The unstable global situation is leading to growing support for EU membership in Austria, while trust in the United States is collapsing and now barely differs from the level of trust shown toward Russia. However, rapid EU enlargement continues to face skepticism, and opinions are also divided when it comes to further support for Ukraine. These are the findings of a recent survey conducted by the Austrian Society for European Politics (ÖGfE), carried out online across Austria in early March 2026.
In the ÖGfE spring survey, 64% of respondents say that Austria should remain a member of the EU—the highest level of support since December 2024. Meanwhile, 28%—roughly the same as last autumn—advocate leaving the Union, and 8% are unsure or did not respond. In the long-term trend—based on 75 surveys since 1995—an average of 70% support Austria’s EU membership, while 22% favor Austria’s exit.
When asked whether they consider the United States a trustworthy partner for Austria, only 16% currently agree. For 69%, the U.S. is not a trustworthy partner—a significant decline in Washington’s image compared to 2023, when only 47% expressed a negative view. (Remainder to 100% = “don’t know / no answer.”)
20% say that the People’s Republic of China is a trustworthy partner, while 59% are skeptical. Another 21% are unable to assess the question. Over the past three years, trust in China has increased by 8 percentage points, while the number expressing distrust has fallen by 13 percentage points.
14%—6 percentage points more than last year—see Russia as a partner Austria can trust. Meanwhile, 73% disagree, and 13% do not express an opinion.
Interestingly, respondents who favor Austria leaving the EU are more likely to view Russia, but also the United States and China, as trustworthy partners compared to those who support EU membership.
58% of respondents oppose the European Union admitting additional countries within the next five years. 27% support a near-term enlargement step, while 15% do not take a position. Opposition to enlargement has declined slightly over the past year (April 2025: 63%), while support has increased by 6 percentage points.
On the question of whether the European Union should support Ukraine in its defense against the Russian attack, opinions are evenly split. A total of 43% consider such support “very important” (22%) or “rather important” (21%), while 45% see it as “rather not important” (18%) or “not important at all” (27%). Twelve percent do not provide an opinion. Since 2023, the share of those who consider support for Ukraine unimportant has increased by 9 percentage points.
Background:
The current survey was conducted by market on March 2-5, 2026, 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.”
