Economic Development

Generally, critical views prevailed over positive opinion on the evaluation of the current economic situation. The lowest degree of dissatisfaction was recorded in Hungary (40% - bad economic situation but only 4% good), and the highest in Slovakia (70% bad, 2% good). The opinion of the Polish and the Czech general public could be inserted between the previous two and at the moment is rather similar.

People in the Czech Republic see the latest economic development in our country in a relatively dark light and they are pessimistic also about its latest development. Only 13% of respondents stated that the economic development of our country had improved compared to the situation 12 months ago. On the other hand, almost half (48%) think that the situation is worse now than a year ago and more than a third (37%) consider it to be the same.

The May census of the CPOR was performed about three weeks after the Czech Republic joined the European Union. In the census we were interested in what people understand about the impact. As far as the standard of living is concerned, less than a half of Czechs (45%) do not expect any change, almost a third of respondents (32%) are however concerned with is decline. On the other hand, approximately one seventh (14%) of Czech citizens are optimistic about an increase in their standard of living in connection with the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU.

Positive expectations in connection with the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU prevail only for the category of the available range of goods and services in our market when three fifths (61%) expect a positive impact, one quarter (26%) do not expect either negative or positive impact and only 7% suspect a decline. A relatively positive expectation of the impact was recorded also for science and research, where respondents expect the positive impact (38%) clearly more often than the negative one (8%) and also the neutral one (29%).

The standard of the Czech economy is evaluated as being positive by 45% of Czechs, 54%, on the other hand, are rather critical about it. As far as the present economic situation is concerned, the Czech general public is relatively concerned about it. Only 6% of respondents consider the current situation to be good, whilst 57% think that it is bad and 35% describe it as being neither good nor bad.

The January census of the CPOR surveyed the satisfaction of the public with the approved state budget. Questions were aimed both at the satisfaction with the fact that the Czech Republic has an approved state budget for 2004 and also at the formulation of the budget. The survey showed that the general public’s attitude to the fact that the budget had been approved was relatively positive. Only 11% of Czechs considered this fact as being bad, contrary to 42% who thought it was good.

The June survey allocated some of its space for opinions of respondents on situation of the owners of small and medium size enterprises. The results show that two fifths (41%) consider the objections raised by the concerned groups to be justified. 28% think the opposite and almost a third (31%) do not feel to be competent to judge. Those respondents who believe that the objections raised by entrepreneurs were justified also commented on the question if certain bodies should help to solve their problems.

We found out that 13% of citizens consider the taxes that are imposed on those with high income to be too high, 24% as adequate and 42% to be low, out of which 15% consider them to be “too low”. Taxation on people with average income is almost unanimously characterised as high by two fifths (44%) or adequate (40%), 4% characterise them as low. Two thirds (67%) of people view taxes of people with low income as high, 17% as adequate and only 2% as low.

Since February 1997 we have been regularly surveying what palace people allocate to the economic standard of our country compared to nine other European countries. 1% assesses the Czech economy as being very good, 54% as probably good, 39% as probably bad and 4% as very bad; only 1% could not judge the situation. When all countries were evaluated a table headed by Germany and followed by Austria was drafted.