Balgarianovinite.com A sociological survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) examined Europeans’ attitudes towards the role of the European Union (EU) and the United States (US). The findings were presented at an event held in Sofia on Thursday.
The survey was conducted in November 2025 in several member states of the EU, including Bulgaria. It also covered Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. In Bulgaria, the poll was based on a nationally representative sample of 1,020 respondents.
Each year, the ECFR conducts a large-scale survey covering at least two-thirds of European citizens. “We are very pleased that Bulgaria is included in this year’s edition”, said Vessela Tcherneva, ECFR Deputy Director. The main focus is on transatlantic relations, she explained. According to her, the findings point to growing scepticism in Europe regarding the role of the US.
“Just 16% of Europeans consider the US an ally. Most see America as a necessary partner, but also as a potential rival in certain aspects”, she said. In Bulgaria, the figure is even lower, with just 10% viewing the US as an ally, she added.
The survey data show that the majority of Bulgarians (44%) view the US as a “necessary partner” of the EU, while 10% describe America as an “ally”, 11% as an “opponent,” and 13% as a “rival”. Regarding the EU’s global role, 34% believe the EU is a great power, whereas 48% say it is not.
Tcherneva highlighted the growing support among Europeans for an increased spending on defence. She said this refers to joint defence efforts to protect against a potential attack from Russia and the risk of a new war in Europe. In many cases, Europeans are also willing to back the reintroduction of compulsory military service, with the strongest support recorded in France and Germany. Bulgaria ranks third in this respect, with notable enthusiasm for reinstating compulsory military service.
According to Tcherneva, public attitudes towards Europe’s foreign policy challenges are becoming increasingly important for decision-making institutions. European Council on Foreign Relations Presents Europeans’ Views on Role of EU and US 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-02-12 17:17:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law