Nearly two-thirds of respondents said “the best years are behind us” (63%), and 77% believe life in their country “will be more difficult for the next generation,” according to a poll conducted exclusively for POLITICO by strategic communications firm FGS Global, which surveyed more than 11,000 citizens from 23 EU countries in November.
The gloomy mood prevails in Western and Central Europe. The majority of Europeans (76%) declared that democracy in their country is in decline.
The survey highlights widespread concerns about the state of European democracies and the ability of governments to deal with challenges, including war on the continent's eastern flank, economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and growing friction with Washington.
Even before the US president declared that he wanted to take over Greenland, a large majority of Europeans saw him as a negative force for peace, their country and the global economy.
“There is clearly a very, very high degree of pessimism,” said Craig Oliver, co-head of global strategy at FGS Global and a former communications adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron.
While governments should be wary of this mood, they can also try to capitalize on it, he added: “Historically speaking, these are the times when change and improvement can occur, when people are pessimistic.”
Europeans' message to their governments: It can be better
In almost every country included in the survey a majority believes that the country is heading in the wrong direction. The exceptions are Poland, Lithuania and Denmark — even though they are among the most exposed to Russia or, in Denmark's case, to US pressure over Greenland.
Oliver attributed this divergence to how countries are governed. “There are countries where people feel there is initiative, change and things are being managed,” he said. “People feel a deep need for leadership; they want clarity from governments.”
The survey spells bad news for most governments, revealing low public trust in political systems and skepticism about their ability to function effectively.
Given a choice between two opposing statements, at least half of respondents said their political system “doesn't serve the people and needs fundamental reform,” instead of “works pretty well and doesn't need significant reform.”
Nordic countries, usually less pessimistic, had the most optimistic results. Negative opinions were higher in Romania (91%), Greece (88%) and Bulgaria (86%).
In all countries over 70% of respondents believe that they “have the right to have higher expectations from the government”, and not that they have too high expectations.
Wanted: A solid defense
Given the many challenges facing the continent, Europeans want more active – and more competent – leaders.
Asked if they agreed with their countries “being more assertive in asserting national interests, even if this creates friction with other countries,” a large majority agreed (71%).
Respondents also supported increased investment in European security, with 57% in favor of “increasing defense and security spending”.
The Trump effect
Although the poll was conducted before the latest wave of hostility from Trump, the US president was already perceived as a negative force.
Other polls have shown Trump is unpopular on the continent, even among supporters of right-wing populist parties he sees as allies.
About two-thirds of respondents said they were pessimistic about Trump's impact on the global economy in 2026 (69%), peace and security (64%) and their own country (64%).
Asked if Trump deserved the Nobel Prize, 77% said no.
The FGS interviewed 11,714 adults in 23 EU countries between 10 and 23 November 2025. A minimum of 500 interviews were conducted in each of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to be nationally representative for each country by gender, age, income, region and socio-economic group. Data from a nationally representative survey of 500 adults has a margin of error of +/-4.4% at a 95% confidence interval.
Material produced with the support of Rador Radio Romania
