European Public Opinion Three Decades After the Fall

European Public Opinion Three Decades After the Fall of Communism Laura Silver Senior Researcher @lauraruthsilver

Pew Research Center • Established 1996 • Funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, foundations • Non-profit, non-partisan fact tank in Washington • Since 2001, we have surveyed in 108 countries • www. pewresearch. org • @pewresearch 2

Methodology • Survey conducted across 17 countries from May 13 to August 12, 2019, totaling 18, 979 respondents • Based on telephone and face-to-face interviews with nationally representative samples of adults 18 and older • The margin of sampling error for the completed set of weighted data is ± 2. 9% to ± 4. 7% 3

Country coverage 4

THE POST-COMMUNIST TRANSITION November 23, 2020 5

Most approve of shift to multiparty and free market systems % who approve that their country changed from one-party rule/state-controlled economy to a … Poland Multiparty system 85% East Germany* Market economy [VALUE] % 85 Czech Rep. 83 82 76 Slovakia 74 71 Hungary 72 70 Lithuania 70 69 Bulgaria 54 Ukraine Russia 55 51 47 43 38 Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 6

Publics divided over economic situation after communism % who say that the economic situation for most people today is __ than it was under communism Better About the same Poland [VALUE]% Czech Rep. 61 Lithuania 56 Hungary 47 Slovakia Russia Ukraine Bulgaria Worse 45 27 25 24 13 16 12 25 14 31 13 38 53 12 54 11 57 Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 7 17

Opinion of post-communism changes % who say changes since 1989/1991 have had a very good/good influence on. . . Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 8

Since 1991, life satisfaction has improved across Europe % who say 7, 8, 9 or 10 on a ladder of life where the top of the ladder (10) represents the best possible life * East and West Germany respondents live in former German Democratic Republic and pre-1990 Federal Republic of Germany, respectively. Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 9

Politicians, business people seen to benefit post-communism % who believe that __ have benefited a great deal/fair amount from the changes since 1989/1991 Politicians Bulgaria Business People [VALUE]% Czech Rep. 91 Slovakia 91 Poland 89 Hungary 89 Ukraine 88 Russia Ordinary People [VALUE]% 89 54 80 42 89 68 78 41 89 72 70 Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 10 21 22

DEMOCRACY AND THE EUROPEAN PROJECT November 23, 2020 11

Judicial fairness, gender equality top priorities for most Western Europeans % who say it is very important to have __ in their country UK Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 12

Fair judiciary most important in Central and Eastern Europe % who say it is very important to have __ in their country Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 13

Most Europeans think voting gives people like them a say % who __ that voting gives people like them some say about how the government runs things Disagree Spain Swed. . . Slova. . . Czec. . . Poland France Greece Nethe. . . Bulga. . . Germ. . . Italy Lithu. . . UK Hung. . . Ukraine Russia Agree [VALUE]% 19 [VALUE]% 80 75 73 71 67 67 67 23 24 26 31 33 33 33 36 36 33 37 62 62 62 61 61 46 51 21 74 42 54 Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 14

Dissatisfaction with democracy is common in Europe % who say they are __ with the way democracy is working in their country Not satisfied Swed. . . Nethe. . . Poland Germ. . . Lithu. . . Czec. . . Slova. . . Hung. . . France Spain Italy UK Bulga. . . Greece Ukraine Russia Satisfied [VALUE]% 68 66 65 59 57 31 31 36 36 39 45 52 50 45 41 58 68 68 69 71 74 32 31 31 27 26 58 34 30 64 Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 15

Most across Europe are skeptical of their governing elite % who __ that most elected officials care what people like them think Swed. . . Nethe. . . Poland Slova. . . Germ. . . Italy Lithu. . . UK Hung. . . Czec. . . France Spain Bulga. . . Greece Russia Ukraine Disagree Agree [VALUE]% 51 45 48 48 63 62 35 33 29 28 28 68 64 70 71 73 76 76 78 23 23 17 13 84 58 36 80 15 Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 16

Largely positive views about the EU, its impact % who say… They have a favorable opinion of the EU Poland Lithuania Bulgaria Sweden Slovakia Germany Hungary Spain Netherlands Italy UK Greece Czech Rep. France EU Median Their country's membership in the EU has been a good thing [VALUE]% 83 77 72 70 69 67 66 66 58 54 53 52 51 67 [VALUE]% 59 54 60 59 74 62 67 59 50 48 55 40 54 59 Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 17 Economic integration of Europe has strengthened their country's economy [VALUE]% 62 25 51 58 69 65 [VALUE] 60 22 54 35 51 42 56

VIEWS ABOUT THE FUTURE 18

Optimism about financial future of children today % who say children today will be better off financially than their parents Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 19

Most are optimistic about relations with other European nations and their own country’s culture % who say they feel __ about… Pessimistic Their relations w/ other European countries [VALUE]% Their country's culture [VALUE]% 26 Their education system 68 42 The availability of wellpaying jobs 51 54 The way their political system works Reducing the gap between the rich and poor Optimistic 37 53 31 68 23 Note: Percentages are medians based on 14 European Union countries. Source: Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey. 20

All Pew Research Center reports are available online at www. pewresearch. org Laura Silver Senior Researcher @lauraruthsilver 21