Madrid – A recent survey conducted by Spain’s Sociological Research Center (CIS) reveals that a significant majority of Spaniards support the idea of the European Union (EU) enhancing its defense capabilities. Specifically, three out of four respondents believe the EU should invest in strengthening its defense, with over half endorsing the formation of a common European army.
The survey indicates that 75% of participants are in favor of rearmament, aligning with the current stance of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while only 19.2% express opposition to this initiative.
Additionally, half of the respondents feel that Europe currently lacks adequate defensive capabilities to counter potential threats from other nations, whereas 31.2% believe it does have sufficient defenses.
In terms of support for a unified military force among the 27 EU member states, 67.8% are in favor, contrasting with 24.1% who oppose the idea.
Breaking down the survey results by political affiliation, it appears that even voters from the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party), traditionally more resistant to increasing defense budgets, largely support European rearmament and the concept of a common army. The exception lies within the voter base of the Basque nationalist party Bildu, which shows a majority opposition to both increased defense capacity (64.5%) and the establishment of a European army (69.7%).
Among political parties, 90.6% of voters for the PP (People’s Party) support increased defense spending, followed by 79.5% from Vox, 76.3% from PSOE, 76.2% from the Basque Nationalist Party, 61.2% from the Catalan independence party ERC, 58.3% from Junts, and 52.3% from Sumar, which includes Podemos.
When considering the idea of a joint army, voters from the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) show the strongest support at 86.4%, followed by socialists at 76.2%, PP at 75.7%, Junts at 71%, ERC at 70.2%, Sumar-Podemos at 60.8%, and Vox at 60.7%.
The CIS survey also explored attitudes toward the international geopolitical landscape, notably regarding Donald Trump’s presidency and ongoing conflicts in Israel and Gaza, as well as Russia and Ukraine.
In response to questions about Trump’s potential impact on EU-U.S. relations, 77.2% of participants anticipate changes, while only 11.8% believe relations will remain stable. A majority considers these changes detrimental for both the U.S. (48.6%) and the EU (62.1%), with only 11% and 20.9%, respectively, viewing the potential shifts as positive.
Additionally, concern over the war in Ukraine resonates with 65.9% of Spaniards, while 18.9% feel less worried about it. Similarly, the conflict in Israel and Palestine causes significant concern for 60.4% of respondents, compared to 20.1% who are not particularly concerned. (March 17)
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