Eurobarometer shows only 45% in Austria back new members, compared to 56% across the bloc.
A new Eurobarometer survey reveals that most Austrians reject admitting new members to the European Union, setting Vienna apart from much of the bloc at a moment when enlargement is again on Europe’s agenda, reported by ORF.
The poll, presented Tuesday ahead of EU ministers’ talks in Copenhagen, shows that while 56 percent of Europeans support expansion, only 45 percent of Austrians agree. Only in the Czech Republic and France is skepticism higher. By contrast, citizens in Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, and Finland rank among the strongest advocates for enlargement.
Europe-wide, concerns over further expansion include uncontrolled migration, corruption, organized crime, terrorism, and costs for taxpayers.
In Austria, no candidate country wins majority support. Ukraine, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina top the list, each with 40 percent approval, followed by Serbia at 39 percent and North Macedonia at 34 percent. Moldova (33 percent), Albania (30 percent), Georgia (29 percent), and Kosovo (28 percent) trail behind, while Turkey fares worst, with only 19 percent backing.
Austrian European Affairs Minister Claudia Plakolm of the conservative ÖVP said the results confirm widespread frustration. “The process has dragged on for more than 20 years without concrete results,” she told the APA news agency. “Naturally, people lose faith, and the benefits fade into the background.”
Plakolm cautioned that the drawn-out process also threatens the pro-EU mood in the Western Balkans. “If negotiations continue without visible progress, sentiment in these countries could sour as well,” she warned.
The survey highlights Austria’s growing distance from northern European optimism about enlargement—and underscores the challenge EU leaders face in keeping both current members and candidate nations on board.
