A new opinion poll by the European Parliament shows Belgians are more pessimistic about the future of the world than the EU average, with 65% expressing pessimism – compared to 52% across the bloc.
The survey reveals that a majority of EU citizens are worried about safety and security issues, including ongoing conflicts (72%), terrorism (67%), climate-related natural disasters (66%), cyberattacks (66%), and uncontrolled migration (65%).
Nearly nine in ten respondents believe EU Member States should show greater unity to tackle global threats. Among them, 86% want the EU to take a stronger stance, and 73% support allocating more European resources to address these challenges.
European citizens think the EU should prioritise defence and security (40%), competitiveness, economy and industry (32%), and energy independence (29%). Belgians, however, also stress the importance of education and research (28%).
Socio-economic concerns are prominent among respondents, with French (45%), Belgian (40%), and Slovak (40%) citizens most expecting a decline in their standard of living.
The EU’s overall image remains mixed, with 49% of respondents holding a favourable view (-3 points), while only 17% have a negative opinion. In Belgium, these figures are 46% (-4 points) and 22% (+3 points), respectively.
The survey was conducted by the research agency Verian between 6 and 30 November 2025 through 26,453 interviews across the EU’s 27 Member States. The results were weighted according to each country’s population size.
