Ahead of the EU Summit, a survey conducted across six member states revealed a mixed attitude toward EU enlargement. While there’s openness toward Ukraine joining, doubts linger about admitting countries from the Western Balkans, Georgia, and Turkey. The Guardian reported these findings.

The survey, conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), found considerable support for Ukraine’s and, to a lesser extent, Moldova’s and Montenegro’s candidacies. However, there are deep economic and security concerns regarding Ukraine’s potential entry, with worries about its impact on the EU’s security outweighing those who believe it would enhance it.

There’s division among member states regarding the benefits of Ukrainian membership: Poland and Romania see economic benefits, while Denmark and Austria foresee costs. The survey also highlighted a split between older and newer EU member states regarding the principle of enlargement, with Austria, Germany, and France less inclined toward admitting new members compared to Romania and Poland.

The survey indicated strong opposition to Turkey’s EU membership and a cool reception toward potential accession for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Serbia. Support for these countries joining was generally below 30%, with Kosovo facing the least backing.

The debate on how to proceed with enlargement remains underexplored, according to Piotr Buras, an ECFR senior policy fellow. He emphasized the need for a clear timeline for accession, allowing space for internal EU reforms and building public understanding of the necessity of enlargement.

Engjellushe Morina, another ECFR senior fellow, highlighted the summit’s significance, deeming it potentially pivotal in recent EU history.