Slovakia believes in the European Union the most out of eleven surveyed eurozone members, according to the Transatlantic Trends poll carried out by German Marshall Fund of USA (GMF). Some 62 percent agree that EU membership has had positive effects on nation’s economy.
The higher figures in this particular category were seen only in Germany (71 percent) and Poland (66 percent). Slovaks seem to be very optimistic about the euro currency too, as more than 59 percent of respondents appreciate the positive benefits of common currency – the highest number among all countries in the poll.
However, when it comes to European Parliamentary elections, Slovaks show only a very low level of interest. The country ranked at the bottom among EU countries in terms of turn-out two times in a row. In 2004, only 16.97 percent of voters came to the polling stations and 19.64 percent in 2009. According to sociologist Olga Gyarfasova, Slovaks do not pay enough attention to European matters and political parties fail to mobilise their electorates to participate in elections. “We're really passive toward Europe,” she claimed. “On one hand, we're glad to be part of EU; the membership brings many benefits to us. However, the level of involvement in European affairs in terms of voter turn-out in elections is significantly lacking.”
