Croatia tops support for Bosnia’s EU membership

A majority of Croatian citizens support further enlargement of the European Union, with the highest level of support given to Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession, according to the results of a special Eurobarometer on enlargement published by the European Commission.

As many as 61% of respondents in Croatia are in favour of further enlargement, compared with 56% at EU level. They believe that candidate countries should join the EU once they meet the necessary conditions and consider enlargement beneficial for their own country, CE Report quotes HINA.

The strongest support for further enlargement was recorded in Sweden (78%), Denmark (75%) and Lithuania (74%). The least favourable towards enlargement are the French and Czechs (43%), Austrians (45%) and Germans (49%).

Croatian citizens are most inclined to support Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession, with 74% in favour, compared with 48% at EU level.

After Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatians most support the accession of Montenegro (69%), followed by Ukraine (66%) and Kosovo (62%). The lowest level of support, 51%, is for Serbia’s accession.

At EU level, the highest support is for Ukraine (52%) and Montenegro (51%).

The survey was conducted between February and June this year through face-to-face interviews in member states and in candidate and potential candidate countries.

Among candidate countries, the strongest support for joining the EU was shown in Albania (91%), followed by North Macedonia (69%). The lowest support for EU membership was recorded in Serbia (33%).

Among eastern neighbours, the highest support for joining the EU was recorded in Georgia (74%), where a pro-Russian party is in power, and in Ukraine (68%).

The European Union has the most positive image in Albania, with 82% of respondents holding a favourable view, while the weakest standing is in Serbia, where only 38% see the EU positively. In Ukraine, 49% of respondents have a positive view of the EU, in Moldova 55% and in Georgia 43%.

Interestingly, 49.9% of respondents in Turkey support their country's EU membership, while 50.7% have a positive view of the EU.