9. Juni 21, Bericht in DLF Europa Heute .

ECFR: Crisis of confidence: How Europeans see their place in the world

  • Public faith in EU institutions has declined due to their handling of the covid-19 pandemic and vaccine procurement.
  • This effect is strongest in Germany: disappointment with the EU has now spread from the periphery to the centre.
  • However, the European project is not doomed, as citizens still believe in the need for greater cooperation – particularly in strengthening the EU as a global actor.
  • Europeans see the world as being made up of strategic partnerships, with no automatic alliances.
  • They are sceptical about the restoration of America’s leadership and feel that there can be no return to the West of the cold war era.
  • They acknowledge the centrality of the EU in their future, but their sense of shared vulnerability will not be enough to move the European project forward. The EU should demonstrate its capacity to deliver.