Podcast Summary: YouGov's Jemma Connor Talks European Polling

Podcast: Bloomberg Talks
Host: Bloomberg
Guest: Jemma Connor, Associate Director, YouGov
Date: October 21, 2025

Overview

This episode features Jemma Connor, Associate Director at YouGov, discussing findings from a recent survey of over 1,000 people across nine European Union countries. The conversation explores public opinion on key political and economic issues—including cost of living, economic outlook, defense spending, Russian aggression, and artificial intelligence (AI) regulation—providing valuable insights for European policymakers and observers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Public Perceptions of National Economies and the EU

• Economic Pessimism Prevails:
  • Across all surveyed countries, respondents have a “pretty gloomy outlook” regarding their national economy and the EU’s economic management.
    • Quote: "People generally think that their government is doing a bad job of managing the economy and actually the EU are doing a bad job of managing the European economy as well." – Gemma Connor [01:04]
  • Many individuals have already made reductions to household spending and expect further cuts, especially acute in Romania (58% already made cuts, with more expected).
    • Quote: "This is particularly felt quite strongly in Romania where 58% of people say they've already made cuts to their typical spending at home and expect to make further cuts in the future." – Gemma Connor [01:33]

2. Economic Outlook and Future Worries

• Fear of Recession Dominates:
  • Most respondents believe their country’s economy will be in recession in the next 12 months.
    • Quote: "People are really negative... There’s no country where people actually have a positive outlook in that next year or so." – Gemma Connor [01:55]
  • Denmark is noted as an exception, with 42% expecting economic stability (not growth).

3. Defense Spending & European Security

• Geography’s Influence on Attitudes:
  • Countries near Russia (e.g., Poland and Romania) show higher support for increased defense spending and NATO contributions.
    • Quote: "Those countries that are closest to Russia, or at most at threat from Russia, have really different attitudes... much more supportive of increasing financial spending, contributing more to NATO." – Gemma Connor [02:43]
  • Western European countries demonstrate less perceived threat and lower support for increased defense spending.
• Perceived Russian Threat:
  • Countries geographically and strategically closer to Russia identify Russian aggression as the biggest threat to Europe.

4. Public Attitudes Towards AI and Technology

• Limited AI Adoption:
  • Many European respondents, particularly in France, have not used AI for work (40% in France report no usage).
    • Quote: "There’s quite a few people who’ve never used AI at all for either work or for leisure, particularly for work." – Gemma Connor [03:48]
  • AI usage is more common in countries like the Netherlands and Romania.
• Mixed Feelings on AI:
  • While most know what AI is, many are uncertain about its impacts or benefits.

5. Strong Support for AI Regulation

• Regulation Over Rapid Innovation:
  • Despite ambiguity around AI, the majority believes the AI industry should be regulated more strictly.
    • Quote: “They may not know that much about AI, they may not know how they personally feel about it, but they're absolutely certain that the AI industry should be regulated over being allowed to roam free and innovate as quickly as it may want to.” – Gemma Connor [04:39]
  • This consensus spans all surveyed countries.

6. Policy Implications for Leaders

• Top Public Policy Priorities:
  • For countries near Russia: focus on defense, US-EU cooperation, and NATO engagement.
    • Quote: "They want NATO to be playing a role. They want countries to be contributing more to NATO, to really feel that they are being protected and that that threat from Russia is very real." – Gemma Connor [05:22]
  • For Western Europe: address cost of living and economic support, areas where respondents feel underserved.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Economic Fear:

  • "People are generally finding that they're having to make cuts or they expect to make cuts in the future." – Gemma Connor [01:17]

• On Defense and Geopolitics:

  • “Countries like Poland, Romania are much more supportive of increasing financial spending, contributing more to NATO.” – Gemma Connor [02:49]

• On AI Regulation:

  • "A majority across all countries polled feel that regulation is more important than that development, which is, I think, very interesting in the conversation that we're having around AI as well." – Bloomberg Host [05:00]

Important Timestamps

• [01:04] General economic dissatisfaction and cost of living changes
• [01:55] Negative outlook for the next 12 months
• [02:43] Geographic differences in defense spending attitudes
• [03:48] Usage and public perceptions of AI
• [04:39] Strong demand for AI regulation
• [05:22] Key policy takeaways for European leaders

Summary

This episode provides a comprehensive overview of the current public sentiment in Europe on major political and economic issues, emphasizing economic insecurity, defense, and technological regulation. The findings suggest a continent divided in priorities—Eastern countries prioritize defense and NATO presence due to perceived threats, whereas Western nations emphasize economic and cost-of-living concerns. Notably, the public across all regions expresses strong support for AI regulation, underlining a shared desire for oversight in technological advancement. The insights provided serve as a vital resource for European policymakers ahead of the upcoming European Council discussions.