Greeks focused on economic recovery in Eurobarometer survey
While climate change was listed as the key priority for European lawmakers by most citizens in the bloc in the autumn edition of the Eurobarometer survey published on Tuesday, 46 percent of Greeks coming out of the 10-year recession want to see measures for combatting youth unemployment and 32 percent see the environment as the top issue.
Combatting social exclusion and poverty was the second-highest priority in Greece (with 38 percent against a European average of 31 percent), followed by creating the conditions for growth and investments (27 percent against 18 percent), indicating that Greeks are seeking measures focused on the country’s economic recovery.
Migration is also important to Greeks, with 24 percent of respondents putting safeguarding the EU’s external borders as the fifth most important issue that needs to be addressed by European Parliament, just below investing in high-quality education (25 percent).
Asked what values ought to be among the EU Parliament’s priorities, 61 percent of Greeks and 48 percent of Europeans put safeguarding human rights at the top of the list, though solidarity among EU member states came second in Greece with 58 percent, against fourth place in Europe with 33 percent.
Freedom of speech is also held dear by 41 percent of Greeks and 38 percent of Europeans, with gender equality coming in at the same level in Europe, though significantly lower in Greece, where just 20 percent saw it as a matter of priority.
On environmental issues specifically, the verdict was unanimous: 59 percent of Greeks and 52 percent of Europeans said it must be given priority over other areas such as pollution of the air, sea and waterways.
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