Cyprus has the largest percentage (87%) among EU states of respondents agreeing that the actions of Brussels affect their daily lives and are dissatisfied with government or EU measures to contain the high cost of living.
These results of a special Eurobarometer were released a year before the European elections scheduled for 6-9 June 2024.
When asked how interested they are in the next European elections, 49% of Cypriots (56% in the EU) answered positively, and 49% in Cyprus (43% in the EU) answered negatively.
These percentages showed an increase of three percentage points (pp) in Cyprus of those who said they were interested compared to the October-November 2022 Eurobarometer, a decrease of five pp among those who said they were not interested.
At the EU level, there was an increase of 2 pp among those who said they were interested and a corresponding decrease of 2 pp among those who were not.
The survey in Cyprus was conducted between March 3-17 with a sample of 504 people.
Cyprus had the highest percentage of respondents who said the EU’s actions affect their daily life, with 87% (71% in the EU).
It was also the country with the second highest percentage of young people aged 15 – 24 who think EU actions affect their daily life (89% v 70% in the EU).
However, a significant proportion of those who think that EU actions affect their daily life answered in a separate question that they have difficulties paying their bills most of the time (91% in Cyprus, 68% in the EU) or sometimes (93% v 68%).
Meanwhile, Cyprus comes second in the share of respondents who said they were satisfied with their national government’s measures to tackle the cost of living (14% compared to 33% in the EU).
And the lowest percentage of respondents with a positive answer to the same question regarding EU measures (13% compared to 32%).
Regarding the EU’s support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion, 68% of Cypriots said they approved (76% in the EU).
In particular, 19% said they strongly support the EU’s stance (36% in the EU), 49% somewhat support (40% in the EU), 17% somewhat disagree (14% in the EU), and 12% strongly disagree (7% in the EU).
Cypriots appeared most satisfied with the EU in health and consumer protection (62% v 53%) and the European Green Deal (62% v 47%).
These were followed by support for Ukraine (59% v 69% in the EU, where this came first), democratic rights and support for the rule of law (59% v 64%), and the digital agenda (51% v 51%).
When asked whether they are satisfied with the functioning of democracy in their country, 50% of Cypriots said they were satisfied (56% in the EU), an increase of 10 percentage points compared to the previous Eurobarometer.
Citizens in Cyprus were less satisfied with the fight against corruption (20% v 35%), the fight against misinformation (27% v 41%) and the extent to which political parties take into account the interests of citizens like themselves (27% v 43%).
