2019 - Survey - Closer to the Citizens, Closer to the Ballot

Parliament’s Spring 2019 Eurobarometer, conducted three months ahead of the European elections, shows continued strong support for the European Union. Despite the challenges of the past years - and in cases such as the ongoing debate surrounding Brexit possibly even because of it, the European sense of togetherness does not seem to have weakened. 68% of respondents across the EU27 believe that their countries have benefited from being part of the EU. In the framework of a stable and settled backing of the European project, contrasted with a continuing feeling of things going in the wrong direction, the European elections clearly become a crucial opportunity for citizens across the EU to decide on the European Union they want to live in. At the same time, the ballot faces the challenge of a more than ever scattered public opinion and a still quite elevate level of undecidedness among potential voters. Throughout a series of election related questions, the study not only shows that Europeans have started pencilling the date of the ballot in their calendar, they also are feeling more strongly that their voice can indeed have an impact on the future of the EU. Against this setting, the active participation in the next European elections is not a won battle yet. A third of the population is swinging between uncertainty and moderately likelihood to vote in a moving context of priorities. Today, the economic situation and employment prospects are again at the forefront of Europeans’ mind while migration issues are not as pressing as six months ago - and climate change and environmental protection are steadily rising through the ranks of priority issues for these elections. The main reason cited to vote in the European elections for 44% of Europeans is because ‘it is their duty’ as a citizen. Apart from this reason, there are five others cited by more than one fifth of respondents which all have to do with participation in democratic life: respondents would vote because they usually vote in political elections and because they feel they are citizens of the European Union. Equally important voting drivers are that respondents feel they can change things by voting in the European Parliament elections and because they want to support the European Union or a political party.2019年春季欧洲晴雨表（Eurobarometer）调研于欧洲议会选举三个月前开展，结果显示民众对欧盟的支持度持续走高。尽管过往数年欧盟面临诸多挑战，在英国脱欧（Brexit）相关持续辩论这类情境中，欧盟的共同体意识甚至可能因相关议题而未出现削弱。欧盟27国（EU27）共有68%的受访者认为，本国从欧盟成员国身份中获益良多。 在民众对欧盟事业保持稳定且坚定支持的大背景下，与持续存在的“事态发展方向有误”的观感形成鲜明对比，欧洲议会选举无疑成为欧盟全体公民抉择其所期望的未来欧盟形态的关键契机。 与此同时，本次选举投票面临着舆论分化较以往更为严重，以及潜在选民中仍有相当比例尚未做出投票决定的挑战。 在一系列与选举相关的调研问题中，该项调研不仅显示欧洲民众已开始在日历上标注选举投票日期，同时也愈发强烈地感受到，自身的声音确实能够对欧盟的未来产生影响。 在此背景下，推动民众积极参与下一届欧洲议会选举仍非稳操胜券之事。在优先级议题持续变动的背景下，三分之一的欧盟民众仍在“不确定是否投票”与“有一定投票意愿”之间摇摆不定。 当前，经济形势与就业前景再次成为欧洲民众最为关注的议题；移民问题则较六个月前不再那么紧迫，而气候变化与环境保护则在本次选举的优先级议题榜单中稳步攀升。 44%的欧洲民众将“作为公民履行自身职责”列为参与欧洲议会选举的首要动因。除此之外，另有五项动因获得了超过五分之一受访者的认可，且均与参与民主生活相关：受访者表示，他们通常会参与各类政治选举投票，且认为自己兼具欧盟公民身份。同样关键的投票动因还包括，受访者认为通过参与欧洲议会选举能够切实推动事态变革，以及希望支持欧盟或某一政治党派。