Prague, March 20 (CTK) – Most Czechs are of the view that migration and terrorism are the main problems of the EU, having the most negative attitude to migrants from all EU countries, according to a poll conducted by the Eurobarometer last November and released to CTK on Monday.
According to the poll CTK received from the Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic Czechs are also unique in their perception of unemployment, calling it a rather negligible problem.
On the personal level, two-fifths of Czechs said growing prices and the costs of living were among the most important problems, while one-fifth said this was the financial situation of their household.
The view that migration is one of the main problems of the present-day EU is held by 63 percent of Czechs, while the figure stood at 13 percent in 2013.
Terrorism is now valued in this way by 47 percent as against a mere 8 percent four years ago.
Both latest figures are above the EU average with 45 percent for migration and 31 percent for terrorism.
Few Czechs believe that migrants mean a benefit. The view is held by 12 percent of Czechs, while the EU average is 44 percent.
The migration from outside the EU was given a positive assessment by 14 percent of Czechs and only 23 percent of them believe that the Czech Republic should help the refugees, which is the second lowest proportion within the EU. In this case, the European average is 66 percent.
Some 45 percent of Czechs are ready to receive people from other EU countries.
Some 95 percent of Czechs want to adopt stricter measures against illegal migration. In the whole of the EU, this attitude is shared by 90 percent of respondents.
When it comes to the future of the EU, Czechs do not much differ from the EU average.
Its positive future is seen by 49 percent and negative future by 47 percent, while the EU average figures are 50 percent to 44 percent, respectively.
An improvement in the European economy is presumed by 13 percent of Czechs, worsening by 30 percent and no major changes by one-half of them.
European values mainly lie in the sphere of peace, democracy, solidarity and support for the poor, most Czechs believe.
For almost one-half of them, the EU primarily means the freedom to travel, work and study in any of the EU countries.
Some 41 percent associate with the EU such negative phenomena as squandering of money, excessive bureaucracy and insufficient control of its outer border. In this respect, Czechs are among the most sceptical nations in the EU.
When it comes to the priorities of the European Commission, almost three-quarters of Czechs stress common defence and security policy.
“On the other hand, joint migration policy is only supported by 41 percent of Czechs, the smallest figure in all EU countries,” the pollsters said.
Over one-half of Czechs are for the introduction of a single digital market, energy union and joint foreign policy.
Only one-quarter are for a deeper and fairer economic and currency union, which reflects the Czech Republic’s not being a member of the euro zone, the EC said.
