Support for future enlargement

Close to half of EU citizens support further enlargement but the gap between those in favour and those against narrows

The latest survey shows that 49% of the respondents in the 25 current Member
States are in favour of further enlargement of the European Union in future
years and that 39% oppose this . Although very similar to the results obtained in
spring 2005, a further narrowing of the gap between supporters and opponents can be observed pointing to a more critical attitude towards further enlargement.


For information : the result of 2005 Spring poll
QA32.4. What is your opinion on each of the following statements? Please tell me for each statement, whether you are for it or against it. Option: Further enlargement of the European Union to include other countries in future years.
Public opinion about further enlargement continues to be volatile and to vary significantly from country to country , with highest support levels obtained in Greece (74%), Slovenia (74%) and Poland (72%). This contrasts sharply with the reluctance, if not outright opposition to further enlargement in Austria, Luxembourg, France and Germany, where around 6 out of 10 respondents are against further enlargement. In the accession and candidate countries around 7 out of 10 persons interviewed support further enlargement, with the exception of Turkey, where support levels dropped from 66% in spring 2005 to 52% in autumn 2005. Detailled answers

Support for further enlargement of the European Union continues to be stronger in the ten new Member States. Although the size of the difference between the results obtained in the fifteen old Member States and the ten new Member States (25 points) highlights the diversity of opinions as regards the geographical evolution of the European Union, it is slightly less pronounced than was the case in spring 2005.

In six of the ten new Member States support there is now less outright support for enlargement. In Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Cyprus, this translates into increased levels of opposition, while in Estonia, Malta, Slovakia and Poland people now appear less certain of their views towards further enlargement.

In addition to Greece, public opinion in the 15 ‘old’ Member States appears to be
somewhat more positive in the Netherlands and Germany. On the other hand, in Sweden, Italy, Denmark and the United Kingdom, opposition to further enlargement increased significantly.

When analysed in detail, support for further enlargement reveals strong support for the accession of three member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Iceland (68%) and in particular Norway (77%) and Switzerland (77%).

Support is also relatively widespread for Croatia (51%) and Bulgaria (48%). Public opinion is more divided for Romania, Ukraine, FYCROM, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro.

Finally, a clear majority of citizens are opposed to membership being granted to Turkey or Albania: 55% and 50% respectively of citizens are opposed to their accession.

QA44. For each of the following countries, would you be in favour or against it becoming part of the European Union in the future?

Citizens in the new Member States also have a more open and approving attitude than respondents in the fifteen old Member States in terms of support for the inclusion of specific countries. However, in comparison to spring 2005, public opinion in the new Member States has become significantly more negative with regards to all the countries included in the list, whereas the shift in the fifteen old Member States is more moderate.