Economic issues, migration, and international conflicts were the foremost concerns for voters in the recent European Union election, according to data from the bloc’s largest member states revealed on Monday.
Provisional results from the European Parliament election on Sunday indicated a surge in support for nationalist and eurosceptic parties, which focused their campaigns on restricting migration, addressing economic challenges, and opposing green policies.
A survey highlighted that economic improvement and inflation reduction were the top priorities for voters. International conflicts and wars were the second most significant concern, followed by immigration and asylum issues. This poll included 6,000 citizens from the EU’s five most populous countries—Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland—along with Sweden.
Conducted on June 6th, the survey revealed that climate change ranked fifth in terms of voter influence, just behind the issue of reducing inequality. The Green parties were notably among the biggest losers in the election, with initial results showing a loss of 18 seats, reducing their representation to 53 lawmakers.
Interestingly, climate change was a higher priority in Sweden and Spain, with the latter experiencing severe droughts exacerbated by climate change. In France, Italy, and Poland, economic concerns were the primary influence on voting decisions, with immigration being the second most critical issue in France, and war occupying the second spot in Italy and Spain. German voters ranked immigration and asylum seekers as their top concern, followed by wars and economic issues.
SKJ