Economic Development

Generally, critical evaluation of the current economic situation prevailed positive evaluation. . The highest degree of satisfaction was recorded in Czech Republic (12% good, 41% - bad economic situation, 42 % no good or bad), and the highest in Slovakia (70% bad, 2% good). Lower degree of satisfaction is in Hungary, where almost a half or citizens (48%) critically consider current economic situation, only 1 out of 20 citizens stated positive evaluation.

Two thirds of czech citizens indicated that the current level of unemployment in our country to be too high. 3 out of 10 respondents are worried about posible increase of unemployment in next two years , almost a half of respondents believe that rate of unemployment will remain the same and more than a tenth suppose that rate of unemploment will decrease.In comparism to year 2000 the current results of this survey are most optimistic .

Past course of economic transformation was a bit critically evaluated : 28 % of respondents consider the transformation to have been unsuccesful, 37 % of respondents chose the answer „half succesful - half unsuccesful, almost a fifth of citizens regard it to have been succesful. Evaluation of course of economic transformation has improved since 1999.University graduetes, students, people with good standart of living, ODS Party followers judge better economic transformation.

Three quarters of czech citizens think, that their standart of living remained unchaged,after the Czech Republic became a member of European Union. 5% of respondents stated that their standart of living had improved , 15% of repondents stated that their standart of living. had worsened during EU membership of the Czech Republic . Public worries about worsening their standart of living connected with membership of Czech Republic in EU were not almost fulfilled.

Generally, critical views prevailed over positive opinion on the evaluation of the current economic situation. The lowest degree of dissatisfaction was recorded in Hungary (40% - bad economic situation but only 4% good), and the highest in Slovakia (70% bad, 2% good). The opinion of the Polish and the Czech general public could be inserted between the previous two and at the moment is rather similar.

People in the Czech Republic see the latest economic development in our country in a relatively dark light and they are pessimistic also about its latest development. Only 13% of respondents stated that the economic development of our country had improved compared to the situation 12 months ago. On the other hand, almost half (48%) think that the situation is worse now than a year ago and more than a third (37%) consider it to be the same.

The May census of the CPOR was performed about three weeks after the Czech Republic joined the European Union. In the census we were interested in what people understand about the impact. As far as the standard of living is concerned, less than a half of Czechs (45%) do not expect any change, almost a third of respondents (32%) are however concerned with is decline. On the other hand, approximately one seventh (14%) of Czech citizens are optimistic about an increase in their standard of living in connection with the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU.

Positive expectations in connection with the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU prevail only for the category of the available range of goods and services in our market when three fifths (61%) expect a positive impact, one quarter (26%) do not expect either negative or positive impact and only 7% suspect a decline. A relatively positive expectation of the impact was recorded also for science and research, where respondents expect the positive impact (38%) clearly more often than the negative one (8%) and also the neutral one (29%).

The standard of the Czech economy is evaluated as being positive by 45% of Czechs, 54%, on the other hand, are rather critical about it. As far as the present economic situation is concerned, the Czech general public is relatively concerned about it. Only 6% of respondents consider the current situation to be good, whilst 57% think that it is bad and 35% describe it as being neither good nor bad.

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.