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On The Way to The European Union
September 2000 › Excerpt from “Central European Public Opinion”, a special issue of “Polish Public Opinion”, created and published by CBOS The decisive phase of the negotiations of the Czech, Hungarian and Polish membership in the European Union has just begun. However, the EU more and more frequently signals that their entry may be postponed not only due to any potential delays in the implementation of the European Union law or other shortcomings on their part, but also because the necessity to complete the reforms of EU institutions and because of growing fears of citizens of some EU member countries. IF A REFERENDUM ON POLAND’S ACCESS TO THE EUROPEAN UNION WERE HELD NOW, WOULD YOU VOTE: Public opinion in the countries compared reacts differently to this situation. The number of those who support Poland’s integration with the European Union has oscilated during last year between 55% and 60%, though it previously was showing a declining trend. IF A REFERENDUM ON THE ACCESS OF YOUR COUNTRY TO THE EUROPEAN UNION WERE HELD NOW, WOULD YOU VOTE: In Hungary, the support for integration with the European Union is clearly the strongest. As a year ago, over 2/3 of Hungarians declare their willingness to vote for integration in a referendum. As compared to other countries, the support for access to the European Union is higher in Hungary and Poland than in the Czech Republic. Support for integration is relatively high in the Ukraine, although this country does not officially attempt at membership yet. While the access of the Ukraine to the European Union seems still quite distant, over half of Ukrainian respondents would be willing to vote for it, should a referendum be held on this issue. The support of Ukrainians is, however, much lower than the support expressed by Poles before Poland has started membership negotiations. The lowest acceptance of integration can be noticed in Lithuania, where supporters outnumber opponents by a small percentage only. The Hungarians not only declare the strongest support for integration, but also highly evaluate current relations between their country and the European Union. As in 1999, the largest percentage of Hungarians describe these relations as equally beneficial for their country and the Union. Almost one in four describes them as beneficial for Hungary in the first place. In contrast, Poles are relatively the most critical about the relations between their country and the EU: 50% of Polish respondents believe that they are beneficial first and foremost for the EU. The Czechs evaluate their relations with the Union better than the Poles, though not as well as Hungarians. However, this perception improves in the Czech Republic, while it deteriorates in Hungary and Poland. HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE CURRENT RELATIONS BETWEEN […] AND THE EUROPEAN UNION? WHO BENEFITS MORE FROM THEM? The societies of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland are close to each other in their evaluations of the distance between their countries and the EU membership. In each of these countries the largest percentage of respondents believe that they are more or less half-way to becoming a member of this organisation. The Lithuanians and Ukrainians evaluate the access of their countries to the European Union as a clearly distant prospect. Most of our Eastern neighbours think that their countries are still far from obtaining membership in that organisation. This feeling is especially strong in the Ukraine.

On The Way to The European Union

September 2000

› Excerpt from “Central European Public Opinion”, a special issue of “Polish Public Opinion”, created and published by CBOS

The decisive phase of the negotiations of the Czech, Hungarian and Polish membership in the European Union has just begun. However, the EU more and more frequently signals that their entry may be postponed not only due to any potential delays in the implementation of the European Union law or other shortcomings on their part, but also because the necessity to complete the reforms of EU institutions and because of growing fears of citizens of some EU member countries.

IF A REFERENDUM ON POLAND’S ACCESS TO THE EUROPEAN UNION WERE HELD NOW, WOULD YOU VOTE:

Public opinion in the countries compared reacts differently to this situation. The number of those who support Poland’s integration with the European Union has oscilated during last year between 55% and 60%, though it previously was showing a declining trend.

IF A REFERENDUM ON THE ACCESS OF YOUR COUNTRY TO THE EUROPEAN UNION WERE HELD NOW, WOULD YOU VOTE:

In Hungary, the support for integration with the European Union is clearly the strongest. As a year ago, over 2/3 of Hungarians declare their willingness to vote for integration in a referendum. As compared to other countries, the support for access to the European Union is higher in Hungary and Poland than in the Czech Republic. Support for integration is relatively high in the Ukraine, although this country does not officially attempt at membership yet. While the access of the Ukraine to the European Union seems still quite distant, over half of Ukrainian respondents would be willing to vote for it, should a referendum be held on this issue. The support of Ukrainians is, however, much lower than the support expressed by Poles before Poland has started membership negotiations. The lowest acceptance of integration can be noticed in Lithuania, where supporters outnumber opponents by a small percentage only.

The Hungarians not only declare the strongest support for integration, but also highly evaluate current relations between their country and the European Union. As in 1999, the largest percentage of Hungarians describe these relations as equally beneficial for their country and the Union. Almost one in four describes them as beneficial for Hungary in the first place. In contrast, Poles are relatively the most critical about the relations between their country and the EU: 50% of Polish respondents believe that they are beneficial first and foremost for the EU. The Czechs evaluate their relations with the Union better than the Poles, though not as well as Hungarians. However, this perception improves in the Czech Republic, while it deteriorates in Hungary and Poland.

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE CURRENT RELATIONS BETWEEN […] AND THE EUROPEAN UNION? WHO BENEFITS MORE FROM THEM?

The societies of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland are close to each other in their evaluations of the distance between their countries and the EU membership. In each of these countries the largest percentage of respondents believe that they are more or less half-way to becoming a member of this organisation. The Lithuanians and Ukrainians evaluate the access of their countries to the European Union as a clearly distant prospect. Most of our Eastern neighbours think that their countries are still far from obtaining membership in that organisation. This feeling is especially strong in the Ukraine.