What reasons made voters go to the polls in their respective countries to renew the European Parliament last June? What is the current level of trust among European citizens regarding democracy and the future of the EU? And what do the citizens of the 27 EU Member States expect from European policies? These are some of the questions that the EU post-electoral Eurobarometer survey, released today, tries to answer, analysing the voting behaviour and the main priorities of citizens. “The rising prices and cost of living (42%) and the economic situation (41%) were the main reasons that prompted European citizens to vote in the European elections in June this year”, according to the extensive Eurobarometer report. A third of voters (34%) said that the international situation was a significant factor in their decision to go to the polls, while a similar percentage cited the defence of democracy and the rule of law (32%). Those who did not vote also believe that the cost of living (46%) and the economic situation (36%) could have motivated them to participate in the elections. “For Italians, too, the economic situation and the cost of living are confirmed as the most important reasons that prompted them to go to the polls in June, with values however higher than the EU average – 51% and 48% respectively”. This is followed by the international situation (35%) and the defence of democracy and the rule of law (29%). Even among Italians who did not vote, the perception of concerns related to the cost of living (51%) and the economic situation (48%) is higher than the EU average.