Austrian survey captures record-low enthusiasm for remaining in EU

Support to remain in the European Union (EU) has fallen to a sobering 60% in Austria, the lowest it has ever been in the 30 years since it joined the bloc. 

This low enthusiasm of the Austrian population was captured in a recent survey, Caliber.Az reports, with it's findings having been published just before the 30th anniversary of the country's accession to the union back in January 1, 1995. 

The survey, conducted by the Austrian Society for European Policy (ÖGfE), reveals that only 6 out of 10 respondents favour Austria remaining in the EU, with 25% advocating for an exit and 15% being either undecided or abstaining from an answer. 

According to the ÖGfE, the results are rather surprising as they point to a drastic decline in EU-support as a survey from June 2024 found that 76% had a positive view of Austria's EU membership. Back then only 17% favoured an exit similar to that of the UK's. 

Concerns also seem to mount when it comes to the future outlook of the Alpine country, as 55% of Austrians have expressed pessimism about it's future within the EU, while only 39% remaining optimistic.

The last time Austrians were feeling this somber about their EU-membership was in the summer of 2008, when 59% wanted to leave the union amid heated debates over the ratification of the widely unpopular Lisbon Treaty. 

The result of the study also highlight a growing disenchantment with the EU among Austrians: 71% viewed the EU as "weak," 61% as "unsafe," and 54% as "antisocial." Many are also of the belief that Austria did not profit from the EU expansions, as 24% said that accepting new members in the last 30 years was "rather bad" while 18% confidently responded that it was "very bad" for Austria. 

The online survey was conducted between December 2 and 5 with 1,000 participants. These findings underscore a significant shift in public sentiment, reflecting broader challenges in maintaining support for the EU among member states.

By Nazrin Sadigova