77% of Europeans insist on linking EU funds to respect for rule of law

In a new study commissioned by the European Parliament and carried out in early October 2020, almost eight out of ten participants (77 percent) in the EU support the idea that the EU should transfer funds to its Member States if a national government implements the rule of law and democracy. In 26 EU Member States, at least seven in ten people surveyed agree with this statement.

In turn, 54 percent of Europeans believe that the EU should have more financial resources to be able to overcome the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. In 20 EU Member States, the majority of the survey participants agree with this claim, in 14 EU Member States an absolute majority of participants support a larger EU budget.

When asked about the policy areas where the enlarged EU budget should be spent, more than half of the participants (54 percent) said that public health should be a priority, followed by economic recovery and new business opportunities (42 percent), climate change and environmental protection (37 percent) and employment and social affairs (35 percent).

Public health tops the list of priority spending for respondents in 18 countries. Estonia, Latvia and the Czech Republic put economic recovery first, while in Austria, Denmark and Germany, citizens have spoken most in favor of combating climate change. In Croatia, Slovakia and Finland, the survey participants identified employment and social affairs as the most important.

Most citizens fear the direct impact of the situation on their personal finances. However, citizens still believe that the EU is helping to resolve this crisis.

(WBJ)