An “oasis” in the middle of the international storm. This is how the citizens of the Member States perceive the community project in a global context marked by instability. The most recent data from the European Parliament’s (EP) Eurobarometer, collected between the months of April and May through surveys of more than 26,000 citizens of the continent – including a representative sample of 1,006 interviews in Spanish territory – reveal a notable increase in social support for the Brussels institutions.
The current is positive, after years of rampant Euroscepticism, especially on the back of far-right formations. In Poland or Hungary they have lost power, partly because of their opposition to Brussels; In Italy they have resorted to pragmatism and have put criticism of the “bureaucrats” of the institutions in the drawer and there are vetoes in Slovakia, threats in Germany, but the tendency is to understand that Europe contributes more than subtracts.
And, above all, this is seen in Spain, whose citizens present a more “serene” emotional profile than the European average despite the growing pessimism about the future of the world and where up to 65% of those surveyed declare themselves optimistic about the future of the bloc. A figure that is nine points more than that registered six months ago, in the winter barometer. The term used to define the sentiment of the Spanish people is surprising, when polarization and sectarianism mark the days in domestic politics, but the contrast is part of the landscape: with Europe, we have it clearer than at home.
Mood changes
The demoscopic investigation made public this Wednesday (and which you can read in full at the end of this news) shows a significant change in the mood of the continent. On a planet shaken by geopolitical tensions and economic volatility, the European Union (EU) is consolidated in the collective imagination as a protective shield and a haven of certainty. This trend is especially strong in Spain, where European sentiment has experienced a rebound that places the country notably above the average of its community partners.
Pessimism regarding the evolution of the international order is a constant in the document. 58% of the European population observes the future of the global sphere with concern and negativity. However, this gloomy diagnosis of planetary destiny does not carry with it the assessment of the community bloc; On the contrary, it acts as a catalyst that reinforces the need for internal cohesion. Respondents see the EU as a solid structure capable of counteracting external disorder, without doubt and in a generalized way.
When compared with other powers on the international scene, the quality of the European model of life is greatly strengthened. 62% of the inhabitants of the Union maintain that the conditions of existence within the bloc surpass those of the United States, for example. This gap in perception is even more pronounced when the comparison is made with the Asian giant: 67% of those interviewed assure that the well-being and rights guaranteed on European soil exceed the opportunities offered by China. The bloc is, therefore, established as a reference for socioeconomic well-being in the face of autocratic alternatives or models of deregulated capitalism.
Furthermore, 90% of Europeans believe that the EU should promote respect for international law by all countries, in a question included for the first time in the context of the conflicts in Ukraine (where Russia’s invasion has lasted for more than four years), Iran and Lebanon (countries at war since last February 28, after the joint attack by the US and Israel).
Several soldiers, during the solemn ceremony of the 43rd anniversary of the raising of the European flag, on May 9, 2023, in Madrid.
And Spain, more
The results obtained in our country, for their part, outline a society that faces the current historical cycle with greater temperance and constructive spirit than the rest of the citizens of the continent. While uncertainty is the predominant feeling for 44% of the European population, in Spain this concern affects only 38% of those consulted. The psychological indicators analyzed by the European Chamber experts reflect that Spaniards register higher levels of calmness, optimism and personal satisfaction compared to the eurozone average.
This tranquility is directly transferred to the vision of the community fabric. Seven out of ten Spaniards – specifically 74% of those surveyed – explicitly define the European Union as a “space of tranquility” and stability in the midst of the chaos that defines contemporary world politics. This data shows that membership in the Twenty-Seven club is no longer perceived solely in terms of agricultural subsidies or cohesion funds, but as an existential and geopolitical guarantee. And it represents a tremendous leap: the increase is 14 points in six months in this specific question.
Furthermore, if support for EU membership also sets general records, with 74% of Europeans considering that their country has benefited from being a member of the bloc, the figure rises to 79% in Spain.
The most eloquent indicator of this transformation is the projection of the institutional future. 65% of Spanish citizens declare themselves optimistic about the future of the European Union. This figure represents a qualitative leap of nine percentage points compared to the records obtained in the demoscopic measurement just six months ago. Furthermore, this data places Spain six points above the community average, which is a more moderate 59%.
This increase in outward confidence temporarily coincides with a substantial improvement in the prospects for the Pyrenees and below. The percentage of Spaniards who look forward to the future of their own country with favorable expectations has risen to 42%, also reflecting a progression of nine points compared to the final stretch of last year. Although suspicion regarding the world stage is still present – 54% of residents in Spain predict an adverse international future – this skepticism is four points lower than the general discontent of European partners (58%).
In the strictly private and family sphere, optimism also skyrockets massively: 82% of Spanish families firmly trust in the prosperity of their domestic environment in the short and medium term.
Data on Spain from the European Parliament’s Spring 2026 Eurobarometer.
Protector and sovereign
The strengthening of citizen affection towards the European project in the Twenty-seven does not translate into passive complacency, but rather into an explicit demand for greater strategic autonomy and executive capacity. Respondents advocate an acceleration of integration in critical sectors that traditionally remained under the strict sovereignty of nation states.
Security and common defense emerge as undisputed priorities in a European neighborhood flanked by stable armed conflicts and hybrid threats. The vast majority of Europeans support the strengthening of coordinated military policies and greater self-sufficiency against foreign powers. In this area, the demands also connect with the need to guarantee economic resilience. The electorate also demands stricter regulations that prevent the vulnerability of basic supply chains, ranging from strategic technological components to essential energy resources.
Wars and the uncertainty of the role that the hitherto North American partner can play in case of need, emergency or crisis have led citizens to clearly bet on maximum independence. Alliances are one thing, dependency another.
The social aspect also continues to be a non-negotiable pillar of community legitimacy, which shows that the majority of citizens support the club’s founding values. The Eurobarometer highlights that citizens demand priority attention to public health systems and demand that Brussels supervise the accessibility, sustainability and excellence of health care, in addition to articulating effective policies on mental health, an issue that has gained centrality on the continental political agenda after the successive health and socioeconomic crises of the last decade.
A tank with a flag of the European Union, in an archive image of some maneuvers released by the Eurocorps.
Paradigm shift
Community analysts interpret this set of data as the consolidation of a paradigm shift in the relationship between Western societies and the institutional framework of Brussels. Gone are the years of the financial crisis of the last decade, characterized by intense social contestation towards the recipes for fiscal austerity and a growing disaffection that fueled Eurosceptic discourses.
Today, external threats have reversed that dynamic. The perception of risk – caused by instability on the eastern borders, global trade disputes and the fragility of energy supplies – has transformed the Union in the eyes of its inhabitants. It is no longer seen primarily as an imposing and distant bureaucracy, but as a protective governance structure indispensable for the survival of liberal democracies. The extreme right has lost its critical and myopic vision when it comes to Europe and its institutions, even though a quarter of the current hemicycle is in the hands of this type of formation.
Spain exemplifies this mutation with special clarity. With optimism and serenity that easily surpass the metrics of central and northern Europe, it reaffirms an integrative vocation that transcends partisan situations… and they are tough. Faced with the panorama of global fragmentation, Spanish citizens seem to have found in the institutions of the European Union an anchor of certainty to navigate the challenges.
