January survey of CVVM focused – among other issues – on the evaluation of Vladimír Špidla’s coalition government. In this respect it was investigated the citizens’ satisfaction with the declared government programme, government activities, its communication with the wide public and its members. Majority of the respondents expressed discontent in all the monitored aspects. Relatively the highest level of satisfaction concerns the declared programme, which was approved by two fifths of the interviewees, while almost a half of them (48 %) declared discontent with it.

Some measures aimed at the elimination of tax evasion or other forms of economic crime such as alcohol stamps (71%) and the ban on the sale of alcohol and cigarettes in market places (68%), property assessment (59%) and the ban on payments in cash from a particular amount and higher (51%) and the introduction of cash registers (58%) enjoy a relatively strong or strongly prevailing support. As far as the changes in the tax rates are concerned, the general public would not object if the duty on cigarettes (66% for) or alcohol (63% for) were to be increased.

In January 2004 the work of the government was evaluated positively by 27 % of the respondents and negatively by 66 %. Only one year ago this proportion of positive and negative answers was almost the opposite: in January 2003 the government was evaluated positively by 48 % and negatively by 39 % of interviewees. The substantial drop in government work evaluation occurred in between January and June 2003.

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.

According to the survey of constitutional institutions realised in mid-January, the highest level of confidence of Czech citizens belongs to the president – he is trusted by 72 % of the respondents. The government enjoys confidence of more than a third of the respondents (37 %). People show the lowest level of confidence in the Senate (20 %) and the Chamber of Deputies (26 %). Regional councils are trusted by 41 % and local councils by 61 % of citizens.

All respondents having the right to vote were asked an open question (i.e. without a list of political parties being used) investigating which party they would vote for if an election to the Chamber of Deputies took place the following week. The structure of the answers given is summarised in the table.

The question ‘Imagine that an election to the Chamber of Deputies is held next week. Would you participate?’ was answered yes by 70% of those surveyed having the right to vote (‘definitely yes’ by 31% and ‘probably yes’ by 39%), while 22% said no (13% ‘probably not’ and 9% ‘definitely not’) and 8% did not know.

In December 2003 Public Opinion Research Centre also included in its survey two open questions, where respondents named what they disliked most about human character and behaviour of people. The results of the survey show that as to the human character respondents dislike pretentiousness, lying and jealousy most, and with respect to the behaviour of people the first spots were occupied by pretentiousness, lying and aggressiveness.

Czech citizens rate the health care system of their country in a more favourable way than Hungarians, but simultaneously they view it significantly more critically than a year ago. At the present, 34 % of them are satisfied with the health care system in the CZ, on the other hand 36 % feel dissatisfaction with it. Every second person is content with the actual medical care, the share of those dissatisfied represent approximately one fifth of the population above 15 years of age.

According to the results of our December survey, most Czechs are reliable and try to fulfil their obligations. Eight out of ten respondents said that they fulfil their obligation towards authorities and friends in time. The rule “business before pleasure” is adhered to by more than 60 % of the population of our country. Most Czech citizens have a tendency to plan their future and not to act only on the spur of the moment.

In December 2003 Public Opinion Research Centre also included a few psychological questions in its survey. Among other things, we wanted to establish the attitude of Czech citizens towards their past. Overall, we can say that most Czechs have their own past and particularly childhood connected with positive emotions. Three quarters of respondents admitted that images, sounds and smells known from childhood often evoked in them nice memories and when looking back 7 out of 10 respondents recollect considerably more good than bad.