New Eurobarometer results published
New Eurobarometer poll results have been published which show how Croatian public viewed the European Union in autumn of last year. In Croatia, the poll was conducted from 7 to 16 November 2015, on a representative sample of 1008 adult citizens. This was the 84th report by Eurobarometer and the 23rd which included Croatia. The poll was conducted during the parliamentary elections in Croatia and in the period which was marked by the refugee crisis, reports Večernji List on March 1, 2016.
Results show that majority of Croats (51 percent) perceive the European Union positively. Only 12 percent of respondents think negatively about the EU while in the EU the average is 23 percent. Since the previous poll, the number of respondents in Croatia who have a positive attitude towards the EU increased by four percentage points, while the percentage of those who think negatively remained the same.
The majority of Croatian respondents advocate for a stronger European Union with common policies at the European level. Three-fifths of Croatian citizens support the enlargement of the European Union while in the rest of the EU the majority of people is against the enlargement.
Croatians are among the most optimistic nations concerning the future of the European Union and are much more optimistic than the average citizen of the EU when it comes to the direction in which things are going in the European Union. Croatian respondents see unemployment as the biggest problem in Croatia while at EU level the immigration is seen as the major issue.
As for the quality of life in their country, Croatian respondents say that it is poor while the rest of Europeans on average think that the quality of life in their countries is good. There are more people who do not expect any major changes in the next 12 months than those who believe that there will be positive changes.
The study also included views on economic issues, immigration, information on the European Union, as well as questions about civil issues and life values. Croats believe that human rights are the most important value, followed by respect for human life and peace.
