Vodafone Institute poll “Digitising Europe Pulse” across 13 EU member states shows that especially people in Portugal and Germany see themselves well prepared to meet the challenges with COVID-19.
In order to meet the challenges with COVID-19, the majority of Europeans feel they are technically well equipped. 78 % rather/fully agree with the statement that they are sufficiently equipped for self-isolation and have the necessary infrastructure, a new survey of the Vodafone Institute, the European think-tank of the Vodafone Group, has revealed. Portugal (87%) and Germany (86%) occupy the first places. Greece (71%) and Poland (65%) rank last.
These and the following results are part of the “Digitising Europe Pulse 2020: Challenges in Times of COVID-19”, successor to the first “Digitsing Europe Pulse: Views on the EU digital agenda“, which will be released by the Vodafone Institute in the upcoming weeks. The survey was conducted by Kantar who have interviewed 13.000 people from 13 EU member states via an online survey.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses enormous challenges on people. We need to understand how European citizens have perceived and managed the sometimes very drastic measures taken by national governments. Obviously, a majority sees them as necessary and effective at the national level. It is also pleasing that most Europeans seem to have access to a digital infrastructure that helps them to cope successfully with everyday life even in times of isolation.
Inger Paus, Managing Director of the Vodafone Institute
Video conferences and digital collaborative applications are regarded as the most useful tools by Europeans during the COVID-19 crisis.
Despite the enthusiasm for digital tools, there are big differences regarding the acceptance of corona apps for contact tracing between EU-countries: While 78% of respondents in Portugal, Spain and Ireland would use these apps, only 53% in Germany are open to this option. In an EU comparison, this is the least popular option.
Significant differences in national crisis management
More than two-thirds of Europeans attest their national government effective COVID-19 crisis management. On a scale from 1 (“Not effective at all”) to 10 (“Highly effective”), 70% chose a score of 6 or higher, 36 % even a score of 8 or higher. In contrast, only 46% of Europeans assess measures on EU level as effectively.
But there are remarkable differences between the individual countries: In particular, citizens in Greece and Ireland give their governments good ratings (7,4 each). Respondents in France and Spain are least satisfied with the COVID-19 crisis management of their national governments (4,9 each). About half of the respondents agree that the inter-European cooperation during COVID-19 has strengthened the cohesion among Europeans. People in Portugal are particularly confident about this (69 % agree with this statement), scepticism prevails in Estonia (28 %).
Nearly every fifth European states to be on short-time work. In this respect, Portugal (30%) has the highest rate, Estonia (7 %) the lowest.
Long-term impact on quality of life
A majority of interviewed Europeans thinks that the COVID-19 crisis will have a limiting effect on their quality of life in the long term. Especially people in southern Europe like Greece (85 %), Italy (83 %), Spain (81 %) and Portugal (80 %), agree with this statement. In Germany and the Netherlands, it is “only” 50 % respectively 49 %.
