For the 6th wave of the EVS, a dynamic perspective has been adopted. This perspective conceives the EVS 2026 as an integration of two frameworks to study European Values, the traditional framework of “Values in Europe” and a new framework called “European Values” that is based on current discourse in Europe and especially the European Union that is in search of their role and specificity in a changing world order.
The European Union is based on a set of European Values laid out in the European Treaty from 2008. These values have become more prominent lately in the wake of the Russian invasions of Ukraine since 2014 and the rise of populist regimes and movements in a number of European countries, working against fundamental rights and the rule of law through weakening democratic institutions. In this context, there is a more explicit discussion about what the common values of Europeans are, also regarding threats of authoritarian regimes in Russia and China as well as the developments in the US under the Trump administration.
So, besides including the questions that represent the long time-series of the European Values Study, we have rejuvenated the EVS questionnaire by following a new conceptual framework that combines the seven traditional value domains (Perceptions of Life, Environment, Work, Family, Polics and Society, Religion and Morale, National Identity) with six value areas derived from policy documents of the European Union, namely: social and economic transformations, sustainable future, cultural heritage, non-discrimination, rule of law, welfare state.
By adopting this dynamic perspective, the EVS also ensures a versatile future for the ongoing collaborations with the World Values Survey and the European Social Survey.
The first country in the EVS 2026 started the fieldwork in December 2025 and other countries follow throughout 2026.