The tense geopolitical situation, a weakening economy, persistently high inflation rates, and the strong presence of Eurosceptic voices are leaving their mark on EU public opinion in Austria. This is reflected by a recent survey conducted by the Austrian Society for European Politics (ÖGfE), which was carried out online nationwide at the beginning of September among 1,000 respondents.
6 out of 10 respondents (61%) believe that Austria should remain a member of the EU, while 29% support leaving the EU, and 11% are undecided or did not provide an answer. This confirms a trend of increasing EU skepticism, which was only briefly interrupted around last year’s European elections: in a flash survey conducted the day after the election—when the EU skeptic Austrian Freedom Party became the strongest party for the first time—support for EU membership temporarily rose to 76%.
Over the long term—across 74 surveys since 1995—an average of 70% of Austrians have supported Austria’s EU membership, while 22% have favored leaving. The highest level of support for EU membership was recorded in autumn 1999 (82%), during a period of positive economic development, and again in summer 2002, the year the euro was physically introduced. The strongest desire to leave the EU was recorded in summer 2008 (33%), following Ireland’s rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon and the subsequent domestic political debate in Austria, and again in summer 2015, when refugee inflows to Europe intensified and the EU was also caught off guard by the UK’s Brexit decision.
The recent trade deal between the United States and the EU does not enjoy majority support in Austria. 54% are against the agreement, arguing that it places too great a burden on the European economy. Slightly more than a quarter of respondents (27%) welcome it, believing that it has helped avert another trade war. One fifth (19%) remain undecided on this issue.
Opinion in Austria is also divided on whether the European Union should conclude the MERCOSUR free trade agreement with the South American countries Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. One third (35%) support approving the trade pact, while almost as many (33%) oppose it. Another third (31%) have not yet made up their mind yet.
Public opinion is similarly split regarding European support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s war of aggression. Overall, 46% consider such support to be “very” or “rather important” (23% each), while nearly as many—43%—view European solidarity with Kyiv as “rather unimportant” (18%) or “not important at all” (25%). Ten percent of respondents did not express an opinion on this issue. Over time, since 2023, there have been hardly any noticeable changes in public opinion in Austria.
Background:
The current survey was conducted by market on September 5-9, 2025, on behalf of ÖGfE. A total of 1,000 people across Austria were surveyed online.
Sample: Austrian population aged 16 to 80, representative in terms of age, gender, region, and education. Maximum margin of error is ±3.16 percent. Totals may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding. Missing values correspond to “don’t know / no answer.”
