European Public Doubts Attainability of United Continent Despite Continued Desire, ECFR Study Finds
A new study titled 'Future Nostalgia: Europe's Unfinished Song,' published by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in collaboration with the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), reveals a significant 'imagination gap' among Europeans. While a majority still desire a stronger, more united continent, they largely doubt its achievement. The research, based on nearly 6,000 interviews across six countries, indicates that the public has not abandoned the European project but has lost confidence in its ability to deliver. According to ECFR senior fellow Pawel Zerka, the study's lead author, this sentiment should not be misconstrued as rising euroscepticism. Instead, the attachment to the European project remains strong, but the core issue is one of credibility rather than commitment. Many respondents expressed that they can envision the Europe they desire but struggle to see a credible path from the current state to that desired future. The study highlights that 68% of respondents perceive Europe's cur...
