Eurobarometer winter survey

Romanians are much more concerned with the cost of living than security and defense, the 2025 Eurobarometer winter survey shows.

Ştefan Stoica, 25.03.2025, 13:50

With a major conflict on the country’s eastern border, which is creating major concerns for more distant European states and forcing urgent measures regarding continental security, while America is increasingly less attached to its traditional allies across the Atlantic, Romanians, as always, are full of surprises. According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, only 47% of Romanians would like the European Union to take on a more important role in protecting them from global crises and security risks, 19% less than the European average. Asked about the EU taking on a greater role in protecting them, another 26% of Romanians who took part in the survey said the bloc should play a less important role, compared to the EU average of 10%, and 24% said it should remain the same. Romania is second to last in the EU rankings in this regard, with Poland in last position. At the opposite end is Sweden, where 87% of citizens believe the EU should take on a greater role in their defense, followed by Finland and the Netherlands (with 84% each) and Cyprus (83%). In fact, only 34% of Romanians believe the EU will play a greater role in the world in the coming years, compared to the EU average of 44%.

Asked on which areas the Union should focus in order to strengthen its position in the world, Romanians mentioned food security and agriculture, defense and security, competitiveness, economy and industry. At EU level, defense and security were the most important areas mentioned. On the other hand, Romanians rank last at EU level in terms of an increase in EU-wide solidarity in the current geopolitical context. Asked whether Member States should be more united to face the current global challenges, 75% of Romanians answered yes, with Czechia, Poland and Estonia right next to Romania. At the opposite end are Malta, Denmark, Luxembourg and Cyprus, with over 95%. Among the top priorities the European Parliament should be addressing, Romanians mentioned inflation, price hikes and the cost of living, supporting the economy and creating new jobs and the fight against poverty and social exclusion. EU defense and security ranks 6th in this standing. At EU level, however, EU defense and security is in second place, alongside the fight against poverty and social exclusion. The overall image of the EU is “totally positive” for 51% of Romanians, 16th in the EU, and “totally negative” for 13%, against an EU average of 50% for the first question and 15% for the second. Just as last year, 70% of Romanian interviewees argue that Romania has benefited from EU membership, mainly due to new job opportunities. The survey was conducted over January 9 – February 4 in all 27 member states. (VP)