NextGenerationEU: most important policy areas for NGEU plans according to EU citizens

The NextGenerationEU economic recovery plan was decided upon by the institutions and member states of the European Union in order to assist the rebounding of the European economy following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. The recovery plan focuses on six policy areas which the member states are required to invest the funds in. According to a survey by Deloitte, the policy area which the greatest portion of EU citizens want their country to invest in is Education, Training, and Research. Many see this policy area as the key to unlocking long-term growth in the EU, particularly as ageing populations in Europe require the next generation of workers to be more productive in order to maintain growth. Other areas which citizens want to see prioritized include Healthcare and Digitalization & Innovation. Following the pandemic, the topic of the capacity of healthcare systems has come into greater focus in the public discourse, as citizens are demanding greater investment in hospitals, medical training, and preparations for future medical emergencies, like that of the pandemic. Digitalization is a key area for investment, as European firms attempt to keep up with the world leaders in technology, which are mostly in the United States and China.

欧洲联盟的机构与成员国共同制定了《下一代欧洲经济复苏计划》，旨在协助欧洲经济在COVID-19疫情冲击后的恢复。该复苏计划聚焦于六个政策领域，成员国需将资金投入其中。根据德勤公司的一项调查，欧盟公民最希望其国家投资的政策领域为教育、培训和科研。许多人认为这一领域是解锁欧盟长期增长的关键，尤其是随着欧洲人口老龄化，新一代工人需提高生产率以维持经济增长。公民还希望优先考虑的领域包括医疗保健和数字化转型与创新。疫情之后，医疗体系的能力问题在公众讨论中受到更多关注，公民要求加大对医院、医学培训和未来医疗紧急情况（如疫情）准备的投资。数字化转型是关键投资领域，因为欧洲企业试图跟上世界领先的技术，而这些领先者大多位于美国和中国。