Why did Austria demand accession talks begin with Croatia while simultaneoulsy being the lone hold out in efforts to begin accession talks with Turkey? The answer is a little more complex than simply xenophobia or economics. In fact, it is an interaction of both.
If you take a look at this chart of general support for Turkish membership in the EU, you will notice that while Austria is at the bottom (just 10% of Austrians are in favor of Turkish membership) it is not alone. Only 21% of French and German respondents were in favor. Overall, only 35% of all EU citizens support Turkish membership. It is therefore hard to justify Austria's behavior as simply xenophobia since many other countries with nearly the same low levels of support for Turkey were agreed to press ahead. So why was Austria so vocal about its opposition while its larger neighbors were not?
Austria has no significnat investment in Turkey, nor is there a large Turkish population. France has the former, while Germany has both. This is compelling evidence that economic concerns trump domestic unease about the Turks in these two countries. It also gives a reason for Austria's push for Croatian membership, since Austria is the largest foreign invester in their Baltic neighbor. For Austria, Croatian membership makes economic sense, while Turkish membership promises domestic turmoil without any economic benefit. France and Germany, while also likely to face strong internal dissent over support for Turkish membership, can at least point to the economic benefits in an attempt to appease the public.
If you take a look at this chart of general support for Turkish membership in the EU, you will notice that while Austria is at the bottom (just 10% of Austrians are in favor of Turkish membership) it is not alone. Only 21% of French and German respondents were in favor. Overall, only 35% of all EU citizens support Turkish membership. It is therefore hard to justify Austria's behavior as simply xenophobia since many other countries with nearly the same low levels of support for Turkey were agreed to press ahead. So why was Austria so vocal about its opposition while its larger neighbors were not?
Austria has no significnat investment in Turkey, nor is there a large Turkish population. France has the former, while Germany has both. This is compelling evidence that economic concerns trump domestic unease about the Turks in these two countries. It also gives a reason for Austria's push for Croatian membership, since Austria is the largest foreign invester in their Baltic neighbor. For Austria, Croatian membership makes economic sense, while Turkish membership promises domestic turmoil without any economic benefit. France and Germany, while also likely to face strong internal dissent over support for Turkish membership, can at least point to the economic benefits in an attempt to appease the public.
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