A new study shows that Europeans are increasingly losing faith in democracy, and the authors of the study say that this is truly worrying, writes “Politico.”
A survey conducted by the European Movement shows that only 36% of its participants are strong supporters of democracy, who value the right to vote and recognize the need for strong benchmarks. Meanwhile, 64% of more than 3,500 respondents in the largest European Union countries indicated that they are partly supporters of democracy and would prefer a strong leader.
Democratic values hold their ground in Sweden, where 52% of respondents value democracy. In other countries, less than half of respondents support permanent democracy, and in France and Romania the figure is as low as 30% of participants. In Spain, only one in four respondents supported democracy. The secretary general of the European Movement, Petros Fassoulas, said that this does not mean that European citizens are against democracy;
they are, however, frustrated, disempowered and disillusioned, and these are feelings that pave the way for authoritarianism.
The results coincide with the growing support for populist and far-right parties across Europe. This was clearly visible in the 2024 European elections, when previously popular parties suffered heavy losses, especially in France and Germany.
Nevertheless, the survey also found significant support for cooperation between European countries, including in support of Ukraine and cooperation on defense and the fight against disinformation. Almost half of respondents said they wanted to see European armies working together to counter the growing threat from Russia.
Fassoulas said the data suggests it is time for the political elite in Brussels, Paris, Berlin and elsewhere to wake up and realize that more people want a common European army than previously thought.
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