Migration tops EU citizens' concerns

Migration remains the top concern across the European Union, according to an EU public opinion poll, although the importance of climate change is growing.

Thirty-four percent of respondents in the new Eurobarometer survey view immigration as the most pressing problem, down six percentage points from last year. However, the issue topped the list of issues in 21 member states, with Malta, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovenia and the Netherlands having the highest proportion of respondents ranking it most problematic.

For the first time, climate change jumped to the second most important concern, with 22% of respondents mentioning it, according to the biannual poll conducted by the European Commission.

Denmark was the country most consumed with climate change, followed by its northern neighbors Sweden and Finland.

The economy, member states' public finances and terrorism tied for third at 18% in the survey, followed by the environment at 13%.

Trust in EU

Trust in EU institutions reached its highest level since 2014 and is higher than in member states' individual parliaments and governments. Forty-four percent of respondents said they trust the EU, compared to 34% who said they trust their national parliament or government.

Similarly, 45% of respondents view the EU as positive, while 61% are optimistic about the future of the bloc and 55% are satisfied with the way democracy works in Brussels.

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