International Relations

May survey of CVVM followed two questions related to the plan to locate U.S. anti-missile radar in Czech Republic. The survey investigated Czech public's attitudes to this plan as well as to eventual referendum on this matter. The report contains main results of analysis of sociodemographic differences and time comparison with previous surveys of these questions.

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In April CVVM survey respondents were asked to evaluate exercise of selected values in the EU. All respondents were also questioned, whether according to their opinion democracy, co-operation, tolerance, justice and solidarity are being exercised in EU. Furthermore respondents expressed their opinions about usefulness or harmfulness of European integration in areas of economy, politics, culture, country defence and ecology.

In April survey CVVM SOÚ AV ČR, v.v.i. focused on topic European integration and EU membership of the Czech Republic. We were interested in how Czech citizens are satisfied with membership of our country in EU and whether they are proud of being members of EU. Within the April survey we asked respondents, whether they think that decisions made by EU will be in the Czech Republic interest and whether these decisions will be in the interest of people, such as themselves.

About two thirds (68 %) of Czech citizens do not agree with planned deployment of U.S. anti-missile radar in Czech Republic, on the other hand a quarter (26 %) of respondents would approve it. More than three quarters (77 %) of respondents expressed their opinion that this question should be decided in a referendum, 18 % of Czechs disagree with holding a plebiscite in this matter. People who are against the referendum are for the most part supporters of idea to locate the U.

Within the February survey of CVVM SOÚ AV ČR there was probed the confidence of Czech Citizens in European Union, North Atlantic Alliance and United Nations and then the satisfaction with membership of these institutions. More than half of Czech people confide in United Nations (56 %), on the other hand 27 % people have sceptic attitude towards this institution. Half of Czechs trust in European Union, but two fifths (40 %) have an opposite opinion.

About three fifths (61 %) of Czech citizens do not agree with planned deployment of U.S. anti-missile radar in Czech Republic, on the other hand a quarter (25 %) of respondents would approve it. Less than three quarters (73 %) of respondents expressed their opinion that this question should be decided in a referendum, 19 % of Czechs disagree with holding a plebiscite in this matter. People who are against the referendum are for the most part supporters of idea to locate the U.

A third of Czech citizens (33 %) is satisfied with membership of the Czech Republic in EU. Almost a half of respondents expressed their opinion that they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with EU membership of the Czech Republic. On the other side 17 % of people are dissatisfied with it.

A half of respondents are satisfied with EU membership of Romania, while a third of Czech citizens do not agree with it.

In January survey CVVM SOÚ AV ČR investigated public attitude to membership of the Czech Republic in NATO and to some aspects concerning this membership. The question about satisfaction with membership in NATO was positively answered by more than half of respondents (55, 3%), on contrary 29, 2 % of addressed citizens shared opposite opinion . In comparison to year 2002 the same question was positively answered by 61 % and negatively by 23 % of respondents.

In November survey CVVM also asked respondents some questions about Benes decrees.

Currently more than a half of respondents share the opinion that Benes Decrees should continue to be in force, 13 % stood up for their cancellation, and more than a third (34 %) did not answer this question..

Expulsion of Sudet-German is considered to have been just by a half respondents, on the other hand a total of 32 % think it unjust.

Czech public more often than Poles, Hungarians and Slovaks consider Lebanese movement Hezbollah responsible for recent Israel–Lebanon conflict, but Czechs as well as citizens of other Central European states refuse the military operation of Israel in Lebanon. In the whole region people mainly support sending of UN peace mission to south Lebanon. People from Central Europe are mostly sceptic when thinking of the future of relationships between Israelis and Arabs.