GENEVA
More than 70% of Austrians would be willing to boycott US goods to protest US President Donald Trump’s trade policies, according to a survey released Thursday.
The poll, conducted by the Austrian Gallup Institute, also found that 55% of Austrians consider Trump’s presidency a threat to the European Union.
Only 32% are in favor of compromises with the US.
Amid heightened transatlantic tensions, 60% of Austrians said the EU should become more independent from the United States during Trump’s presidency.
Only 20% expect positive developments for the EU during Trump’s term of office.
While the vast majority said they could boycott US goods, avoiding American digital services proved less popular.
Just 45% of Austrians said they could stop using social networks such as Facebook, WhatsApp or X; 47% said they could forgo shopping platforms like Amazon; 53% could go without streaming services such as Netflix or Spotify; and 66% said American artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT are dispensable.
The survey also revealed a wide age gap on digital boycotts, with younger respondents less willing to give up US platforms.
Travel boycotts were more popular, with 60% saying a vacation to the United States during Trump’s presidency was out of the question.
“The introduction of higher tariffs reinforces the desire for the EU to play a more independent role in transatlantic relations. Compromise is hardly seen as a solution,” writes Andrea Fronaschütz from the Gallup Institute in a commentary on the survey.
