After Ursula von der Leyen repeatedly stated that Ukraine’s integration into the EU should be accelerated, it was leaked that the European Commission would admit the country into the EU by early 2027 under a simplified procedure. The new approach would break with the merit-based process that has been in place for decades and would allow Ukraine to become a member—with more limited decision-making powers—before the accession criteria are met, ahead of other countries that have been waiting for membership for longer.
Ukraine must meet the accession criteria
The majority of EU citizens in all Member States reject the Brussels ambition. Századvég’s latest Project Europe survey shows that only 18% of the adult population would immediately accept Ukraine into the EU, 43% would prefer to stick to the usual merit-based procedure and 32% reject Ukraine’s accession completely.
Even in the Scandinavian countries, which are most pro-Ukraine, supporters of the Brussels proposal are in the minority: 35% of Swedes and 32% of Finns would agree to Ukraine’s unconditional accession. At the other end of the scale are Hungary and Austria, where 93% and 83% of the adult population respectively reject immediate accession.
Europeans are concerned about Ukraine’s accession for several reasons
Ukraine’s integration carries numerous risks, beyond the potential spread of armed conflict. Multinational companies operating in the country produce food in a concentrated manner and to lower quality standards, so the dismantling of the European Union’s market protection system raises food safety concerns and could put EU farmers in a difficult position. According to Századvég’s survey, Europeans are concerned about both issues: 53% of respondents are concerned about the former and 59% about the latter.
Historical experience shows that the mass exodus of people from affected countries during and immediately after wars can increase security risks in neighboring countries: 55% of EU citizens consider this to be a cause for concern. Finally, Ukraine’s accession would reduce the amount of EU funds available to Member States, which is a concern for 52% of respondents. For Ukraine to be admitted, not only does it need to meet the accession criteria, but it also needs to find reassuring answers to Europeans’ concerns.
In the first half of 2016, the Századvég Foundation conducted a public opinion survey covering the 28 Member States of the European Union to examine the views of European citizens on the issues that most affect the future of the Union. The Project28 public opinion survey was the most extensive ever, with a unique survey of 1,000 randomly selected adults per country, totalling 28,000. The main objectives of the survey were to gauge public sense of prosperity and to explore public attitudes towards the performance of the European Union, the migration crisis and rising terrorism. Following the surveys of 2017, 2018 and 2019, the Századvég Foundation, on behalf of the Hungarian government, continued the research since 2020 under the name Project Europe, which continued to reflect on the most dominant topics in European political and public discourse. The latest data collection took place between 8 October and 10 December 2025, involving 30,000 respondents in 30 European countries, using the CATI method.
