Polling suggests that the EU is enjoying high favorability ratings among Europeans and around the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the UK’s post-Brexit struggles have highlighted the union’s value. However, it faces significant headwinds. The Pew Research Center recently published results from a poll conducted in the spring that looked at public views of the EU. Among 10 EU countries, 72 percent of Europeans expressed favorable views. The union ranked highest among Poles, with 89 percent of respondents in Poland saying that they view the EU favorably. Greeks were the most divided, with only 50 percent expressing positive views. In six of the 10 countries, positive views of the EU were at an “all-time high,” according to Pew, and several countries showed significantly higher ratings since last year. Other surveys and analysis also suggest that Europeans are feeling particularly good about the EU this year. For example, the Standard Eurobarometer survey, conducted in the summer, found increased trust in the EU and noted that the “approval rate of the euro has reached its highest level ever.” Furthermore, this has been a good year for the EU’s reputation abroad. Among nine non-EU countries, the Pew poll found a median of 64 percent of respondents with favorable views of the institution, ranging from 84 percent in South Korea to 50 percent in Israel. In the US, a crucial ally for Brussels, the poll found that 64 percent of Americans had a positive view. Perhaps the primary reason driving support for the EU this year is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Europeans responded with anger toward Moscow and admiration for Ukraine’s determination to defend itself. Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly expected Europe to respond in a divided and weak fashion; instead, a unified Europe rallied behind Ukraine. A survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations from May found that 73 percent of Europeans blamed Russia for the war, and most expressed a desire to assist Ukraine by providing economic aid, sending weapons and accepting refugees. More recent polling from individual European countries, conducted in October, suggests that majorities in several states continue to support sanctions on Russia and are willing to accept some economic pain as a consequence. The EU’s reputation also benefited from the economic and political fallout of Brexit. British supporters of leaving the EU argued that Brexit would improve economic competition, reduce regulation, and strengthen British independence and pride. Instead, since leaving the union in 2020, the country has experienced political crises, increased trade difficulties, a fiscal crisis, heightened risks of unrest in Northern Ireland, and increased potential for Scottish independence. Brexit is not fully responsible for all of these problems, but it has contributed to them and certainly did not solve anything. The recent resignation of Liz Truss as prime minister after only 45 days, in the wake of a currency crash and economic crisis prompted by her planned budget, highlighted the reality that leaving the EU did not make life better for Britons. On the contrary, multiple polls over the summer and fall showed increasing regret among the British public over Brexit. A July poll found that 52 percent of Britons thought that leaving the EU was the wrong decision, while another survey from June showed that 45 percent believed that Brexit “made their daily life worse” — a significant increase over the previous year. A more recent UK poll from October found that 59 percent of the public now believe that Brexit damaged the country’s economy. The unfulfilled promises of Brexit have undermined the arguments against the EU made by some right-wing European parties that initially hoped to exit the EU or at least to reduce its role. While the EU is experiencing high levels of popularity, the institution faces major challenges. Europeans are keen to support Ukraine and willing to pay higher energy prices to reduce their own dependence on Russia, but they are less united behind a long-term vision for ending the war. While some polling suggests that Europeans have little interest in calling for compromise with Russia, other surveys find that many Europeans are worried about the economic impacts and risks of nuclear conflict, and want the war to end quickly; they may be likely to support some compromises with Russia. If Europe faces extreme energy shortages and high prices this winter, support for Ukraine might fade. So far, most Europeans see Russia as the main obstacle to peace, but their support for Ukraine might diminish if Kyiv appears intractable and they are struggling to pay their energy bills. The recent resignation of Liz Truss as prime minister after only 45 days, in the wake of a currency crash and economic crisis prompted by her planned budget, highlighted the reality that leaving the EU did not make life better for Britons. Kerry Boyd Anderson While Europeans currently express strong support for Ukraine and clearly blame Russia for the war, long-standing ideological divides still exist among European populations and pose future challenges to the EU. Europeans who share a right-wing ideological perspective are much less likely than those on the left to feel favorably toward the union. For now, the war in Ukraine and Brexit have taken some of the wind out of the sails of right-wing parties that seek to undermine the EU or promote their own countries’ departures from the union, but they remain an important factor in European politics. European leaders have an opportunity to build on current goodwill toward the EU and push forward policies that could cement a sense of the institution’s importance and value for European citizens — as well as its role on the world stage. Maintaining unity behind EU policy toward Russia and Ukraine is the most immediate opportunity and challenge. Kerry Boyd Anderson is a writer and political risk consultant with more than 18 years of experience as a professional analyst of international security issues and Middle East political and business risk. Her previous positions include deputy director for advisory with Oxford Analytica. Twitter: @KBAresearch