AMMAN — Europeans continue to support the idea of a stronger and more united Europe, but growing doubts about the continent’s ability to deliver are creating a widening gap between the future citizens want and the future they believe is possible, according to a new multi-country study.

 

The report, published Wednesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), found that 68 per cent of respondents described Europe’s current situation as one of “general deterioration or loss of normality.” Just 12 per cent characterised the current moment as one of “awakening and renewal.”

 

The findings are based on 5,834 interviews across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom, alongside qualitative research into political and public debates in 15 European countries.

 

The study, titled Future Nostalgia: Europe’s Unfinished Song, is the fifth edition of the organisations’ annual European Sentiment Compass. For the first time, researchers used AI-moderated interviews to examine not only what Europeans think about the continent, but also how they describe their concerns and hopes in their own words.

 

The research found that war and security are the leading concerns, cited by 43 per cent of respondents, followed by economic pressures at 33 per cent. A further 29 per cent identified Europe’s need for greater international autonomy as its main challenge.

 

Yet 74 per cent said Europe was not dealing well with the challenges it currently faces. More than half, 56 per cent, said Europe’s future was “in danger,” compared with 21 per cent who disagreed.

 

A gap between hopes and expectations

 

The researchers described this as an “imagination gap”: many Europeans can envisage a stronger, more sovereign and more integrated Europe, but struggle to see a credible path from the present to that future.

 

According to the study, Europeans broadly fall into four groups.

 

The “positive,” representing 19 per cent of respondents, believe current disruptions could push Europe toward greater unity and strength. The “negative,” at 39 per cent, see successive crises as evidence that Europe’s best days are behind it.

 

Another 12 per cent are described as “disconnected,” showing relatively little interest in Europe or its relevance to their lives. The remaining 31% are “uncertain”: they recognise the possibility of a better Europe but are not convinced that the promised future will materialise.

 

 

The researchers identify the “uncertain” group as particularly important because, despite their doubts, these respondents remain strongly attached to Europe and are closer in their attitudes to the “positive” group than to those who are openly negative about Europe.

 

Concerns over Europe’s ability to act

 

One of the most frequently cited concerns was the perception that Europe moves too slowly. Around 32 per cent of respondents mentioned European “slowness,” rising to 39 per cent among the “uncertain.”

 

Researchers said concerns about bureaucracy and slow decision-making contribute to doubts about whether Europe can respond effectively to a rapidly changing international environment.

 

Another recurring concern was what the study describes as European hypocrisy or a failure to stand firm when confronted by powerful actors. This was mentioned by 30 per cent of respondents.

 

Europeans still want a stronger Europe

 

Despite widespread concern about Europe’s current direction, the study found that support for a stronger European project remains significant.

 

Around 73 per cent of respondents expressed a strong vision for Europe's future, most commonly calling for greater unity and political integration, peace and security, or greater prosperity and well-being. Only about 13 per cent expressed a preference for “less Europe” or the dissolution of the European Union.

 

The report also found that European policy is becoming increasingly prominent in domestic political debates, with issues such as defence, migration, the cost of living and climate policy increasingly connected to decisions made at the European level.

 

For Pawel Zerka, a senior policy fellow at ECFR and the study’s author, the challenge is therefore less about persuading Europeans to want a stronger Europe than about convincing them that such a future is achievable.

 

“For many of the people we spoke to, the problem is not that they have stopped wanting a stronger Europe, but that they no longer believe it is achievable,” Zerka said. “There is an imagination gap.”

 

He argued that European leaders should focus less on broad promises and more on demonstrating that cooperation can produce tangible results on issues affecting citizens.

 

Andre Wilkens, director of the European Cultural Foundation, said the findings showed that support for a united Europe remained widespread, but that confidence in its ability to deliver had weakened.

 

“Europe can protect borders, create regulations and strengthen security,” Wilkens said. “But unless people can imagine themselves in a common European future, Europe remains an arrangement, not a destiny.”

 

The researchers argued that the continent’s current challenges, including Russian-Ukrainian conflict, deteriorating relations across the Atlantic and growing competition from China, could also strengthen the case for greater European cooperation.

 

The report concludes that restoring confidence will require what Zerka calls “practical politics with a horizon”: policies that demonstrate how European cooperation can address immediate problems while offering a credible route toward the future Europeans say they want.