Luxembourgers worried about Europe’s economic future

One in three Luxembourg residents expect the country’s economic situation to deteriorate in the next year, according to an EU-wide survey published on Thursday.

The findings are contained in the latest edition of the EU’s Spring Eurobarometer survey, conducted across the bloc’s 27 member states by the European Commission.

While 87% of Luxembourg respondents rated the Grand Duchy’s economic situation as ‘good’, only 21% expect it to improve over the next 12 months. 33% expect a deterioration in the national economy, while 44% believe that the situation will remain similar.

When it comes to the economic future of Europe, Luxembourg residents are more pessimistic. Only 14% expect the situation to improve, while 54% fear a deterioration in the economy, higher than the European average of 33%.

Housing a key concern

The vast majority of Luxembourgers (88%) say they are satisfied with their personal professional situation, as well as their household finances (86%), above the EU average in both cases.

On average, 70% of Europeans say they are satisfied with their professional situation, while 75% are happy with their household’s financial situation.

When asked about the issues facing their respective countries, EU citizens express a variety of concerns.

In Luxembourg, housing is cited as the most important issue, by 54% of respondents, followed by inflation (35%) and crime (14%).

At European level, the cost of living (31%), the economic situation (20%) and defence and security (15%) are the three most referenced national concerns.

As for the challenges facing the EU as a whole, the responses of Luxembourgers are in line with those of citizens in other countries.

The international situation (27%), Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine (25%), and the economic situation (20%) are the issues most cited by residents.

Record confidence in the EU

Luxembourg respondents expressed high levels of confidence in governing institutions, with trust in national bodies much higher than on average in other EU countries.

53% of people surveyed in Luxembourg say they have confidence in the EU, rising to 65% for the Chamber of Deputies, and 74% for the Luxembourg government.

Across the 27 Member States, 52% of Europeans surveyed said they had confidence in the European Union, the highest level recorded in 18 years, although overall trust in national governments and parliaments was much lower, at 36% and 37% respectively.

The broadly pro-European sentiment among Luxembourgers is also reflected in citizens’ views on the EU’s image. 57% of residents say they have a positive image of the EU, two percentage points higher than at the end of last year, compared with 43% on average across the EU.

Just 15% of Luxembourgers say they have a negative opinion of Europe, compared with 18% of EU residents as a whole.

Similarly, 66% of Luxembourg residents say they are optimistic about the future of the EU, compared with 62% on average across Europe. There are also more Luxembourg residents (81%) who say they feel attached to the EU than on average (63%) across the bloc.

Europeans in favour of reciprocal customs duties

Almost four out of five – 78% – of EU citizens expressed concern about the bloc’s defence and security over the next five years. In Luxembourg, this figure rises to 88%.

The issue of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on the EU remains a concern for residents.

Although the European Commission has secured a new reprieve from the US President, the majority of Luxembourgers (81%) believe that increased customs duties would harm the global economy.

Furthermore, 77% of Luxembourgers and 86% of Europeans support a reciprocal increase in European customs duties to defend the bloc’s economic interests.

When asked about Europe’s actions and their impact on daily life, both Luxembourgers (45%) and Europeans (44%) as a whole said the EU’s main priority should be to primarily ensure peace and stability among its members.

Respondents across the EU also called for the bloc to focus on improved access to housing (32%), stronger measures to combat crime (27%) and the creation of job opportunities (22%).

(This article was first published by Virgule. Translated using AI, with editing and adaptation by Lucrezia Reale.)