In a country marked by polarization and institutional distrust, Europe remains the last refuge of stability for the Spanish. The Spring 2025 Eurobarometer, prepared by the European Parliament, confirms that Spain is one of the most pro-European countries: more than eight in ten citizens believe that belonging to the EU has been beneficial, and a majority thinks that things are going badly in the country, but good in Europe.
This emotional distance has strengthened over the years: Brussels symbolizes the seriousness and rationality that many do not find in Madrid. Europe acts as a political and emotional anchor for a society that perceives its national institutions as worn, but continues to trust the European project as a guarantee of progress and good governance.
A Resilient Europeanism
Most Spaniards back a more active and cohesive Europe, with greater capacity to confront the major challenges of the 21st century: climate change, energy, defense, or research. In a context of wars, inflation, and international tensions, the citizen response is not retreat but more Europe.
The Spaniards back shared funding for joint projects and for the European Parliament to have greater oversight and decision-making power. Moreover, eight out of ten support that EU funds be conditioned on respect for the rule of law and democratic values, one of the highest levels of support in the EU.
This is a mature and demanding Europeanism: it does not stop at material benefits but trusts Europe as a guarantor of stability, rights, and good governance. Far from the euroscepticism that grows in other countries, Spain maintains a view of the EU as a space of order in the face of internal frictions.
The Europe of Values That Protects
The Eurobarometer depicts a deep shift: Spaniards no longer see the EU merely as a market, but as an institution that protects. The key word is “protection,” and it functions against inflation, conflicts, energy crises, or misinformation. Citizens demand a Europe capable of sheltering and with strategic autonomy, more shield than utopia. Hence the broad support for new sources of common revenue (74%), such as emission taxes or corporate profits.
Support for democratic conditionality —82% in favor— reinforces this identity, as Spain aligns with a social and guarantor Europe that prioritizes democracy, human rights, equality, and the rule of law. It is no accident: the memory of the Transition and the Franco era remains alive in the perception of Europe as a synonym of freedom and modernization.
The European Parliament: In Favor of Greater Delegation of Competences
Trust in the European Parliament far exceeds the EU average.
While 62% of Europeans want the Parliament to play a more relevant role, in Spain the figure rises to 77%, with only 8% preferring to reduce it. Spaniards associate the institution with transparency, legitimacy, and stability, in contrast with national politics marked by confrontation and short-termism.
For citizens, Brussels represents politics that works: a serious and predictable administration that contrasts with domestic noise.
Paradoxically, that trust does not always rest on a deep understanding of its powers. In a sense, for citizens Brussels embodies politics that works, a serious and predictable administration that contrasts with domestic noise. In the collective imagination, Europe is what Spain could be if its politics did not wear down in conflict.
A Europe That Is Felt
72% of Spaniards perceive that EU decisions influence their daily life, a figure identical to the European average and on the rise. Moreover, most assess that impact positively: 50% consider it favorable versus only 18% who view it negatively. Membership is also seen as a success, since 76% believe Spain has benefited from belonging to the EU, especially due to economic growth, job opportunities, and contributions to peace and security.
Spaniards, more pragmatic than idealistic, value Europe because it improves daily life and provides stability. Brussels is not seen as distant bureaucracy, but as a concrete presence that protects and sustains.
A Social and Democratic Europe
The Eurobarometer shows a Spanish citizenry that is social in its priorities and democratic in its values. Among the topics the European Parliament should urgently address, inflation and the cost of living (42%), public health (43%), and employment and the creation of opportunities (38%) stand out. They are followed by the fight against poverty (35%) and security and defense (22%). The Spanish agenda is, above all, economic and social, focused on well-being and protection rather than geopolitics.
Regarding values, Spaniards place democracy (33%), peace (38%), and human rights (22%) at the top, followed by gender equality (19%) and the rule of law (25%). The profile that emerges is of a Europe that is solidary, egalitarian, and guarantor, in which social justice and civil rights weigh more than identity or national security.
Between National Pessimism and European Optimism
The survey also confirms the emotional gap between Spain and Europe. Only 33% of Spaniards think the country is on the right track, versus 54% who believe otherwise. Yet the perception shifts when looking toward Brussels: 36% think the EU is moving in the right direction, almost the same as the European average.
With the data we can see how stability, rather than progress, has become that desired horizon.
Differing from this contrast is also seen in personal expectations, as one in five Spaniards believes their standard of living will improve in the next five years, while more than half expect it to stay the same. Stability, rather than progress, has become the desired horizon. Yet, 64% declare themselves optimistic about the future of the European Union, a figure that places Spain among the most hopeful countries on the continent.
Europe remains, even in uncertain times, the beacon of hope against a national present perceived as motionless. In the Spanish collective imagination, Brussels embodies what can still advance: the place where politics makes sense, words carry weight, and the future remains a possibility.
