in recent years have achieved unprecedented work. We faced exceptional and challenging conditions but became even stronger and more united through them. The Parliament has been and will continue to be the voice and defender of the citizens in the EU.”
European citizens would like to see the fight against poverty and social exclusion (33%), support for public health (32%), and support for the economy and job creation, as well as defence and EU security, equally prioritised (31%).
The importance citizens attribute to defence and EU security has increased during the current parliamentary term, mainly due to Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine. It is now reported as the top pre-election priority in nine countries, with the highest results in Denmark (56%), Finland (55%), and Lithuania (53%).
In Cyprus, the top priority is migration and asylum (41%), followed closely by support for the economy and job creation (40%), and public health, which is tied with combating poverty and social exclusion (38%).
Looking to the future, EU citizens rank defence and security (37%) as their top priorities for strengthening the EU’s position on the global stage, followed by energy issues on one hand and food security and agriculture on the other (both categories at 30%).
In Cyprus, defence and security are prioritised (39%), followed by food security and agriculture (32%), education and research (28%), and demographic issues, migration, and population ageing in fourth place (27%).
Although four in ten citizens say the EU’s role has become more significant in recent years, 35% believe it has remained stable, and 22% think it has weakened. At the national level, majorities in 15 countries believe the EU’s role in the world has strengthened over the years, with rates reaching 67% in Sweden, 63% in Portugal, and 60% in Denmark.
On the other end of the spectrum, Slovenian and Czech citizens are more likely to say the EU’s role has become less important (32% and 30%, respectively).
In Cyprus, 33% believe the EU’s role in the world has become more significant, while 40% perceive it as stable over the years, and 24% believe it has weakened.
Almost three-quarters of Europeans (73%, up 3 percentage points compared to autumn 2023) claim that EU actions impact their daily lives, including a fifth (20%) who say it has a very high impact. Additionally, the vast majority of Europeans agree that their country benefits overall from EU membership (71%). These results remain stable compared to autumn 2023 and remain high throughout the EU.
For Cyprus, 84% of citizens believe that EU actions have an impact on their daily lives, while 68% of respondents in Cyprus support the view that the country has benefited overall from EU membership. You can see the full results by clicking here.
