(source: Sme)
In Slovakia, the big support for free movement and joint currency has remained, according to the latest Standard Eurobarometer survey published on July 29.
Of all Slovak respondents, 87 percent expressed their support for free movement in the EU – which is above average. As many as 75 percent of Slovaks see themselves as EU citizens; which is 9 percent more than the European average (66 percent). The support for the euro currency is now at 78 percent, the EU Representation in Slovakia informed.
A total of 30 percent of people in Slovakia perceive EU positively, 43 percent neutrally and 26 percent negatively. As for the feeling hat their voice is heard in the EU, 37 percent of respondents said Yes. As for the future of EU, Slovaks are more optimistic than the EU average: 54 percent against 50 percent.
In Slovakia, 70 percent of people perceive the Union as a global player. Slovaks also support joint European solutions in several spheres: 76 percent are for joint defence and security policy, 68 percent support joint energy policy as well as joint foreign policy.
As for challenges, those of Slovaks are similar to those of Europe-wide: the most serious are immigration (59 percent), terrorism (46 percent) and economic situation (14 percent).
Despite the fact that Slovaks see immigration and terrorism as a challenge at the EU-wide level, their domestic and personal worries are different. On the national level, Slovaks are most concerned about health and social security schemes (36 percent), unemployment (33 percent) and rising prices (23 percent). In personal worries, the answers stayed the same, only the order changed: the biggest worries were prices (33 percent), health and social security schemes (23 percent) and the financial situation of their own household (19 percent).
The EU investment policy is backed by 57 percent of people in Slovakia. Of those asked, 64 percent support unified digital market and 68 percent energy union.
