As many as 48 percent of Slovaks think society is not heading in the right direction, according to an opinion poll that the Focus agency carried out for the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) between October 30 and November 6, the TASR newswire wrote.
Out of the respondents, 44 percent said society was heading in the right direction, while 8 percent had no response.
The situation has changed in comparison to a similar poll in fall 2006 that revealed 54 percent of the respondents were optimistic and 36 percent pessimistic about society’s development. Since 2007, there has been a 10-percentage-point fall among the optimists and a 12-point rise in the pessimists.
Among the optimists, the majority is represented by supporters of the governing Smer party (67 percent of optimists; 26 percent pessimists) and Slovak National Party (SNS - 61 percent of optimists; 36 percent pessimists). The third governing party HZDS supporters were equally optimistic and pessimistic (44 percent).
Out of the opposition parties, supporters of the Christian Democrats (KDH) were the most pessimistic (23 percent optimistic; 69 percent pessimistic), Zora Bátorová and Oľga Gyarfášová from IVO told TASR.
Compiled by Jana Liptaková from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
