Europeans have spoken: What does the latest Eurobarometer say?

More Europe needed

When discussing the future prospects of the European Union, skeptical comments are often heard, such as: “It’s a lost cause,” “That’s never going to happen,” or “By the time Serbia joins, the EU will no longer exist.” However, reality shows that this is not the opinion of EU citizens themselves. After the Eurobarometer – the key long-term instrument for measuring public opinion in the EU – published its latest findings based on views collected at the beginning of 2025, the news broke out that EU citizens, more than ever before, believe they benefit from membership. As many as 74% of citizens believe their country benefits from EU membership, while only 22% think otherwise, and 4% are undecided. This figure gains further weight when one considers that such a view does not vary significantly among different socio-economic categories.

For EU institutions, which face crises from all sides – Russia “breathing down their neck” from the East, an unsolvable conflict in the Middle East, and increasing disengagement from the United States in the West – this result is particularly encouraging. This finding becomes even more significant when accounting that this level of support is the highest recorded since the question about the perceived membership benefits was first asked in 1983. To fully grasp the importance of these figures, it’s enough to recall that just 15 years ago, in 2010, support stood at only 50%, whereas 39% held the opposite view and 11% were undecided. Over the years, support has gradually increased by almost 25 percentage points – a remarkable 50% rise relative to the 2010 level.

How can this trend be explained? In the past 15 years, many historical turning points have shaped citizens’ perception of the EU’s importance. It is worth remembering that the EU had to deal with the Arab Spring in 2011, Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the refugee crisis of 2014/15, the rise of ISIS and terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015, Brexit and Donald Trump’s election in 2016, the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020–2021, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the radical escalation of conflict in the Middle East in 2023. Meanwhile, China has become a more serious rival to the EU on both political and economic fronts. Finally, Donald Trump’s return to the White House in 2025 triggered a further wake-up call among EU citizens. All these crises and changes – gradual but relentless – have shaped public awareness that the world is becoming an increasingly unsafe place, while the EU more and more resembles an “isolated island.” That is precisely why two-thirds of respondents (66%) believe that the EU’s future role should be even more significant in protecting them from global crises and security threats.

With changing circumstances, it is not surprising that priorities have also begun to shift. Now, defense and security are seen by citizens as the main areas the EU should focus on to strengthen its global position (36%), followed by competitiveness, economy, and industry (32%), whose importance has also grown. In other words, with increased external pressures, citizens have no choice but to turn to one another and realise that some things they once took for granted – such as peace, stability, and prosperity – do not come by themselves. As a result, as many as 89% believe that greater unity is key to facing global challenges. Although views may, of course, vary from member state to member state, in this case, consensus is strong, with 75% or more of citizens in each member state agreeing on the matter.

And what do they think about the enlargement policy?

The majority of European Union citizens support further enlargement – and that is an undeniable fact. According to the last 2024 Eurobarometer survey, enlargement enjoys solid support: 53% of respondents are in favour of the process. Compared to spring of the same year, this represents an increase of two percentage points. In contrast, 40% of citizens expressed opposition, while 7% remained undecided. This is particularly significant considering earlier fears of a potential return of so-called “enlargement fatigue”, especially in the context of the prolonged war in Ukraine. However, even though the conflict is now in its fourth year, support for enlargement shows no signs of weakening.

Of course, this does not mean that the EU and the Western Balkan countries can afford to “relax.” While it is encouraging that in as many as 80% of member states, a majority of citizens support enlargement, it must not be overlooked that unanimous approval of all member states is required for its successful realisation. During the accession process, each member state holds veto power in the EU Council when it comes to opening clusters and closing negotiating chapters, and the accession treaty will need to be ratified by each national parliament. Currently, majority support for enlargement is lacking in five member states, including skeptical populations of Germany and France. Given the immense importance of these countries, securing broader political and societal consensus will be crucial to the success of enlargement.

To better understand what lies behind this skepticism, it is necessary to look at the bigger picture. The findings show that attitudes toward enlargement are not primarily driven by socio-economic factors such as education level or type of employment. Instead, the key factor is citizens’ overall view of the EU itself. For example, among those with a positive view of the Union, 69% support enlargement (while 26% are against it). Among citizens with a neutral stance, enlargement support stands at 48% (versus 44% who oppose), while among those negatively inclined toward the EU, only 24% support enlargement, and as many as 77% are against it. The findings clearly indicate – the more capable the Union is in responding to its citizens’ needs, the more likely it is that support for enlargement will continue to grow.

Enlargement as a shared responsibility

The views analysed here teach us that enlargement is not a one-sided process but a shared responsibility between candidate countries and member states. The most important thing the Western Balkan countries can do is work intensively on strengthening the rule of law and aligning with the EU’s vision and values. The findings show that the EU’s fundamental values – such as peace, democracy, and human rights – remain the key pillars of identity for the majority of EU citizens. Therefore, it is important to clearly communicate that future enlargements will not threaten these values but can further reinforce them. At the same time, political elites within the member states themselves must become more actively engaged if they genuinely wish to demonstrate that they consider enlargement a strategically important policy. This means not only offering declarative support but also showing readiness to take concrete steps toward reforming the Union itself – to make it institutionally ready to accept new members while preserving its efficiency, cohesion, and public trust. In this sense, the enlargement process must become a two-way street.

Originally published on EUpravozato.