Event report

As part of the RoadShow 2021 project, whose main theme was the question “What EU do you want to live in?” in Slovak cities on 22-27 August 2021, citizens’ attitudes towards the EU were surveyed in the form of a questionnaire. The EU was associated primarily with the euro, cooperation, freedom, travel, free movement or open borders, but also negative emotions. 41 % of respondents supported maintaining the scope of EU competences as hitherto, 37 % would support more EU competences, 22 % would be in favour of restricting EU competences. The biggest current challenges facing the EU were identified by respondents on migration (including in relation to Afghanistan), climate change and environmental issues, health and tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, and social issues — salaries, pensions and unemployment. They identified environment and ecology, social issues and employment, migration, health and education and youth as priority themes for the future. Respondents would change the position of national states vis-à-vis the EU (strengthening smaller states), strengthen the EU’s role in the social field (social security, pensions, lower prices, labour), improve EU governance (transparency, flexibility), raise awareness and improve the redistribution of EU funds.