The EU budget

• Author: Maillard, Robin; Zalc, Julien
• Pages: 63-79

63

THE EU BUDGET

This section looks at issues concerning the EU budget and the EU’s international role. Firstly, it examines attitudes

towards the importance of the rule of law and democratic principles as a condition of EU funding to Member

States. It then assesses attitudes to whether the EU budget should be increased, and what the priorities should be

for the EU budget. It then moves on to examine attitudes towards the EU’s role in ghting climate change and the

importance of its core values on the international stage.

Rule of Law

Around three-quarters of respondents (77%) agree that the EU should only provide funds to Member States con-

ditional upon their government’s implementation of the rule of law and of democratic principles. This includes

more than a third (36%) who ‘totally agree’ with the statement. A minority (12%) disagree, including 3% who ‘totally

disagree’, while 11% do not know.

In all countries except Czechia, at least seven in ten respondents agree that the EU should only provide funds to

Member States conditional upon their government’s implementation of the rule of law and of democratic prin-

ciples. Agreement is highest in Cyprus (89%), Luxembourg (86%), Austria (83%), Greece, Romania (both 82%) and

Italy (81%), and is lowest in Czechia (59%), Belgium, Denmark and Lithuania (all 70%).

CHAPTER III

64

In three countries, more than half of respondents ‘totally agree’ that the EU should only provide funds to Member

States conditional upon their government’s implementation of the rule of law and of democratic principles: Lux-

embourg (54%), Austria and Malta (both 53%). Respondents are least likely to express total agreement in Czechia

(22%), Estonia (24%), Slovakia and Lithuania (both 25%).