Accession poll – Majority of Austrians against Ukraine in EU

An enlargement of the EU to include new member states is currently rejected by a clear majority of Austrians, according to a recent survey by the Austrian Association for European Policy. This negative attitude affects the states of the Western Balkans as well as new aspiring countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. By contrast, a clear majority of 78 percent of those polled is in favor of further intensifying cooperation between EU countries.

EU enlargement not important for two-thirds
On the other hand, only 24 percent consider EU enlargement important or even very important. However, for about two-thirds of those surveyed, EU enlargement is currently less or not important at all. According to the survey, only 23 percent of Austrians would welcome Ukraine’s accession to the EU, while 51 percent reject such a move. The rest have no opinion about this. Compared to a survey in March, the number of supporters has fallen by eight percent, while those who reject membership have increased by ten percent.

Only 19 percent of respondents are in favor of Moldova’s accession to the EU, while 45 percent reject it. Only 14 percent explicitly approve of Georgia’s accession, while 51 percent reject it. Only 24 percent would agree to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the EU, for Albania it would be only 14 percent, and for Kosovo the value is also low.