Spain is among the countries most favorable to strengthening the common european defense: he 77,3% of the population supports the creation of a european armyalthough at the same time he refuses to recover the mandatory military or civil servicewhich makes the country the only one of those analyzed where this option does not achieve majority support.
This is reflected in a survey carried out by Politico Europe and the consultant asked Bartlettbased on 6,698 interviews made in six European countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland and Belgium. The study draws a snapshot of the priorities and fears of European citizens at a time of strong international tension.
The data also show very broad support that the European Union strengthen its autonomy in military matters, giving support to the mission of the European Commissioner for Defense, Andrius Kubilius, to get Member States to spend more on rearmament. In all the countries analyzed, the 86,3% supports Europe developing its own defense capacitywhile the 69,5% is in favor of having a European military force. In Spain, this support goes one step further.
A continent on alert
The survey also paints a scenario of growing political unrest. Only the 21% of Europeans believe that the UE is going in the right direction, a fact that reflects the underlying unrest in several of the great open debates on the continent.
Among the main concerns are the war in the Middle East and its consequences, along with the policies of the president of the United States, Donald Trump. In this context, Spain leads the feeling of rupture with the US as an ally: 67.4% of Spaniards consider now USA a competitor or a threat, compared to the 59,9% of the European attaché.
Added to this geopolitical tension is concern about the economic impact of international conflicts. He 81% of Europeans fears that the crisis with Iran ends up making energy more expensive, a concern that in Spain climb up to the 89,7%.
Energy and strategic autonomy
The idea of a Europe more self-sufficient It clearly gains strength, especially among the Spanish. He 94,1% defends moving towards greater European autonomywhile the 96,7% endorses producing more own energy even if that means paying more.
This support places Spain among the most forceful countries when it comes to demanding an energy strategy that is less dependent on the outside world. The survey suggests that security of supply and the price of electricity have become a decisive combination in public opinion.
Cars, housing, AI
The study also goes into other key issues for day-to-day life. About the prohibition of selling gasoline and diesel cars in 2035he 58.3% of Europeans appears against. Even so, the 65,2% does support increasing investment in public transport. In Spain, the 59,4% rejects the veto and 68,1% supports reinforcing that type of investment.
The dwelling It appears as one of the great social challenges, especially in the Spanish case. In the EU as a whole, the 49,7% prioritize pushing more public and social housingbut in Spain That percentage shoots up to 66,9%the highest in the entire report.
The artificial intelligence closes the list of great debates with a divided society in Europe. In the community as a whole, the 50,1% sees more benefits than risks, compared to 49,9% who thinks the opposite. SpainHowever, it once again stands out as the most optimistic country: 62,7% believe that the artificial intelligence (AI) will bring more advantages. Despite this, trust in companies remains limited, since only the 43,2% trust the European technology to manage your data.
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