A new survey shows that Europeans are strongly in favour of a stronger European Union with a more ambitious leadership that can tackle the bloc’s main threats.
The result of the latest Eurobarometer poll, the official survey arm of the EU, is even more surprising, as it was conducted in November 2025, well before US Donald Trump adopted an aggressive stance on Greenland and threatened the EU with sanctions. The survey, in any case, was generic and did not mention the US or NATO at all.
According to the poll, 69% of the surveyed citizens are in favour of the EU playing a stronger role in global crises. In comparison, 87% want more diplomatic aggressiveness on peace and climate, and 90% call for a more unified EU on key issues. The issues that worry EU citizens most are conflicts close to their borders, climate change and related natural disasters, and cyber warfare.
Defence was also highlighted as a key area for the EU to focus on, with a strong concern about its reliance on foreign imports to support the defence industry. Respondents also mentioned Russian hybrid attacks, disinformation, AI misuse, and foreign interference in elections as other major worries. Most were optimistic about the EU as a bloc rather than the state of their own nations.
The answers came from a poll of 2,600 EU citizens, with a 2% margin of error. Despite the small sample size, the answers given support Ursula von der Leyen‘s policy agenda. Her second stint as President of the Commission saw her set an ambitious agenda aimed at solidifying the EU and protecting its trade and defence sectors.
