Economy, Migration, War Top Voters’ Concerns in EU Election — Survey

Economic issues, migration, and international conflicts were the primary concerns for voters in the recent European Union election, according to data from the bloc’s largest member countries.

Provisional results from Sunday night’s European Parliament election indicated significant gains for nationalist and eurosceptic parties. These parties campaigned on platforms that included stricter migration controls, addressing economic hardships, and opposing green policies.

A survey by polling platform Focaldata, shared with Reuters, found that improving the economy and reducing inflation were the top priorities for voters. The survey, conducted on June 6th as voting began, asked 6,000 citizens from the EU’s five most populous countries — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland — plus Sweden, about their primary voting concerns.

International conflict and war emerged as the second most important issue, followed by immigration and asylum seekers. Climate change ranked fifth, after “reducing inequality” which came in fourth.

Europe’s Green parties were among the biggest losers in the election, with initial results suggesting a loss of 18 seats, bringing their total to 53 EU lawmakers. Despite this, climate change was the third most important issue for voters in Sweden and Spain, both of which have experienced severe droughts exacerbated by climate change.

In France, Italy, and Poland, economic concerns were the main influence on voters’ decisions, with immigration ranking second in France and war as the second concern in Italy and Spain. German respondents prioritized immigration and asylum seekers, followed by war and then economic issues.