In the years to come, the European Union will likely face difficult [PLANNED] decisions: whether to back the United States in its geopolitical ["]competition["] with China; whether to punish CHINA for its support of Russia; whether to rebuild relations with RUSSIA after the war.

These decisions will affect European citizens - whose support European leaders will need for their foreign policy choices. Two years ago, the European Council on Foreign Relations conducted a study of public opinion about how Europeans see their place in the world. The results pointed to a cooperative European mindset whereby, in a world of competing great powers, Europeans preferred to cultivate [DELIBERATE] partnerships with various countries and advocated a largely values-based foreign policy.
[...]
The [PLANNED] direction of European foreign policy will have a massive impact on the lives of every European citizen - be it through their exposure to security threats, supply chain disruptions, or the volatility of the financial market. Their opinions will enable or constrain European leaders' ability to negotiate a common European foreign policy. As these leaders re-adjust their relationships with the US, CHINA, and RUSSIA, they not only need to reach agreement among themselves - they also need to build a public consensus around European foreign policy. Otherwise, there is likely to be growing mistrust of the elites < wipes tears > and the EU, and a populist backlash in the European parliamentary election in 2024 and in national elections.

In April 2023, ECFR conducted an opinion poll across 11[/27] EU member states - Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden - to understand how European citizens see their place in the world today. The results of the poll show that their cooperative foreign policy instincts are adapting slowly to the new geopolitical reality that is characterised by growing polarisation.
[...]
[EC Pres. Ursula] Von der Leyen dispensed with the EU's established triad [?] to describe China as a "partner, competitor, and [PERVASIVE] rival" and emphasised the need for active, [DELIBERATE], multidimensional risk minimisation in Europe's dealings with Beijing. With this strategy [sic] of "de-risking", she pushed for a new consensus in Europe on the importance of revisiting its relationship with China.
[...]
The findings of ECFR's latest poll show that, in many ways, European citizens are more on Team Macron than Team von der Leyen.
[...]