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The newest Eurobarometer shows that citizens “have high expectations of the Union and its budget for the period after 2027,” the European Parliament notes.

Over two-thirds of Europeans (68%) want the EU to better protect citizens amid geopolitical instability and security threats. 90% call for greater unity among the Member States, and 77% support increasing EU funds to tackle global challenges.

Poles are somewhat more skeptical than the EU average. In Poland, only 43% of citizens want a stronger EU role, 35% think the role should remain the same, and one in five wants it to be smaller.

However, 86% of Polish respondents support greater unity among EU countries — only slightly below the EU average of 90%. Meanwhile, 80% of Poles believe the EU should have more funds at its disposal, compared with 77% across Europe.

What should the EU prioritize?

Europeans think the EU should play a bigger role mainly in security and defense (37% of respondents), competitiveness, economy, and industry (32%), as well as energy independence and resource management (27%).

“EU citizens want Europe to focus on security and the economy. They look to the Union for stability and expect a strong, united European voice in today’s uncertain world,” commented European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

The countries most convinced about the need for stronger EU action in defense are Lithuania (54%), Denmark (53%), the Netherlands (49%), Finland (49%), and Cyprus (46%).

For education and research, Spain leads (42%), while calls for more EU action in competitiveness, economy, and industry are strongest in the Czech Republic (41%), Bulgaria (40%), Croatia (39%), Greece (38%), and Italy (38%).

Prioritizing values like democracy and human rights is most emphasized by Sweden (40%) and Malta (32%), while food security and agriculture are top priorities for Slovenia (39%), Slovakia (35%), and Romania (34%).

For Poles, the EU’s top priority areas are defense and security (44%), food security and agriculture (31%), and both competitiveness in the economy and industry and energy independence (26% each).

Money and rule of law: broad support

78% of EU citizens think more projects should be funded from the EU budget rather than individual countries. Malta is the strongest supporter (92%), while Romania is the least (60%). Poland ranks in the lower half, with one in four respondents believing the EU does not need to fund more projects.

A clear majority — 91% of EU citizens — also see proper oversight of the EU budget as important. Only 7% consider it less important, and 2% have no opinion.

Moreover, 85% of Europeans believe that financial support to the Member States should depend on adherence to the rule of law and democratic principles. Only 11% disagree, and 4% have no opinion.

Poles among the EU’s Euro-enthusiasts

Nearly three-quarters of EU citizens (72%) believe EU actions affect their daily lives, with half seeing the impact as positive, 31% as neutral, and 18% as negative.

73% of respondents say their country has benefited from EU membership, citing peace and security (37%), better cooperation between countries (36%), and positive effects on economic growth (29%).

In Poland, 77% believe EU actions influence daily life — a 3-point decrease since the start of the year. Most view the impact positively (72%), 23% neutral, and only 5% negative.

Poles are also more optimistic than the EU average, with 85% believing Poland has gained from joining the EU. Benefits cited include new employment opportunities (40%), stronger cooperation with other EU countries (36%), and efforts to maintain peace and security (33%).

“Our priorities and the next long-term EU budget must allow the Union to meet new geopolitical realities. The Parliament has listened to citizens, and now we must show that our words are matched by actions. Let’s invest in what truly matters and act for our citizens,” Metsola urged.

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