Almost two months before the EU elections, the Linz Institute IMAS published the results of a study on this subject on Friday. Even though the positive attitude among Austrians clearly dominates, a downward trend is still visible.
For more than half of the population, Austria’s membership of the European Union (EU) is important. 45 percent are also certain that joining will bring more advantages than disadvantages. However, about 22 percent would be in favor of leaving.
Lack of sense of identity
But 29 years after Austria joined the EU, not even half of the population feels fully European; only 47 percent feel this way. In 2019, this value was already 62 percent. Since then, the sense of belonging has diminished, IMAS said. 13 percent do not consider themselves European, 40 percent feel rather indecisive.
The importance of EU membership is also estimated to be less important this year than around 2022. Even though 54 percent of respondents currently say that membership is very or fairly important, five years ago this was still 60 percent.
The proportion of those who see more benefits than harm from participating also fell slightly by three percentage points over the period. The 45 percent who are now positive is compared to 28 percent who are skeptical. They believe that the disadvantages dominate. 22 percent of respondents would even be in favor of leaving the EU, 24 percent are unsure, and 53 percent want to stay there.
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.
