That is the message to emerge after the European Commission published the results of the latest perception surveys on enlargement among citizens in the Western Balkans, Eastern Neighbourhood and Türkiye.
The findings, revealed on Friday, show that support for EU accession remains strong across the enlargement partners.
It says citizens are continuing to associate closer ties with the European Union with greater security, economic opportunity and better prospects for younger generations.
The findings were welcomed by the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.
The official said: “As the latest polls show, citizens across our enlargement partners are clear about what closer ties with the European Union mean in practice: stronger peace and security, wider economic opportunities, and better prospects for the next generation”.
In candidate countries and potential candidates, surveys show that EU accession continues to enjoy public support, although levels of support vary among countries.
In the Western Balkans, support is strongest in Albania (92%) and Kosovo (83%). More than 60% of respondents in Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are also in favour of joining the EU, while support in Serbia stands at 31%.
Expectations about the timing for accession have grown significantly in Montenegro, where 62% believe that the country will join the EU in the next five years, compared to 39% in 2025. In the Eastern Neighbourhood, support for EU accession stands at 71% in Georgia, 65% in Ukraine and 58% in Moldova.
In Türkiye, 46% of respondents expressed support for EU membership.
The perception surveys were conducted through face-to-face interviews between February and April 2026.
A sample of around 1,000 individuals per partner country and 2,400 individuals in Türkiye, was selected using a two-stage stratified sampling design method.
The results will help inform the Commission’s outreach and engagement with the public in partner countries. They will also support the Commission’s communication on progress in the enlargement process, including as part of the annual enlargement reporting cycle.
