Defense and security are on citizens' minds before the EU Parliament elections, a survey finds

BRUSSELS — Russia's invasion of Ukraine is at the forefront of European Union citizens' minds, with defense and security seen as key campaign issues ahead of the June elections, according to a study published Wednesday.

At national level, the EU's defense and security is mentioned first in nine countries, in contrast with sentiments five years ago when the last EU Parliament elections were held.

“The EU’s defense and security was far from a prominent topic in 2019, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,” the latest edition of the EU Parliament’s Eurobarometer said.

The report, a collection of opinion surveys across the 27 EU nations, showed that defense and security — alongside the economy and jobs — now come in third place (31%) behind poverty and social exclusion (33%) and public health (32%).

Climate change and the future of Europe follow closely.

The Eurobarometer also noted that EU citizens put defense and security as first priorities in reinforcing the EU’s global position, ahead of food security and agriculture.

Looking at the next legislative mandate, peace and democracy are considered the main values to defend in the coming years, ahead of the protection of human rights, freedom of speech and thought and the rule of law.

Peace is the most valued goal in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. In the Baltic states, Russia’s belligerence toward Ukraine has led some to worry that they could be the next target, while Finland's relationship with Russia has significantly deteriorated due to the Nordic country’s membership in NATO and over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions.

The report also highlighted a surge of interest in the June 6-9 elections.

Some 60% of Europeans said they are interested in the next European elections, an 11-point increase since 2019, and 71% said they are likely to cast a ballot.

The majority of respondents said voting is even more important considering the global situation.

The survey was carried out between Feb. 7 and March 3 in all 27 EU countries. In total, 26,411 interviews were made.