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Dutch More Accepting of EU Balkan Membership due to Ukraine War

Xhorxhina Bami

Pristina

BIRN

November 25, 202218:05

Report presented on Friday says the Dutch public has become more favourable to EU enlargement in the Western Balkan countries as a result of Russia's attack on Ukraine – though it still remains divided.

EU and Balkan leaders pose with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (C-R) and European Council President Charles Michel (C-L) at Western Balkans Conference in Berlin, November 3, 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN.

A report on Dutch public opinion on EU membership for the Western Balkans, compiled by BIEPAG, the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group, concludes that the Dutch have become more acceptable due to the war in Ukraine, now considering the enlargement process important for the safety of Europe.

The report, titled “Public and decision-makers attitudes towards Western Balkan EU Enlargement in the Netherlands”, concludes that the war in Ukraine is a driver for EU enlargement because more Dutch people now think the Western Balkan area should be considered for EU membership, at least for geopolitical reasons.

“While almost everybody worries about the war in Ukraine, over 40 per cent of the approvers (of the enlargement process) want the EU to enlarge quickly because of the war. This is only the case for 10 per cent of the disapprovers,” the report reads.

It explains that “when discussing the war in Ukraine and what it means for the EU and the Netherlands in the focus groups, even the disapprovers were [now] more open towards new members, as more countries would mean a stronger European Union in geopolitical terms”.

Nonetheless, according to the report, while 80 per cent of the Dutch public worries about the war in Ukraine, only 26 per cent wants the EU to enlarge quickly because of the war.

In general, the Dutch remain divided more or less in half when it comes to acceptance of West Balkans enlargement.

Of 1,500 participants in the survey, around 45 per cent said they approve of enlargement to some extent. Around 66 per cent of the Dutch population believes that if a country fulfils the criteria it should join the EU, according to the report.

Moreover, a connection was seen between views of the EU as a whole and acceptance or not of the enlargement process of the WB countries. Those who view the EU in a more positive way also are more prone to support the enlargement process. 

https://balkaninsight.com/2022/11/25/dutch-more-accepting-of-eu-balkan-membership-due-to-ukraine-war/