Europe’s public has become more sober. And more suspicious. That is the central message of a new survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). The ECFR surveyed citizens in 15 European countries. Luxembourg was not among them. Trust in the USA has fallen significantly. At the same time, the respondents do not draw any radical conclusions from this. They want more European independence. But they don’t want to slam the door on Washington.
ECFR researchers Jana Kobzova and Pawel Zerka see this new European sobriety as both an opportunity and a risk. On the one hand, it gives governments political leeway. On the other hand, this leeway must also be used. The change in opinion in Europe requires quick and concrete policies. “The clock is ticking,” write Kobzova and Zerka.
