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JANUARY
CBOS
2001
ISSN 1233 - 7250
IN THIS ISSUE:
Ø THE ATTITUDE TO
THE GOVERNMENT
AND OPPOSITION IN
POLAND AND OTHER
COUNTRIES OF
CENTRAL AND
EASTERN EUROPE
Ø EVALUATIONS
OF THE MATERIAL
CONDITIONS
OF LIVING AND
THE ECONOMIC
SITUATION
Ø EXPECTATIONS
RELATED TO
INFLATION IN
POLAND, THE CZECH
REPUBLIC,
LITHUANIA, RUSSIA
AND HUNGARY
Ø A TWO-PARTY
OR MULTIPARTY
SYSTEM?
Ø WHAT DO WE OWE
TO OUR
GRANDPARENTS
PUBLIC OPINION
RESEARCH CENTER
- CBOS 4a ¯urawia
00-503 Warszawa
POLAND
Ph: (48 22) 629 35 69
(48 22) 628 37 04
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Fax:(48 22) 629 40 89
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.cbos.pl
© COPYRIGHT BY
CBOS 2001
ALL SOURCES MUST BE CREDITED
WHEN ANY PART OF THIS
PUBLICATION IS REPRODUCED
THE ATTITUDE TO THE GOVERNMENT
AND OPPOSITION IN POLAND AND OTHER
COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
In January, public opinion research institutions from Lithuania (VILMORUS),
Russia (WCIOM), Slovenia (University of Ljubljana) and the Ukraine (KIIS) decided to
join the monthly public opinion research conducted by CBOS and its partners from the
Czech Republic (CVVM) and Hungary (TARKI), i.e. the founders of Central European
Opinion Research Group (CEORG).
Respondents were asked to evaluate the activities of the government and opposition
in their countries. Since present governments have been in power for different periods of
time, in some countries the public opinion on the cabinet is more crystallised than in others.
In the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland the same cabinets have been in power for a
relatively long time. In Slovenia and in former Soviet republics participating in the study,
the present governments have been in power for less than a year.
The long lasting Czech, Hungarian and Polish governments are criticised by the
respondents: in each of those countries negative evaluations outnumber positive ones. The
Hungarian government of Victor Orban is evaluated relatively high of the three (two-fifths
of opinions are positive). Milos Zeman's government in the Czech Republic and Jerzy
Buzek's government in Poland obtained much more critical evaluations. During the last
year the opinions on the Hungarian and the Czech government improved a little, while the
evaluations of Polish government deteriorated.
A new Slovenian government of a
EVALUATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT
long-standing prime minister Janez
72
Drnovsek enjoys very good
(%)
evaluations.
A small number of
62
Slovenians have no opinion in this
52
51
respect. The situation is slightly
49
different in the former Soviet
40
40
39
republics. The governments of Russia
34
34
32
and Lithuania, which have been in
29
29
26
24
power for a relatively short time, are
19
18
evaluated
rather positively. At the same
15
14
11
10
time, a high percentage of respondents
do not have any opinion on these
cabinets.
It is not true about the
Poland
The Czech The Ukraine Hungary
Russia
Lithuania
Slovenia
Ukraine, though. Negative opinions on
Republic
Good
Bad
Difficult to say
the government of Viktor Yushchenko
markedly outnumber positive ones
albeit not as much as in the Czech Republic and Poland. Bad evaluations of the Ukrainian
government are probably a result of a
rather poor political situation of the
EVALUATIONS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION
Ukraine, as well as the public
48
(%)
accusations against ministers.
44
42
40
40
40
The evaluations of the
39
39
37
36
opposition also differ from country to
33
31
31
30 31
country. In Slovenia, Poland and
29
27
Lithuania positive evaluations
24
21
20
outnumber negative ones. In
18
Hungary the number of good
opinions is more or less equal to the
number of bad ones. It should be
noted that the Czech Republic is the
The Czech
Russia
Russia
Slovenia
Hungary
Poland
Lithuania
only country where both the
Republic democratic communist
government and the opposition are
opposition opposition
evaluated negatively, while both are
Good
Bad
Difficult to say
evaluated positively in Slovenia.
More information on this subject can be found in the CBOS report "Evaluations of the activity of the government
and opposition in some Central and Eastern European countries", February 2001.
2
01/2001
EVALUATIONS
OF THE MATERIAL
CONDITIONS OF LIVING AND
THE ECONOMIC SITUATION
Subjective evaluations of living conditions are
related to the wealth of the society. In the countries with
higher GDP per capita the respondents' evaluations of
their standard of living are offen better,though this is not
always true. Among the nations taking part in the survey,
Slovenians are the most satisfied with the standard of
living of their households. About half of the Czechs,
Hungarians, Poles and Lithuanians believe that their
standard of living is average, neither good nor bad. The
Ukrainians and Russians describe their living conditions
as bad the most frequently.
EVALUATIONS OF THE STANDARD OF LIVING
OF THE RESPONDENTS' HOUSEHOLDS
45%
Slovenia
The Czech
Republic
Poland
Russia
37%
29%
17%
44%
21%
27%
46%
11%
8%
58%
34%
Lithuania
8%
57%
35%
The Ukraine
8%
42%
The Ukraine
24%
50%
Neither good nor bad
Bad
49%
37%
Hungary
9%
Poland
9%
Russia
7%
The Czech
Republic
7%
The Ukraine
3%
Lithuania
1%
21%
17%
22%
Hungary
21%
Poland
16%
Lithuania
15%
The Czech
Republic
14%
50%
29%
56%
45%
41%
19%
27%
Deterioration
4%
49%
3%
68%
27%
20%
2%
77%
Neither good nor bad
Bad
2%
Difficult to say
17%
41%
32%
Hungary
27%
11%
Slovenia
26%
8%
19%
46%
8%
31%
35%
1%
23%
39%
21%
43%
19%
19%
14%
Lithuania
No change
44%
5%
The Ukraine
Improvement
4%
57%
13%
27%
49%
5%
22%
28%
52%
34%
PREDICTED CHANGE OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION OF
THE COUNTRY DURING THE NEXT YEAR
6%
15%
46%
4%
22%
52%
Russia
Russia
41%
As far as short-term economic forecasts are
concerned, the Russians are the most optimistic. Also
Hungarians are more frequently optimistic than
pessimistic. In Lithuania and the Ukraine similar
proportions of respondents evaluate the economic
perspectives positively and negatively, although in the
Ukraine optimistic forecasts slightly outnumber
pessimistic ones, while in Lithuania the number of
pessimistic projections is slightly higher. In the Czech
Republic, Slovenia and Poland pessimistic forecasts
outnumber optimistic ones.
PREDICTED CHANGES IN THE STANDARD OF LIVING
DURING THE NEXT YEAR
24%
32%
Slovenia
Good
42%
Hungary
Slovenia
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE CURRENT ECONOMIC
SITUATION OF YOUR COUNTRY?
33%
46%
Good
ambivalent opinions prevail, but positive evaluations are
as rare as in the Czech Republic or Poland. The Russians
have a relatively negative opinion on the economic
situation of their country. The Ukrainians and Lithuanians
criticise the condition of their economies the most: three
quarters of Lithuanians and two-thirds of Ukrainians
believe that the economic situation of their country is bad.
Very few respondents believe the opposite.
24%
12%
26%
12%
10%
Difficult to say
The evaluations of the economic situation of the
countries of Central Europe and the former USSR are
rather negative. Slovenians are the only ones to express a
rather positive opinion on the condition of their economy.
Good evaluations outnumber negative ones in Slovenia,
but nevertheless ambivalent opinions are the most
frequent there. On the other hand, half of the Czechs and
almost three-fifths of the Poles evaluate the economic
situation of their country negatively. In Hungary
The Czech
Republic
16%
Poland
15%
Improvement
46%
26%
50%
No change
Deterioration
8%
Difficult to say
More information on this subject can be found in the CBOS report
"Evaluations of the living conditions and the economic situation in the
selected Central and Eastern European countries", February 2001.
Surveys conducted by: CBOS, CVVM, KIIS, TARKI, VILMORUS
and WCIOM.
PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH CENTER
- CBOS -
3
01/2001
EXPECTATIONS RELATED
TO INFLATION IN POLAND,
THE CZECH REPUBLIC,
LITHUANIA, RUSSIA
AND HUNGARY
According to official data, the last year inflation
in Poland was lower than expected. Furthermore,
according to the publicly announced optimistic
projections, this year the value of the wages and pensions
of Poles should not decrease. Nevertheless, the Poles
express the most critical opinions of the five countries on
the last year's devaluation. As many as four-fifths of Poles
declare that they can buy less goods with their income than
a year ago. Of this group, over two-fifths (44%) believe
that they can buy much less than a year ago. Only one in
twenty Poles believes that the value of the Polish zloty has
increased and one in ten says that the purchasing power of
the Polish currency has not changed.
Hungarians are the closest to Poles in this respect.
In fact, Poland and Hungary had similar inflation rates in
2000 (8.5% and 10%, respectively). The Czechs and
Russians have a stronger feeling of stability of the
purchasing power of their money. It concerns both the
evaluations of the last year's inflation and the expectations
for the current year. The opinions of the Czechs and
Russians are similar, but they are based on different
grounds. In the Czech Republic, the actual level of
inflation (4.4% last year) justifies optimistic opinions. In
the case of Russians, the main reason for their optimism
may be the fact that the hyperinflation they had
experienced not long ago was finally overcome and the
inflation rate decreased by tens of percentage points in a
short time. In this context, the inflation rate planned for the
year 2001 (12%) not only does not cause concern, but may
in fact arouse optimism.
CAN YOU BUY MORE OR LESS GOODS WITH YOUR PRESENT
INCOME THAN A YEAR AGO?
(%)
80
68
65
46
42 43
34
25
20
5
10
Poles
5
18
10
2
Hungarians
More
7
12
3
Lithuanians
The same
Less
3
2
Russians
Czechs
Difficult to say
Poles are the most pessimistic in their
expectations concerning this year's inflation. Almost half
of Poles are afraid that in a year time they will be able to
buy much less goods than today for the same amount of
money. Very few of them do not expect devaluation of the
Polish zloty. The Hungarians are the closest to Poles in this
respect. They also believe that the purchasing power of
their currency will decrease during the year.
The Russians are the most optimistic in this
respect. They are the least afraid of the evaluation of the
rouble and the most frequently believe that in a year's time
they will be able to buy at least the same amount of
different goods for the same amount of money. In the
Czech Republic and Lithuania, similar proportions of
respondents are afraid of devaluation of their currency,
although those two nations significantly differ in their
evaluations of the inflation level. Two-fifths of the Czechs
(41%) expect a small inflation and a little more than onefifth (23%) believe that the purchasing power of the Czech
koruna will decrease significantly. In Lithuania, the
percentages of respondents expecting a high and moderate
level of inflation are similar (38% and 32%, respectively).
IN YOUR OPINION, IN A YEAR'S TIME WILL YOU BE ABLE TO
BUY FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS TODAY:
More different goods
1%
3%
1%
1%
7%
5%
10%
9%
The same or almost
the same amount
of different goods
25%
32%
38%
32%
52%
A little less
41%
21%
47%
38%
34%
Much less different
goods than today
23%
19%
17%
Difficult to say
Poles
Lithuanians
9%
4%
Hungarians
Czechs
10%
21%
Russians
More information on this subject can be found in the CBOS report "The
Poles, Czechs, Lithuanians, Russians and Hungarians on inflation",
January 2001. Surveys conducted by CBOS, CVVM, TARKI and
VILMORUS.
A TWO-PARTY OR MULTIPARTY
SYSTEM?
When asked about their preferred system of
government, over two-fifths of Poles opt for two-party
system, while a little more than a fifth believe that the
multiparty system, i.e. one that Poland has now, is the best
for Poland. Only about a tenth are loging for the past oneparty system, while twice as many have no opinion
whasoever.
The opinion that the two-party system would be
the best for Poland is particularly popular among persons
with higher education (57%), managers and the
intelligentsia (52%). Half of respondents with centre
(52%) and left-wing (50%) views and two-fifths of those
with right-wing views (44%) opt for that system. The twoparty system has the most supporters among those who
vote for the SLD (the Democratic Left Alliance 59%).
49% of the supporters of the PSL (the Polish Peasant
Party) and the AWS (the Solidarity Election Action) also
prefer the two-party system. Among those who vote for
the UW (the Freedom Union), more persons believe that
the multiparty system is the best for Poland (45% vis a vis
41% supporters prefer the two-party system).
PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH CENTER
- CBOS -
4
01/2001
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HAVE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF
ELECTING AND EXERTING POWER.IN DEMOCRATIC SYSTEMS,
GOVERNMENTS ARE ELECTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIVES
OF DIFFERENT PARTIES IN GENERAL ELECTIONS.IN YOUR
OPINION, WHAT SYSTEM WOULD BE THE BEST FOR POLAND?
One-party
system
Multiparty
system
22%
12%
44%
21%
1%
Two-party
system
Other
system
Difficult
to say
Most respondents (62%) believe that it is better for
Poland if the ruling party has a strong opposition
controlling its activities in the Sejm and Senate.
More information on this subject can be found in the CBOS report "The
preferred political party system", January 2001.
WHAT DO WE OWE TO OUR
GRANDPARENTS?
Most Poles are aware of the ties between them and
their grandparents. Almost three-fifths of respondents
(59%) declare that they owe something to their
grandmothers and grandfathers, compared to over onefifth (22%) of those who do not believe that they owe them
anything. Almost every sixth respondent (16%) does not
know or remember his or her grandparents.
In the respondents' opinion, the most important
things that Polish grandparents give their grandchildren is
a set of moral values that help them find a way through life,
and the faith in God. The grandparents also give their
grandchildren their love. They act as guardians of radition
over half of grandchildren learn about the past of their
family from their grandparents and half of them obtain
historical knowledge in that way. Over half of Poles are
taught by their grandparents to love their country. A
similar proportion declare that they owe to their
grandparents such virtues as the sense of duty, diligence,
self-discipline and strong will. Furthermore, two-fifths of
respondents have obtained their practical knowledge
related to housework, running a farm, looking after family
members, handiwork or certain crafts from their
grandparents. A quarter of all respondents inherited their
interests or hobbies, e.g. a passion for science, art or sport,
from their grandfather or grandmother. Grandparents
much less frequently satisfy the material needs of their
grandchildren a relatively small proportion of the
respondents received from them a flat, house or another
legacy, such as a farm, land or money. That certainly
reflects poor economic conditions and a socialist system
in which the grandparents lived.
It should be stressed that the influence of
grandparents on their grandchildren is so significant due
to the fact that almost half of all adult Poles (47%) were
looked after and brought up to a significant extent by their
grandmothers or grandfathers.
DO YOU OWE THE FOLLOWING TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER
OR GRANDFATHER:
(Percentage of positive answers)
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
The feeling of being loved
60%
Religious faith
60%
Knowledge of the history of your family
57%
Such virtues as the sense of duty, diligence,
self-discipline, strong will
53%
52%
Love of the fatherland
51%
Knowledge of some historical facts
Practical skills related to e.g. housework, looking after family
members, handiwork, running a farm, practising a craft etc.
41%
Interests, hobbies, e.g. a passion for science, music,
painting, literature, travelling, sport, fishing, chess etc.
24%
A flat or house
15%
A legacy
11%
Something else
3%
More information on this subject can be found in the CBOS report
"What we owe to our grandmothers and grandfathers", January 2001.
In addition to the reports referred to above, the following have been published recently (in
Polish):
u
61%
Moral principles
Trust in public institutions in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary
Opinions on the health care at the end of the second year of the reform
Evaluations of the past year and projections for the year 2001
The frame of mind of Poles at the beginning of the new millennium
Opinions on the provisions of the electoral law and the representativeness of the Sejm
Social moods in January
Nurses' strikes and protests
Social image of politicians at the beginning of the year
Four reforms in the social opinion
The Poles' attitudes to the media a regional outlook
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Phones: (48 22) 629 35 69, 628 37 04
Fax: (48 22) 629 40 89
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