The research showed that the attitude of the Czech public towards employing foreigners is not clear cut in this country: 45 % of respondents think it is correct, a similar number - 44 % have an opposite opinion. Most respondents believe that a cheap foreign labour force represents a threat to employing Czech citizens (82 %) and that the employing of foreigners in areas with high unemployment should be cut down (81 %).

Almost three quarters of respondents agree on the fact that foreigners should have the possibility of gaining long-term residence in the Czech Republic, but only under certain conditions. The opinion that foreigners should not be given the possibility to stay here on a long-term basis was expressed by 17 % of respondents and on the other hand residence without restrictions would be enabled by 6 % of respondents.

Within the May survey Public Opinion Research Centre was asking questions about satisfaction with life in places, where people lived. The question “Are you satisfied overall with living in your neighbourhood?” was answered by 69 % of respondents saying they were satisfied with living in their neighbourhood, 6% expressed dissatisfaction and 25 % were undecided. Furthermore, respondents were asked if they considered moving from their neighbourhood.

The survey showed that 43 % of respondents would prefer an urban area as the place of their permanent residence, while the countryside would be chosen by 41 %. Two percent voiced other opinions and 14 % could not decide. As to places of urban character, a similar number of respondents chose cities with a population over 100 thousand (a total of 15 %) and towns of medium size with 20 thousand to 100 thousand inhabitants (16 %).

Most of economically active respondents who are concerned with this problem stated that they did not have problems balancing both (59%). About a fifth handles their job tasks very well - but at the expense of their family (21%). Two percent experience the opposite – they cut work short for the benefit of their family. Fifteen percent manage to handle just half of family and work responsibilities. Three percent of respondents balance work and family with major difficulties.

Respondents were asked several questions concerning unemployment in the May census of the CPOR. The first question was to survey how the inhabitants assess the current level of unemployment in the CR. As our results show, about two thirds of Czech inhabitants over 15 consider the unemployment in the CR to be too high, 26% considered it to be adequate, and only 2% of citizens think that the unemployment in our country is too low.

Out of the seven assessed social conditions the access to education was evaluated to be good (80%) and access to health care to be good (68%) by the majority of respondents. Areas such as jobs vacancies, social security for the elderly, standard of living for the handicapped and mainly financial conditions to start a family or to get a flat were evaluated in a very critical way. The current censuses show the considerable discontent of inhabitants as far as the chance to get a flat, financial security to start a family are concerned, which have been present since 1996.

First we asked with which countries we should maintain close economic relations. Most frequently named states were Germany (59 %), Slovakia (36 %), Austria (29 %) and Poland (22 %), more than an eighth of respondents also gave the U.S.A., Great Britain, France and the Russian Federation. The order of countries, with which we should co-operate politically, differed; the most important partners for us should be Slovakia (45 %), Germany (44 %), Poland (29 %) and Austria (22 %).

In its May survey, Public Opinion Research Centre asked among others this open question (i.e. a question without possible answer options): “In your opinion what are the main advantages and disadvantages of the Czech entry to the EU? Please give the three most important advantages and disadvantages of Czech entry.” The respondents’ answers have shown that for them the most important advantages of our entry to the EU are the border opening (56%), the possibility of working in EU countries (35 %), the possibility to study in EU countries (24 %) and the overall economic benefit (20%).

The absolute majority of citizens feel proud of the Czech Republic in connection with sport (91 %), culture (89 %), history (88 %) and a little less with science and technology (77 %). Other reasons as a source for feeling national esteem are seen only by a minority of the population: in case of armed forces it is 41 %, functioning of democracy or relation to foreigners 38 %, in case of political...