- Media participation, information sources and factors of opinion formation
- Respondents' expectations regarding EU integration
- Respondents' views of the key dilemmas regarding slovenia joining the EU
- Topical subject
- Programme for improving the awareness of the Slovenian public about the European Union and EU integration
Introduction
The report summarises the results of the analyses of information gathered in a survey of adult inhabitants of Slovenia. The results involved a representative sample (N=1006) of adult inhabitants of the country. A summary overview of data is presented below.
1. Media participation, information sources and factors of opinion formation
1.1 Information sources
The respondents stated the electronic media as their main source of information on the European Union. All TV stations combined, television was stated as the most frequent source of information by more than half of those questioned, second place being taken by radio stations and the third by the printed media.
Over a two-year period, the shares of respondents assessing that they are well or poorly informed about Slovenia's integration in the EU have not changed in any characteristic way. Most respondents considered that they are well informed (45.9%), while a quarter considered that they are poorly informed (24.5%). The shares of those extremely well and extremely poorly informed are negligibly small and do not exceed 10% of the population.
Graph 1:
Centre for Research of Public Opinion and Mass Communications, Slovenian Public Opinion survey (hereafter CJMMK - SJM EU)
1.2 Media participation, the level of awareness, interest in the EU and referendum intention
We also examined the link between the level of awareness, interest in the European Union and the referendum intentions of respondents in the context of media participation, i.e. with respect to the information sources chosen by the respondents.
Highest support for integration with the European Union was expressed by those respondents whose level of awareness is above average. Readers, listeners and those watching TV who otherwise assess that they are relatively poorly informed or are not interested in the European Union expressed relatively high support regardless of the prevailing source of information.
2. Respondents' expectations regarding EU integration
2.1 Advantages and disadvantages of Slovenia's integration in the EU
In answer to the question whether EU membership would bring Slovenia more advantages or disadvantages, most respondents stated their belief that full membership would bring both advantages and disadvantages (46.6%). Somewhat less than a quarter of respondents (23.0%) assessed that full membership would mainly bring Slovenia advantages, while 16.4% of all respondents believed that Slovenia's membership of the EU would bring more disadvantages.
Graph 2:
CJMMK - SJM EU
The question on the advantages and disadvantages that membership in the European Union brings to all its members were specified by those areas for which respondents considered whether Slovenia's EU membership would be beneficial or harmful. Most respondents assessed that Slovenia would mostly gain in the area of military security (71.4%), then in the area of democratic development (63.6%) and the area of the economy and industry (60.7%).
Graph 3:
CJMMK - SJM EU
Graph 4:
CJMMK - SJM EU
2.2 Expectations of European Union membership: arguments in favour and against entering
In the analysis, the announcement of any positive or negative consequences of Slovenia's joining the EU in individual areas was interpreted as arguments in favour or against Slovenia's entering the European Union. The convincing quality and power of those "arguments" was observed in the group of those in favour of Slovenia's entering the European Union (pro-EU) and in the group of those against it (contra-EU).
We were interested in what differences exist between the pro-EU group and the contra-EU group. Above all, it was found that the contra-EU group did not express strong negative expectations. In the pro-EU group, one can find a distinct prevalence of positive expectations - more than four-fifths (81.6%) of respondents stated more positive than negative expectations. One general factor here could be that those against Slovenia joining the European Union (contra-EU group) find fewer reasons against Slovenia's entering the EU than those who favour entering find arguments in favour.
Table 1: Positive and negative expectations of Slovenia joining the EU (comparison of pro-EU and contra-EU groups for 1997 and 1999, in %)
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Graph 5:
CJMMK - SJM EU
Graph 6:
CJMMK - SJM EU
2.3 Who will gain and who will lose on entering the EU?
Respondents' answers revealing their expectations can be illustrated through answers to the question by which respondents assessed which groups of inhabitants would gain and which would lose on Slovenia's joining of the European Union.
According to the respondents, the group which will gain the most is youth, i.e. university and secondary school students; 45.8% of those questioned said that this group would gain benefit. The respondents gave second place to the owners of companies, for which 39.7% of respondents assessed that they would benefit from Slovenia's joining of the EU. Characteristic changes in respondents' viewpoints can also be observed in the assessment of the position of politicians. Compared to the previous measurement, a characteristically lower share of respondents considered that politicians would benefit from Slovenia's joining of the EU; simultaneously, the share of those believing that politicians would lose out increased.
Graph 7:
CJMMK - SJM EU
2.4 Assessment of Slovenia's economic situation in the EU
Compared to the 1997 figures, the share increased of those assessing that the situation of the Slovenian economy after entering the EU will be better. This time, such a belief was expressed by 42.3% of those questioned. 17.5% of respondents held the contrary opinion, while 28.4% believed that the situation would be approximately the same as it is today.
Graph 8:
CJMMK - SJM EU
2.5 Assessment of the financial position of households after entering the EU
Compared to the assessment of Slovenia's general economic situation in the EU, in assessing their own financial situation, most respondents believed that it would not change after Slovenia's joins the EU. Such a viewpoint was expressed by 61.7% of those questioned, 14.8% of respondents believed that their financial status would be better, while 12.8% of them hold the opinion that their financial status would deteriorate.
Graph 9:
CJMMK - SJM EU
3. Respondents' views of the key dilemmas regarding slovenia joining the EU
3.1 Would you be sorry if Slovenia were not to join the EU?
Respondents were asked whether they would be sorry if Slovenia were not to join the European Union. The results show that most respondents would regret it if Slovenia were not to become an EU member (36.3%).
3.2 Who is slowing the EU integration process down?
Respondents also answered the question whether the process of Slovenia joining the EU is taking place too quickly or too slowly. Most considered that integration is taking place too slowly (38.7%).
The respondents who thought that the integration process is too slow were also asked who, in their opinion, is mostly slowing the process down. Those respondents believed that it is individual parties which are the most responsible for this - such an opinion was expressed by 12.2% of those questioned; second place was taken by the government (11.3%) and the third by the parliament (5.8%).
Graph 10:
CJMMK - SJM EU
3.3 Inclination of the European and Slovenia publics towards Slovenia joining the EU
The specific question "Do you believe that the European public is mostly inclined or not inclined to Slovenia joining the EU" was positively answered by 44.1% of respondents, 34.4% of them believed the contrary, while a fifth of them had no opinion on the issue.
Graph 11:
CJMMK - SJM EU
Respondents mainly believed that the Slovenian public is inclined to Slovenia joining the EU. This was the belief of almost two-thirds of respondents (63.0%), a fifth of them assessed that the Slovenian public is not inclined to Slovenia joining the EU, while 18.4% of those questioned answered that they have no opinion on the subject.
Graph 12:
CJMMK - SJM EU
3.4 Is Slovenia's status equal to other candidate-countries?
The considerations on the European public's inclination to Slovenia's joining the European Union are supplemented by respondents' views on whether the European Union is setting Slovenia the same conditions as other countries seeking to enter the EU. Most respondents believed that Slovenia is in a position equal to other countries in this sense (47.7%), a third of the respondents thought that the European Union is imposing on Slovenia less favourable conditions, while 3% of them thought that Slovenia has a more favourable position from this point of view.
Graph 13:
CJMMK - SJM EU
3.5 Can Slovenia develop successfully even if it does not join the EU?
Though on the basis of general indicators it is possible to find that most Slovenian inhabitants are inclined to favour Slovenia's integration with the EU and that Slovenian membership in the EU is the right way to resolve economic problems, respondents' answers to the following question show the inconsistency of views expressed regarding integration with the European Union. Specifically: the question whether Slovenia can develop successfully even if it does not join the EU was positively answered by most of those questioned (47.7%).
Graph 14:
CJMMK - SJM EU
3.6 Referendum intention
Answering the question as to how they would vote at a referendum on Slovenia joining the EU, more than two-thirds of respondents expressed their opinion that they would vote in favour of entering.
Graph 15:
CJMMK - SJM EU
We can also establish that, in respondents' answers to the question as to when Slovenia will become a full member of the EU, realistic "tones" prevail. Most of the respondents are convinced that Slovenia will be accepted into the EU in 2004 or 2005, while 12% of those questioned considered that Slovenia will become a full member in 2002. Only a small share of respondents believed that Slovenia will never become a full member of the EU (3.4%).
Graph 16:
CJMMK - SJM EU
4. Topical subject
4.1 Assessment of the European Commission report
The respondents considered how the Slovenian government is reacting to the specific requirements of the EU regarding integration in the European Union. There were almost equal proportions of those assessing that the Slovenian government is reacting appropriately or inappropriately to the European Union's specific requirements. The share of those believing that the reaction of the Slovenia side in such cases is inappropriate was 28.1%, 21.2% were of the contrary opinion, while the remaining respondents were undecided on this issue.
Respondents also answered a question about the recent report of the European Commission. The results show that more than half of them (54.1%) had heard about the report. Those who had heard about the report mostly believed that Slovenia is assessed realistically in the report, only a small portion of respondents thought that it is excessively or insufficiently critical of Slovenia.
5. Programme for improving the awareness of the Slovenian public about the European Union and EU integration
5.1 Familiarity with implementation of the Programme
Most respondents (53.0%) stated that they are not familiar with the Programme implemented by the Slovenian government, while somewhat more than a third (37.4%) of respondents said they are familiar with it.
Graph 17:
CJMMK - SJM EU
5.2 Familiarity with specific activities of the government's Programme
In this framework, we separately asked respondents about their familiarity with specific activities of the government's programme, with the so-called Evrofon, the pages on the Internet, Euro postcards (EU information application forms), books, brochures and the Evrobilten bulletin. The results show that the Evrofon', i.e. the free telephone information service available through the number 080 2002, is the best known of these information projects. Among the listed projects within the government's programme to better inform the Slovenian public, the least recognisable are the slogan "Slovenia at Home in Europe" and the logo. Through the use of the method of recollection, the logo was stated by 6.8% and the slogan by 1.3% of all respondents.
Graph 18:
CJMMK - SJM EU
UNIVERSITY IN LJUBLJANA
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES - INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES
Centre for Research of Public Opinion and Mass Communications
Ljubljana, Kardeljeva ploščad 5
Tel.: 1805-105
Fax: 1805-104
Commissioner: Government PR and Media Office of the Republic of Slovenia