Europe’s strategic choices survey data

This research project forms part of the FusEUrope initiative and examines how public opinion in Europe is shaped by emerging energy technologies, strategic crises, and narratives around sovereignty, governance, and sustainability. The study leverages a multi-country survey (2025) conducted in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Poland. It includes a comprehensive battery of experimental modules to identify causal effects of framing, attribution, and perceived trade-offs on citizen preferences for energy, integration, and industrial policy. The project includes seven coordinated experimental components: 1. Nuclear Fusion vs. Fission Conjoint Experiment A split-sample conjoint experiment presents respondents with hypothetical nuclear energy projects varying across development (technology, international cooperation), construction (costs, proximity), and operation (CO₂ emissions, electricity price, regulatory oversight, workforce). Respondents are randomly assigned to either a “fusion” or “fission” framing to assess how technological presentation and project design shape support for nuclear infrastructure. 2. European Crises Conjoint Experiment This experiment randomizes six crisis attributes (type, intensity, symmetry, blame attribution, and national impact) to investigate how different types of crises influence preferences for deeper EU integration or national sovereignty. The design isolates how perceptions of threat and responsibility influence support for power delegation to the EU. 3. Nuclear Memory Vignette Experiment Respondents are randomly assigned to vignettes referencing (a) nuclear disasters (e.g., Chernobyl), (b) the benefits of fusion for climate change, (c) the destructive legacy of nuclear weapons (e.g., WWII), or (d) a neutral control. The experiment tests how historical narratives affect public perceptions of nuclear fusion and whether negative associations dampen support for emerging technologies. 4. Terminology and Sustainability Framing Vignettes Two framing experiments assess whether the terminology (“nuclear fusion” vs. “fusion”) and language emphasizing either safety or sustainability influence support for fusion. These experiments probe whether subtle semantic shifts can mitigate nuclear stigma and enhance support for energy investment. 5. Reindustrialization Experiment This module tests how geopolitical threats (e.g., rising tensions with China) versus employment benefits (e.g., job creation in deprived areas) affect support for new energy infrastructure. Respondents evaluate both high-emission and sustainable power plants tied to Europe's reindustrialization, gauging trade-offs between climate, economy, and security. 6. AI’s energy and occupational challenges vignette Experiment This module explores how citizens respond to competing narratives around the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) in Europe. Vignettes contrast priorities like innovation leadership vs. privacy protection, and national vs. EU-level oversight. The experiment captures how Europeans weigh technological competitiveness against rights protection in regulating emerging technologies. 7. Environmental activism experiment This behavioral module assesses respondents’ willingness to engage in political action. At the end of the survey, participants are invited to sign a petition related to one of the policy domains covered (e.g., support for sustainable energy, fusion research, or digital rights). This provides a behavioral measure of support and helps validate attitudinal responses with real-world action. Data collection is managed by IPSOS using nationally representative samples (N = 1,500 per country), with quotas for age, gender, education, and region. Ethical approval has been granted by the Politecnico di Torino (Protocol 25634/2025), and the project is funded by Italy’s Ministry of University and Research through the FUSEUROPE and DISTRES grants. Together, these modules offer a comprehensive, experimentally grounded study of European public opinion at the intersection of climate, technology, and integration—providing actionable insights for policy and scholarly debates.