Flags of the Western Balkan countries
Dec 13, 2023. Posted by Balkan
Periscope - Hellas
A survey conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR),
operating in seven European capital cities, shows low support for Kosovo’s
accession to the European Union.
From the survey conducted in six EU member states, precisely in Germany, Denmark, Poland, Romania, France, and Austria, only 20 percent of respondents believe that Kosovo should be able to join the EU, while 37 percent express opposition.
The survey was conducted from November 7 to 19, 2023, and involved 6,153
respondents.
In the summary of the report by this institute, it is stated that the
survey reveals that Europeans are open-minded about Ukraine’s acceptance,
despite economic and security risks associated with such a move.
There is also significant support for the accession of Montenegro and
Moldova to the EU.
However, further in the report’s summary on this survey, it is stated that
there is broad opposition to Turkey’s accession to the EU and “cool reactions”
to the candidacies of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North
Macedonia, and Serbia.
For the Western Balkans, according to this survey, the “weakest” support is
for Kosovo, with 20 percent stating it should be able to join and 37 percent
expressing opposition. Support for Albania is also low, with only 24 percent in
favor and 35 percent against.
After Kosovo, only Turkey remains, where 51 percent of respondents
expressed that Turkey is not able to join the EU, while 19 percent are in favor
of accession.
The countries most opposed to
Albania are Austria and Germany
Citizens of Western European states are skeptical and generally express
opposition to Albania’s accession to the EU. Eastern European countries are
more positive.
Austria has the highest rate of non-acceptance, with 49% of Austrians
opposing Albania’s accession to the EU. They are followed by Germans, who have
a non-acceptance rate of 47%. Also, 41% of French people are against.
The percentage of refusal is much lower for Eastern European countries.
Only 16% of Romanians and 18% of Poles express opposition to Albania’s
accession to the EU.
Austrians “reject” Kosovo as
well
A high percentage of those who expressed that Kosovo is not able to join
the EU comes from Austrians.
53 percent of respondents in Austria declared opposition, while 22 percent
were in favor.
Also, in Germany, 47 percent of respondents emphasized that Kosovo should
not be able to join the EU, while only 17 percent expressed support.
In France, 42 percent of respondents expressed opposition, while 12 percent
were in favor.
In Denmark, 33 percent were against, 22 percent were in favor.
20 percent of respondents in Poland expressed support, while 27 percent
were against, and in Romania, 24 percent expressed opposition, while 22 percent
were in favor.
Highest support for Montenegro
Meanwhile, in total from the percentages drawn from the survey, for
Albania, 24 percent of respondents are in favor, 35 percent are against. Serbia
has 25 percent in favor, 35 percent against, and Georgia has 25 percent in
favor and 31 percent against.
Opinion was almost evenly divided for North Macedonia, with 26 percent in
favor and 27 percent against, while Bosnia and Herzegovina had 28 percent in
favor and 29 percent against.
In the region, the highest support was for Montenegro.
30 percent of respondents expressed support for Montenegro, while 25
percent were against. Moldova also had support, with 30 percent in favor and 28
percent against EU membership.
The survey found the highest support for Ukraine’s accession to the EU. In
Denmark, 50 percent were in favor and 22 percent against, Poland had 47 percent
in favor and 20 percent against, Romania had 32 percent in favor and 29 percent
against, and Germany had 37 percent in favor, 39 percent against.
In France, 29 percent were in favor and 35 percent against, and in Austria,
28 percent were in favor and 52 percent against.
Euronews