Just six years ago (December 2017), according to a survey by the Austrian Society for European Politics, only 15 percent of Austrians were in favor of leaving the EU, now – in 2023 – this figure is already 12 percentage points higher, i.e. 27 percent.
What the Vienna-based EU lobbyists “Crone” see in the report as “stable results” should really worry the political leadership in Brussels: According to this current study, more than a quarter of Austrians are now against the EU. Don’t want anything to do with it. Near the bureaucracy – that would be at least 2.3 million compatriots.
However, the majority of respondents are still in favor of remaining in the EU: 65 percent do not want it to change. However, in December 2017, the pro-EU mood was significantly better: 77 percent of Austrians were satisfied with EU membership.
However, at the time of the survey conducted for the Society for European Politics from 12 to 18 September, the full drama of the failure of the EU border protection force Frontex could not yet be anticipated: on 12 September, the first dozen ships launched a new asylum attack on Lampedusa. Aya Ursula von der Leyen visited the Italian island on 17 September. More recently some independent media outlets, including eXXpress, discussed the scandalous behavior of Frontex border guards, who were funded by 845 million euros this year alone.
There may be more serious reasons for the growing reluctance to pursue EU membership:
Greek socialist Eva Kelly, former vice-president of the EU Parliament, remains sitting in the EU Parliament despite a massive corruption investigation – and the EU leadership allowing it.
Diplomats from EU member state Poland illegally sold 600,000 work visas to Africans and Asians – but the outrage was barely heard in Brussels.
Without any real need, the EU Parliament is increasing the number of parliamentary seats at the expense of taxpayers. The 15 extra MPs cost Europeans an extra 2.2 million euros per year.
Brussels also wants to intervene in our road traffic rules: An EU draft law states that driving licenses should be valid for only seven years from the age of 60, only five years from the age of 70 and only two from the age of 80. Will be valid for the year. The driving license must be renewed at your own expense After comprehensive medical and psychological examinations, the EU will decide whether to reissue the driving license or not. Speed limits graded according to age groups are also planned: a speed limit of 90 km/h will apply to novice drivers. This will make it almost impossible for them to use the left lane of the highway.
And because the entire administration and transfers to Ukraine also consume a lot of tax money, net payers (including Austria) must send an additional 66 billion euros to EU headquarters.
It is doubtful whether Ursula von der Leyen & Co.’s popularity rating will increase in the next round of surveys in 2024.
