The importance of the EU continues to grow in the eyes of the Austrian people. Membership is currently at least 60 percent important. Almost every second person sees benefits rather than drawbacks to becoming a member. However, there is also a need to catch up, especially in the areas of political leadership and renewable energy. This is evident from an opinion poll published Friday by the Linz IMAS Institute among 1039 people over the age of 16.
Specifically, 31 percent of Austrians believe that EU membership is “very important”, for another 29 percent it is “rather important”. 18 percent say “Not particularly important” about the importance. 13 percent think: “Not important at all”. An education gap can be seen in the assessment of the population: higher educated people rate the importance above average. On the other hand, differences by age or gender are hardly visible.
2014 Trend reversal in the assessment of the importance of membership
A comparison with past survey results shows that the current estimate of the importance after EU accession in 1995 is the highest since 1996. Up to and including 2014, the majority of Austrians even attached little importance to EU membership. Then the trend reversed.
Every second person sees “more benefit” in joining the EU
48 percent are now also convinced that accession has brought “rather advantages”, 24 percent see “rather disadvantages”. The climate of opinion has also changed on this point since 2014, when respondents were still aware of the disadvantages.
The pollsters explain the change of opinion among Austrians by the fact that Europe has been sliding from one economic and social crisis to another since 2008 – currently high prices, inflation and war on their own continent – and with it the importance of EU membership. has increased.
There is a need to catch up in the field of politics and renewable energy
In the eyes of the Austrians, Europe mainly differs from the rest of the world in terms of prosperity, culture, history and diversity. Europe, on the other hand, needs to catch up, especially in terms of political leadership and renewable energy. Since 2019, catching up is often needed in these two key areas.
The pollsters also asked respondents how much they felt European. A rating scale was offered for the classification: 7 meant “I feel very European”, 1 “I do not feel European at all”. 51 percent gave grades 7 and 6, eleven percent grades 1 and 2. Contrary to the trend in the answers to the previous questions about the EU, the sense of belonging has decreased by eleven percentage points since 2019.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
