Across five major European countries, a striking political consensus has emerged: most people believe their continent's security depends on breaking free from imported fossil fuels. A new YouGov poll commissioned by E3G, Transport & Environment, and the Electrification Alliance reveals that 64% of Europeans—spanning the traditional left-right political divide—see reducing fossil fuel dependence as essential to making Europe safer, especially as the geopolitical crisis at the Strait of Hormuz has dragged on for over 100 days.
This matters because energy independence has become a central concern for citizens living through volatile global markets and supply chain vulnerabilities. The polling data shows something rare in modern politics: clean energy investment commands support across ideological lines, with centre-right voters emerging as particularly enthusiastic backers of electrification measures in Germany, Italy, and France. When citizens demand stability and security, continued reliance on fossil fuel imports looks less like pragmatism and more like choosing fragility.
The specifics reveal even deeper momentum. More than eight in ten Europeans surveyed believe their countries should be working together on energy—a principle that gains urgency during the current crisis. In Spain, 68% say European cooperation has become more important; in Germany, 67%; in France, 62%; and in Italy, 61%. Even in Poland, 45% agree, with a further 32% saying cooperation should happen regardless of circumstances.
When it comes to concrete solutions, public backing remains strong. More than half of respondents support government financial backing for heat pumps across all five countries: Italy leads at 71%, followed by France at 66%, Germany at 61%, Spain at 58%, and Poland at 51%. Electric vehicle funding commands majority support in four countries—Spain (63%), Germany (58%), Italy (57%), and France (54%)—with most respondents in those same nations also backing direct government help for households buying EVs.
What makes this polling significant is its timing and tone. Europeans are not voting for clean energy as an abstract environmental good; they are endorsing it as a practical path to security and independence. The geopolitical moment has reframed the entire debate. Rather than asking whether Europe can afford the clean energy transition, voters are increasingly asking whether Europe can afford not to make it.
The political opportunity is straightforward: policymakers now have a mandate to accelerate electrification as a shared European project. That means building heat pumps and EV charging infrastructure, strengthening continental grids, and collaborating on joint energy procurement—all supported by the citizens these governments serve. At a moment when fossil fuel dependence looks like a liability rather than a necessity, the case for electrification has shifted from moral to strategic.
The challenge ahead is whether European institutions and member states can move with the speed that public support suggests is possible. The mandate exists. The question now is execution.