By: Tobias Spöri, Neele Eilers
The 2024 European Parliament elections reflect the ongoing trend of far-right parties gaining ground across Europe. While the anticipated rightward shift did take place, it was less pronounced than feared. The frequently used phrase “the centre holds” proved accurate. Nevertheless, the election results should not distract from the urgent need to address the widespread societal pessimism and dissatisfaction with both national and EU governance – issues that continue to fuel the support of radical or extreme parties throughout Europe. Against this background, the authors of this Policy Brief examine public opinion data collected in eight EU member states. They provide a nuanced perspective on the prevailing political attitudes and concerns of European citizens and offer policy recommendations.

A Europe that lives up to its expectations is the only liveable Europe. And only a liveable Europe enables a European identity among young generations and offers them new hope. This is the Europe we want!

By: Olena Pokotilo
The attractiveness of the European Union is based on its economic and social model as well as on its manifold national cultural heritage. Throughout the post-Cold War period, the EU has not actively promoted pan-European myths and struggles today with creating a cohesive and credible common narrative. In this context, the author of this Policy Brief argues that to maintain its unity amidst global instability and evolving political landscapes, the EU must develop new, meaningful myths. She discusses the characteristics of the myth-design of the Union and offers policy recommendations.

76 % of Austrians are in favor of EU-membership | 17 % want to leave the EU

By: Sylvia Kritzinger, Katharina Pfaff
With the election to the European Parliament citizens’ attitudes towards both the EP elections and the European integration are back in the focus of political and societal stakeholders. Questions like their interest in the election to the European Parliament, their likelihood to vote, their stance on European unification, and policy measures they consider important for the future of the EU are in the centre of interest. In this context, the authors of this Policy Brief analysed the Austrian citizens’ attitudes towards the EP elections and their views on the future of the EU in light of the upcoming EP election. They provide valuable insights for political and societal stakeholders ahead of the election and offer policy recommendations.

By: Dietmar Pichler
Election times are always accompanied by an increased amount of disinformation from both domestic and foreign actors. In particular, international actors see them as a prime opportunity to sway public opinion and potentially affect election outcomes. This applies to both the elections to the European Parliament as well as the parliamentary elections of individual member states. In this context, the author of this Policy Brief analyses the present threats posed by disinformation and foreign interference within the EU, outlines strategies to address these challenges, and offers policy recommendations for the EU and EU member states.

A new report - published by the European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN) and the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) aims to provide insights on how the European Parliament elections are being perceived from 12 different EU Member States.

Over the last 18 months, the "Raising Awareness on Disinformation: Achieving Resilience (RADAR)" project has been harnessing citizens’ thoughts on disinformation, providing expert insights into protection against disinformation, and fomenting interaction and consultation between both. We especially wanted to focus on building up citizens' agency through training and empowerment, with a focus on encouraging young Europeans to contribute and boost their engagement with and understanding of critical thinking and media literacy. In the lead-up to the 2024 European elections, nothing can be more important that countering the noxious effects of disinformation.

Protesting farmers and haggling politicians in European institutions bring to light the central role that subnational territories—mostly rural regions—play in the bloc’s climate transition agenda. Policymakers, including diplomats, should develop place-based awareness and rural intelligence, in order to anticipate, manage, and mitigate place-specific climate risks and socioeconomic conflicts.