http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/30770/czechs_divided_over_benefits_of_e u_membership
ANGUS REID (CANADA) Czechs Divided Over Benefits of EU Membership May 26, 2008 (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in the Czech Republic are evenly divided over whether belonging to the European Union (EU) has benefited their country or not, according to a poll by CVVM. 40 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the EU membership, up eight points since April 2007. Conversely, 39 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the participation in the continental group. In May 2004, ten countries-Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia-joined the EU. The Czech Republic has delayed the target date to adopt the euro as its currency until 2012. The Czech Parliament has passed the Lisbon Treaty-a new common EU body of law-in first reading, and is expected to fully ratify the agreement before the end of the year. The opposition Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) has urged the government-which brought together the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the Green Party (SZ), and the Christian and Democratic Union - Czech People's Party (KDU-CSL)-to hold a nationwide referendum in order to endorse the document. The other opposition party in the Chamber of Deputies-the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD)-supports the Lisbon Treaty. On Apr. 29, the Czech Senate submitted the Lisbon Treaty to the Constitutional Court, for a review on whether the EU agreement is in harmony with the country's constitution. On May 21, the Czech government followed the path of several Western European countries and recognized the independence of Kosovo, which unilaterally seceded from Serbia in February. Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg declared: "The development was such that Kosovo became independent. And we must work with this fact, and recognize the reality." Polling Data Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Czech Republic's membership in the European Union (EU)? Apr. 2008 Satisfied 40% Dissatisfied 39% Neither 15% Not sure 6% Apr. 2007 Satisfied 32% Dissatisfied 36% Neither 27% Not sure 5% Apr. 2006 Satisfied 36% Dissatisfied 41% Neither 19% Not sure 4% Source: CVVM Methodology: Interviews with 1,018 Czech adults, conducted from Apr. 7 to Apr. 14, 2008. No margin of error was provided.
