By Gianluca Lo Nostro
(Reuters) -Trust in the European Union and its institutions has risen to an almost two-decade high, a report released on Wednesday shows, as U.S. President Donald Trump upends global trade and foreign policy.
The Eurobarometer poll by the European Commission shows 52% of Europeans trust the EU, the highest figure since 2007, with young people aged 15-24 expressing the strongest confidence at 59%.
Only 36% of respondents said they trust their national governments.
The findings come amid unprecedented tensions between the bloc and the U.S. and just days after Trump delayed threatened 50% tariffs on EU imports until July 9, allowing for continued negotiations between Washington and Brussels.
Trump was not mentioned directly in the questions. The survey was conducted between March 26 and April 22 across all 27 EU member states, with 26,368 face-to-face interviews.
Support for the euro reached the highest ever, with 74% of all EU citizens and 83% of euro zone residents backing a European economic and monetary union with one currency.
Despite strong support for the common currency, Europeans remain divided on current economic conditions, with 44% describing the European economy as good, but 48% viewing it negatively.
However, 43% expect economic conditions to remain stable over the next year.
The poll also reveals strong support for other areas of EU integration, particularly in security and defence, where 81% of respondents favour a common policy among member states – the highest level since 2004.
The EU on Tuesday approved the creation of a 150 billion-euro ($170 billion) arms fund, driven by fears of a Russian attack in the coming years and doubts about U.S. security commitments to the continent.
Support for the EU’s Ukraine policy remains strong, with 77% of respondents viewing Russia’s invasion as a threat to EU security and 72% backing economic sanctions against Russia.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to be considered as the most important issue at EU level,” Eurobarometer said.
($1 = 0.8836 euros)
(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro. Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Mark Potter)
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