The Bertelsmann Foundation shows that support for Ukraine’s swift accession to the EU has fallen to 47% among European citizens

Support for Ukraine’s rapid accession to the European Union has declined across the bloc, according to a poll conducted in June by the German Bertelsmann Foundation. Only 47% of EU citizens support Ukraine joining the Union in the coming years, while 53% oppose such a timeline.

In Ukraine, however, support for rapid accession remains the majority view: 83% of respondents support this goal. The gap between Ukrainian and European public opinion has widened in recent years, although Ukraine’s accession remains an official EU objective and is considered important for Europe’s future security.

Among the largest member states, Germany records a low level of support, at 41%. In Romania, the figure is even lower, at 40%, while Sweden has the highest level of support among the ten countries analyzed, at 69%. In Germany, support for rapid accession stood at 60% at the beginning of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

The Bertelsmann Foundation warns that narrowing the gap between the EU’s political objective and public opinion will require more consistent dialogue between European leaders and citizens. Messages about the strategic importance of integrating Ukraine should be communicated more convincingly. The poll was conducted among a representative sample of 16,795 people from all member states.