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Eurobarometer: 64% of Romanians think EU should have additional funds to surpass pandemic consequences
64% of Romanians consider EU should have more funds to surpass Covid 19 pandemic consequences, with 8% over the EU average and 77% of Romanians (68% at EU level) think EU should have more competences to manage such crises, according to the Eurobarometer released by the European Parliament on Tuesday.
According to the survey made over June 11-29, 2020, on a sample of 1050 respondents in Romania and 24,798 in EU 27, 29% of Romanians agree that EU should have more competences to surpass crises such as the coronavirus pandemic and 48% tend to agree. With 77% of affirmative answers, Romania ranks 9th in EU from this point of view, after Portugal and Luxembourg (87% in both), Cyprus (85%), Malta (84%), Estonia (81%), Ireland (79%), Italy and Greece (78% in both).
The Eurobarometer also shows that 64% of Romanians think EU should have more financial means to surpass pandemic consequences, against 56% the EU average. At this chapter, the first places are held b Greece (79%), Cyprus (74%), Spain and Portugal (both with 71%).
Asked what this EU budget should be spent on, most Romanians answered public health (63%), economic relaunch and new business opportunities (43%), education, instruction and culture (42%), professional occupation and social businesses (36%), agriculture and rural development (32%). On the other hand, fewer Romanians think European money should go to matters connected to immigration(3%), digital infrastructure (8%) or defense and security (13%).
European citizens also placed public health first. 55% of respondents consider it is the most important field in which expenses should be made, ranking first in 17 EU countries. The next domains are economic recovery and new business opportunities (45%), jobs and social matters (37%) and fighting climate changes (36%).
In Italy (58%), Slovenia (55%) and Lithuania (54%), financing economic recovery ranks first. Citizens from Austria (48%) and Denmark (45%) consider that the main EU priority must be the fight against climate changes, while for Slovakia (63%), Croatia (58%) and Finland (46%), jobs and social matters are priorities.
Asked whether they had heard, seen or heard materials about measures adopted by EU to answer the Coronavirus pandemic, 44% of Romanians said yes, against 36% the EU average. Also 42% of Romanians said they heard about those measures but they did not know what they were (40% EU 27).
Asked how satisfied they were by measures adopted by EU until now against the Coronavirus pandemic, 9% of Romanians said they were very satisfied and 50% were satisfied enough, against 7% and 43% at EU level.
According to the new barometer, 9% of Romanians said they were very satisfied by the degree of solidarity of EU states in fighting the pandemic, while 39% said they were satisfied enough. The satisfaction level from this point of view is lower for the EU level, with 5% very satisfied and 34% satisfied enough.
Although over half of respondents in EU (5#%) are not satisfied by the solidarity shown among member states during the pandemic, 39% of EU citizens declare they are satisfied. The percentage has grown by 5% since April 2020. The highest increase was recorded in Portugal and Spain (both with +9%), Germany, Greece, Romania and Slovakia (with +7% each).
Asked what difficulties they faced since the beginning of the pandemic, most Romanians answered they had to use their personal savings more rapidly than they had planned (32%), that they had difficulties in paying rent , bills or bank credits (23%), that they faced unemployment or partial unemployment (22%) or they lost some income (22%). Only 3% of Romanians said they were faced with bankruptcy, the same level as in EU 27.
At EU level, 57% of respondents declare they had personal financial difficulties. Income loss is the first difficulty mentioned (28%), being a vital matter in 21 member states. The highest figures were recorded in Hungary and Spain (both 43%), Bulgaria and Greece (both 41%) and in Italy (37%).
The respondents' feelings during the crisis changed significantly and EP press release shows. Citizens of 15 EU member states chose the word “hope” (41%) to describe their present emotional state. That feeling becomes almost as spread as that of “insecurity”, mentioned by 45% of respondents – a 5% drop compared to April (50%).
All negative feelings were reduced : fear (17%, -5), frustration (23%, -4), helplessness (21%,-8), while feelings of confidence grew by 3% to 24% and help by 2% to 16% , the EU average.