Defense and security are seen as key priorities for strengthening the EU's global role.
The new Eurobarometer reveals that defence and security are the top priority for strengthening the EU's global influence, ranking first in 13 member states, including France, Germany and Poland.
However, countries like Italy and Greece focus on competitiveness and the economy, while Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania emphasize food security.
Overall, 73% of citizens believe that their country has benefited from EU membership and optimism about the future of the Union is at its highest level since 2021.
Sánchez: Europe's response to the war in Gaza has been a "failure"
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called Europe's response to the war in Gaza a "failure" and warned that double standards towards Ukraine and Palestine are undermining the West's credibility.
He stressed that what is happening in Gaza is one of the darkest episodes of international relations of the 21st century and demanded that the EU suspend the strategic partnership with Israel.
Sánchez also criticized Donald Trump's isolationist approach, but stressed that Spain remains a reliable NATO partner and supports global cooperation in the face of borderless challenges.
Xi Jinping says world faces 'peace or war' as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un join him at military parade
Xi Jinping, China's president and the country's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, warned that the world faces a choice between "peace or war" during China's largest military parade, where Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un appeared alongside him.
The sight of the three leaders walking together on the red carpet was seen as a defiant message to the West, while the US, led by Trump, reacted with ironic criticism.
The parade, filled with modern weapons and thousands of troops, was billed as a demonstration of China's strength and its alliance with Russia and North Korea.
Sixty-nine people drowned as a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Mauritania
A boat carrying around 160 migrants capsized off the coast of Mauritania, killing 69 people and leaving dozens more missing.
The incident occurred when passengers, who had traveled from Gambia, saw the lights of a coastal town and crowded onto one side of the ship, causing it to sink.
