A new Eurobarometer survey, published ahead of the Munich Security Conference, shows that Europeans’ perception of potential threats on the international scene has increased. Most of them believe that the European Union should increase investment in defense.
The most significant result is that more than two-thirds of Europeans (68 percent) believe that their country is under threat.
The member states with the highest threat perception are France (80 percent), followed by the Netherlands and Denmark (77 percent), and Cyprus and Germany (75 percent). At the same time, 42 percent of citizens believe that their personal safety is threatened.
Most Europeans believe that the EU can strengthen security and defense (52 percent), especially in countries such as Luxembourg (76 percent), Portugal (74), Cyprus (73) and Lithuania (71 percent).
In the context of a series of initiatives launched during the past year, almost three quarters of respondents approve of the current level of EU investment in defense or believe that spending should be increased.
Support is particularly high in Lithuania (80 percent), Portugal (89), Finland (83), Spain (80) and Denmark (78 percent).
Security and defense are considered a key priority for EU space policy by 53 percent of Europeans, followed by the environment and climate (36 percent) and the competitiveness and growth of European industry (31 percent). The positive economic impact of EU space programs is widely recognized among the youngest respondents (55 percent).
This Flash Eurobarometer, launched at the beginning of January 2026, aimed to assess EU citizens’ sense of security, their trust in the EU as a defense actor and support for increased investment in collective defence.
It also assessed awareness of EU space programs and identified priority areas for future space policy. The results will guide the Commission and support evidence-based policy making. The survey included 27,292 interviews across the EU.
