Since Russia's attack on Ukraine, hardly a day has passed without European values ​​being discussed in public.

For example, Chancellor Scholz said in the Bundestag on March 23 that it was crucial that Europe supported Ukraine because European values ​​were at stake.

During his visit to Kyiv, the French President emphasized that Ukraine shares European values, and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil told the Ukrainian Foreign Minister that Ukraine "fights for our European values ​​in the war".

But what are “European values”?

From the point of view of the population, is there really something like a common European value system?

How has citizens' perception of the European Union changed since the beginning of the war and how should the community respond to the Russian threat?

These are questions that the Institute for Public Opinion Allensbach investigated in its most recent survey.

The majority of Germans have doubts as to whether the European values ​​so often invoked in public actually exist.

This is shown by the reactions to the question: "Would you say that there is a common European culture, common values ​​and ideas that differentiate Europeans from others, or would you not say that the European countries are too different for that?" Only 28 percent responded to the question that in their opinion there was such a common culture, a clear majority of 54 percent disagreed.

However, if one specifically asks which values ​​can be described as European values, the answers are clear: 76 percent said that democracy could be described as a European value, 71 percent named freedom of religion, 67 percent respect for human dignity, and just as many voices - and freedom of the press, equal rights for women (66 percent) and freedom of the individual (65 percent).

Cosmopolitanism, the rule of law and tolerance were also identified as European values ​​by an absolute majority of respondents.

Considering that most Germans do not believe that there are common European values, their ideas about such a European value system are remarkably clear.

However, there are striking differences between the supporters of the various political parties.

A very clear majority of supporters of the governing parties and the Union said they consider freedom of expression and freedom of the press to be a European value.

On the other hand, only 48 percent of supporters of the left said so, and 39 percent of those of the AfD.

Tolerance was considered a European value by 52 percent of the population as a whole, but only 13 percent of AfD supporters.

A similar pattern can be seen for most of the other choices in the question.

It can be seen that the idea of ​​European values ​​is particularly widespread among supporters of parties on the traditional democratic spectrum.

Skepticism is much greater on the political fringes.