Minister Byrne welcomes the publication of Eurofound’s report on social factors

Ireland is more optimistic than any other EU country, and that optimism is a collective mood shared by “practically the whole population”. This finding was detailed in Eurofound’s research report, ‘Towards the future of Europe: Social factors shaping optimism and pessimism among citizens’, published today.

Welcoming the publication of the report, Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, emphasised the importance of this research:

"The European Union faces many challenges that threaten the cohesion of the Union. We have seen a rise of populism across many Member States, which could undermine the European project. As a Union, we must be proactive in protecting against this. For that reason, research such as this, which looks at how citizens feel about the future, and what causes some to be pessimistic or optimistic, is so important. With this data we, as a collective union of 27-member states, can work together to address those issues.

"I am heartened by the finding that Irish citizens are the most socially optimistic citizens in Europe.

"The report concluded that citizens who feel their voice is being heard are more optimistic. Initiatives, such as the Conference on the Future of Europe, are instrumental in protecting and building support for the European Union. This “bottom up” project aims to give Europeans a greater say on what the EU does and how it works. I very much encourage people to get involved in this debate."

Notes

Established in 1975, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, “Eurofound”, is a European Union agency with headquarters in Ireland, in Loughlinstown, Co Dublin. Eurofound’s aim is to provide information, advice and expertise – on living and working conditions, industrial relations and managing change in Europe - to support the policy making activities of EU institutions, governments, employers and trade unions.