What do Europeans think about the state of their union?
As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gears up to deliver her annual speech on the state of the European Union, Euronews spoke to citizens across the bloc about their thoughts on the state of the EU.
Recent surveys of EU citizens have shown that they are generally optimistic about Europe's future and support the EU's effort to address the war in Ukraine.
However, many are concerned about rising prices and whether they can afford their energy bills this winter.
A recent YouGov poll conducted in five European countries found that Europeans are concerned about the energy crisis leading to social unrest.
Here's what several Europeans across the bloc told Euronews about the state of the union.
Francesco Bortoletto, a 26-year-old student in Italy, told Euronews that the EU is currently "at a crossroads" confronted with historic questions that require a vision for the future.
"While the EU showed unity in the face of the pandemic and in the early days of the Ukrainian war, it seems member states are now less united to address the energy crisis," Bortoletto said.
"The very fact that EU governments haven’t yet found an agreement on the price cap for Russian gas is quite telling of the point we’re at."
He thinks that as the EU faces a difficult winter, they need a united response to the crisis.
The EU "should probably ditch the unanimity rule for decisions (on capping gas prices and investing in renewables), so that it doesn’t get constantly blocked by reticent governments," he said.
Angela, a 72-year-old retired company owner from Germany, said that the European Union has become "weaker due to the disagreements about the fundamental principles" in her view.
"That has been caused because there is no majority rule, and the
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