
The majority of European Union citizens are in favor of further enlargement of the union, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, according to which support for membership in Albania is the highest in the Balkans, at 91%.
According to the Eurobarometer survey, support for integration is significantly high in Albania, as well as trust in the union, as citizens value assistance for economic development and the fight against corruption. After Albanians, membership in the European Union is supported by the citizens of North Macedonia, with 69%.
In both neighboring countries, citizens see benefits such as increased quality of life and the opening of borders. Also, 56% of respondents believe that their country would benefit from the next enlargement. Support is particularly high among young people, with around 2/3 of citizens aged 15 to 39 believing that candidate or potential countries should join the European Union as soon as they meet the necessary conditions.
However, citizens also have concerns, mainly related to migration, corruption, crime, and the financial cost of enlargement. The survey was conducted in the period February-March 2025, with the participation of over 26,300 citizens from all 27 EU member states.
Similar surveys have also been conducted in candidate countries, such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine, where 1000 citizens were interviewed for each country. In Serbia, support for European Union membership is the lowest in the region, at just 33%, reflecting political concerns and a lack of trust in the union.
Overall, the survey shows that the image of the European Union is more positive in the Western Balkans than in Eastern European countries, with the exception of Serbia.