Poles largely oppose Ukraine's EU membership, poll finds

A recent poll indicates a significant portion of the Polish population opposes Ukraine's potential membership in the European Union. The survey, conducted by IBRiS for Radio ZET from June 12-13, found that 59.7% of respondents are against Ukraine joining the EU, while 35.3% support it. A further 5% had no opinion on the matter.

Breaking down the results, 8.4% of participants stated Ukraine should "definitely" join the EU, and 26.9% believe it should "rather" join, totaling 35.3% in favor. Conversely, 32.3% of respondents believe Ukraine should "definitely not" join the Union, and 27.4% think it should "rather not," summing to 59.7% in opposition.

The poll surveyed a representative sample of 1068 individuals using computer-assisted telephone interviews. This public sentiment comes as Ukraine formally pursues EU membership. The country, along with Moldova, obtained candidate status in 2022, a few months after Russia's full-scale invasion began. EU leaders formally agreed to open accession negotiations in December 2023, though opening specific chapters required further member state consensus.

Discussions accelerated after Hungary, which had previously blocked the opening of the first cluster of negotiations, withdrew its veto. On June 15, the first cluster, known as "Foundations," was formally opened in Luxembourg. This cluster is considered the basis for the entire enlargement process and includes reforms in the judiciary, anti-corruption measures, and adherence to the rule of law. Among the six negotiation clusters, this foundational cluster, covering rule of law, democratic institutions, and administrative reform, is typically opened first and closed last.