European citizens still support the European Union, despite the coronavirus pandemic. This stems from the latest Eurobarometer survey. An opinion poll conducted by the European Parliament in EU Member States between March and April 2021 indicated an increasing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on citizens' personal lives and financial situation.
According to the survey, 31 percent of respondents said the novel coronavirus had affected their personal income, and another 26 percent expect it to do so in the future. The European Union average is 57 percent, but the results vary from country to country. In Slovakia, the corona crisis has affected the personal income of 40 percent of respondents and another 29 percent expect this still to happen. The consequences of the pandemic were felt or expected by 69 percent of Slovaks. 30 percent hope that the pandemic will have no effect on their finances.
The latest Eurobarometer survey also suggested that when dealing with the pandemic, the EU should focus on ensuring rapid access to safe and effective vaccines for all citizens - 39 percent of Europeans and 38 percent of Slovaks think so. Other priorities include an increased investment in the development of treatments and vaccines, the creation of a European strategy for similar crises in the future and the creation of a common European health policy. For Slovaks, the third priority is the enforcement of stricter controls at the EU's external borders (29 percent). In terms of expectations from the European Parliament, 49 percent of Europeans and 51 percent of Slovaks demand that their elected representatives give priority to public health. This is followed by the fight against poverty and social exclusion, measures to support the economy and create new jobs, as well as measures to combat climate change.
