Prague, June 21 (CTK) – Sixty percent of Czechs do not wish Britain to leave the European Union and 22 percent hold the opposite opinion, according to a flash poll by the Median agency for public Czech Radio (CRo) which released it yesterday, two days before the Brexit referendum.
The poll also showed that less than a half of Czechs would support remaining in the EU if they had a similar chance.
Czechs are mainly afraid of the economic impact of Britain’s possible withdrawal from the EU. They mainly cited a loss of job opportunities for Czechs in Britain and a reduction of export to Britain, CRo said.
Brexit is opposed by voters of a majority of Czech parties in parliament, particularly the rightist opposition TOP 09 and the three government coalition members – ANO, the Social Democrats (CSSD) and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL).
Voters of the opposition Dawn, Communists (KSCM) and the Civic Democrats (ODS) form the strongest group of Brexit supporters, the poll showed.
Forty-nine percent of respondents would vote for remaining in the EU if a referendum were held in the Czech Republic.
More than one third of the polled would support leaving the EU, 12 percent would not participate in the referendum and the rest were unable to give an answer.
The supporters of the Czech Republic’s remaining in the EU would win in the proportion 59 to 41 if those who rule out their participation in the referendum were subtracted.
Median conducted the flash poll on a sample of more than 1000 people.
ms/dr/pv
