Austrian behind Selenskyj: Support for Ukraine at record high!

Austrian behind Selenskyj: Support for Ukraine at record high!

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj plans to visit Austria, which aims to inform the population about the importance of the Ukraine conflict for Europe and to motivate them. According to Hajek, an expert in foreign policy, this visit will probably not cause a significant polarization in Austrian society. He realizes that opinions about Selenskyj in Austria are relatively clear. The majority of the population supports the support of Ukraine.

A survey carried out by Hajek shows that about three quarters of Austrians support support for Ukraine. At the same time, 19 percent of the respondents express the opinion that this support is wrong and advocate the abolition of sanctions against Russia. It is particularly noteworthy that 56 percent of Austrians are for the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, which is a higher percentage than in countries such as Italy, Spain, France or the Czech Republic.

Austria in EU comparison

As part of an analysis of support for Ukraine in the context of the EU, it can be seen that Austria falls back compared to other Member States. While 74 percent of EU citizens support EU aid for Ukraine after Russian attack, the approval of Austria is only 60 percent, which is below the EU average. The support for EU sanctions against Russia is also comparatively low at 57 percent. This is illuminated by an examination by the press.

The countries with the highest support include Sweden (97 percent), Finland (95 percent) and the Netherlands (93 percent). These figures illustrate how different the perception of EU aid is in the different countries. In addition, Hajek sees the Austrian position as a "free -rider", since many citizens want neutrality, but are not willing to issue more for the army or to defend the country militarily.

social perception and future challenges

also remain the perception of the benefits of EU membership. Only 55 percent of Austrians believe that their country benefited from the EU, in contrast to the EU average of 72 percent. According to a Eurobarometer survey, there are numerous challenges for the EU: 28 percent of citizens see immigration and war in Ukraine as the greatest challenges, 24 percent call the international situation and 20 percent the increasing living costs.

Overall, it can be said that Selenskyj's upcoming visit to Austria offers an opportunity to promote dialogue about the role and responsibility of the country in the European security architecture. With a changed political landscape in which Beate Meinl-Reisinger plays a prominent role from the Neos, the impulses for a more active foreign policy may be promising.