Roberta METSOLA, EP President, comments the special Eurobarometer survey conducted for the European Parliament in the 27 EU member states between November and December 2021. Survey requested by the European Parliament and carried out by Kantar Public Affairs out in the 27 Member States on 2 Nov.- 3 Dec. 2021. 26,510 interviews with EU citizens, 15 years and over were conducted.

Brussels

statement

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

Eurobarometer (T)

Parlemeter 2020-2021 - Presentation of the Eurobarometer Wave 96.2 - Defending Democracy and Empowering Citizens: Statements by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Citizens&acute; support for the European Union and the European Parliament has increased in the course of the pandemic, and this is because the European Union has been dealing effectively with it. People saw that it was only by common action that we were able to address our common problems. Good examples of these actions are the joint procurement of vaccines and the setting up of the recovery plan to provide support to people and our economies. People also realise what the EU brings when it is not there, like the freedom of movement. I believe citizens see the European Union and the European Parliament that work in their interest, for them. The European Parliament and its members continue to work and relay citizens' concerns throughout the pandemic. Of course, there is still uncertainty ahead for all of us, but it is reassuring to know that more than seven in 10 think that their country has benefited from being part of the EU. More than six in 10 EU citizens are optimistic about the future of the European Union. I want them to be able to look at the European Parliament and to recapture a sense of belief and enthusiasm for our European project

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, There is a clear connexion between how much citizens know about how the European Union works and their support for the European Union. The more citizens know about the work of the European Parliament, the more likely they are to have a positive image of Parliament. The higher their knowledge, the more they support a stronger role for this house. Six out of 10 respondents want to see a stronger role for Parliament in the future, and this reflects the work we have been doing over the past years. And of course, it is also a challenge that we will live up to in the coming years. The European Parliament is the heart of European democracy and the voice of the citizens. We want to hear and listen to the citizens themselves, especially young people say that they want to become involved, they want to participate, have their say and play a role. Now we know that if people are to look to Europe with confidence, we must burst through the Strasbourg and Brussels bubbles to bring Europe to people in different towns and villages across Europe, and with my fellow members of the European Parliament, we will make this happen.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We must not take our democracy for granted. Nationalism or authoritarianism, protectionism and isolationism fuelled by disinformation and misinformation arising. These are a false illusion, offering no solutions. Europe is about all of us standing up for one another, bringing people closer together. It is about all of us defending our common European values. I hear all the citizens who want us to defend democracy, to stand up for human rights and to protect free speech, and the European Parliament will do exactly that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We need to overcome the pandemic. Decisive EU action enabled quick vaccine roll out in Europe. But we need to continue to make sure that vaccines are also available globally. We have to give new perspectives to people who have lost their jobs or have lost their businesses. We have to give hope to the young people who have lost too much time without school education or simply having the joy of being young and being out with their friends. Our priority in the European Parliament is to make the recovery plan a success so that people and economic sectors affected by COVID 19 will be able to bounce back. We cannot accept poverty on our continent. The economic relaunch has to be in the centre of our political agenda, but maybe most importantly, we have to take care of our planet and this means taking care of our future. Fighting climate change with efficient and effective means is what the European Parliament wants.