Around a third of European Union citizens live in regions or provinces where the average income today is lower than it was twenty years ago. Their economic conditions have progressively detached them from those of the rest of European citizens and, in many cases, this has contributed to a diminished sense of belonging to the European project. In the same period, a very aggressive political language developed, which made the democratic debate more polarized. The tone of public discourse has become hostile against the elites and Brussels and the electoral base of Eurosceptic parties has grown. In the next European elections of June 6-9, 2024, populist and anti-European parties are expected to post big gains.

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