Eurobarometer: Rising cost of living and poverty the biggest concern of Greeks

The growing cost life is the biggest concern for 100% of Greeks, compared to 93% of citizens in the EU, according to the survey Eurobarometer which was released today.

Across all EU member states, more than seven in ten respondents are worried about the rising cost of living, with the worst results seen in Greece (100), Cyprus (99), Italy and Portugal (98 % for both countries).

Rising prices, including for energy and food, are felt across all social and demographic categories, regardless of gender or age or educational and socio-professional profile.

The second biggest concern of European citizens with 82% is its threat poverty and his social exclusiona percentage which in Greece amounts to 97%.

At the EU level, the third consecutive concern is climate change and the spread of war to Ukraine to other countries (81%).

THE immigrationhowever, is of particular concern to them Greeks citizens and is the third most common concern at 86%, followed by climate change at 84% and the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries (78%).

Moreover, according to the Eurobarometer, recent crises have strengthened citizens’ support for the EU: At the European level, 72% consider that EU membership has benefited their country and 62% see the EU positively (65% and 43% respectively in Greece).

Citizens expect the EU to continue working to find solutions to mitigate the multiplying effects of the chain crises that have hit the continent. The high support for the EU stems from the experience of recent years, in which the EU has demonstrated a remarkable ability to act together and take effective action. For now, Europeans are not satisfied with the measures taken at national and European level, as only one in three respondents view initiatives to tackle the rising cost of living positively. The results are more negative in Greece, where only one in five respondents answered positively.

Regarding the economic situation of the citizens, the research shows that the effects of the successive crises are becoming more and more felt. Almost half of the EU population (46%), compared to 66% in Greece, say that their standard of living has already decreased due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the rising cost of living. Also, 39% of respondents in the EU, compared to 29% in Greece, say they have not yet seen their standard of living fall, but expect it to in the next year, creating a rather bleak outlook for 2023.

Another telling indicator of growing financial hardship is the increase in the proportion of citizens who struggle to pay their bills “most of the time” or “some of the time”, which has seen a nine-point increase from 30% to 39% across the EU since the autumn of 2021. In Greece there was an increase of 14 units, with this percentage reaching 86%.

The multiple geopolitical crises of recent years continue to pose serious challenges for citizens and policymakers. With inflation at its highest level in decades, European citizens want the European Parliament to focus on fighting poverty and social exclusion (37%). Public health remains important to many European citizens (34%), as does continued action against climate change (31%). Supporting the economy and creating new jobs (31%) is also high on the list of European citizens. In Greece, respondents chose the fight against poverty and social exclusion as their first priority (58%), supporting the economy and creating new jobs second (55%) and public health third (44%).

At the same time, recent crises and especially Russia’s war against Ukraine are boosting citizens’ support for the EU: 62% view membership in the EU positively, one of the highest results recorded since 2007. percentage of respondents in Greece is much lower, at 43%. Two-thirds of Europeans (66%) consider their country’s EU membership important, while 72% believe their country has benefited from being a member of the EU. In Greece, 59% rate membership as important of their country in the EU, while 65% consider that their country has benefited from the status of a member state.

In this context, “peace” returns to the minds of citizens as one of the main and fundamental reasons for the establishment of the European Union: 36% of Europeans state that the EU’s contribution to maintaining peace and strengthening security are the main benefits of joining it, an increase of six points from autumn 2021. The percentage is higher in Greece, where it reaches 46%. In addition, Europeans believe that the EU facilitates better cooperation between member states (35%) and contributes to economic growth (30%).

Almost a year and a half before the 2024 European elections, one in two European citizens say they are interested in the process (54%), at the same levels as in the corresponding period before the 2019 European elections (53% in October 2017). In Greece, 56% of citizens express interest, a significantly increased percentage of 14 points. Asked if they would vote if these elections were scheduled for next week, Greeks answer positively, with one of the highest percentages among the 27 (75%), up six points on the EP’s spring Eurobarometer 2022 .The average of European respondents answers positively at 67%.

Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.