Neither Community feels very European
The European Commission released the results of the Eurobarometer Spring 2005 Survey on Friday. As in the Autumn survey, two surveys were carried out in Cyprus: one among EU citizens in the government-controlled areas (essentially Greek Cypriots) and one among EU citizens in the occupied areas (essentially Turkish Cypriots).
According to the EU-wide Eurobarometer Spring Survey 2005, eight out of ten Cypriots in the government controlled areas are satisfied in general with their life, 44% feel that their personal situation has improved within the past five years, compared with an EU25 average of 37%.
However, a majority of 56% expects that at national level economic conditions will deteriorate and 61% expect employment conditions to deteriorate. Moreover, Greek Cypriots are more pessimistic than the EU average, although less pessimistic than in the Autumn 2004 survey.
Although Turkish Cypriots are optimistic about the economy, they listed the economic situation as the third most important problem, although the number thinking that the economic situation is a problem has declined sharply.
Greek Cypriots see the main problems facing Cypriot society as crime (46%), inflation (36%) and the economic situation (21%), while Turkish Cypriots see unemployment as the biggest problem.
European economy
Some 68% of Greek Cypriots believe that the status of the European economy is good, compared with an EU average of 50%.
A much larger majority of 84% of Turkish Cypriots said the European economy is in a good position.
Interestingly, the dominant opinion among Greek Cypriots is that the European economy is at the same level as the US economy (in terms of growth, the EU economy has been growing significantly more slowly in the past five years), fairs worse than the Japanese economy (the EU economy has been growing faster than Japan) and is better than the Chinese and Indian economies (which are among the fastest growing economies in the world).
Most Greek Cypriots (65%) believe that the European Union could become the world’s top economy within the next five years (if only…).
Low trust throughout for the UN
Only 25% of Greek Cypriots trust the United Nations (the lowest in the EU), compared with an EU average of 52%. This is not surprising given the bad press in the run-up to the failed referendum to reunite the island. More surprisingly, however, almost half of the Turkish Cypriots also said they do not trust the UN either.
Happy with democracy
The majority of Greek Cypriots are satisfied with the way democracy works in Cyprus, at 68%, compared with an EU average of 53%.
There is an increasing level of satisfaction among Turkish Cypriots: 55% are happy with the way democracy works in the Turkish Cypriot Community.
Most Greek Cypriots trust the main national institutions, with the justice system gaining top marks at 64%, but only one in five trusts political parties and trust in the government, house of representatives and political parties has decreased.
Only 54% of Greek Cypriots trust the EU, down from the previous survey, but Greek Cypriots record the highest of all member states, where the average is 44% and the majority is happy with the way democracy in the EU operates.
Meanwhile, 66% of the Turkish Cypriots said they are happy with the way democracy works in the EU, trust towards individual institutions of the EU such as the European Commission and the European Parliament have decreased since Autumn 2004, no doubt because of a perceived failure to deliver on promises to lift them out of isolation.
Greek Cypriots have high trust in the European Parliament and the European Commission (six out of ten each).
Only four out of ten Greek Cypriots believe that EU accession has been a positive development for Cyprus. However, another four out of ten think it has been neither positive nor negative. Moreover, 56% have a generally positive image of the EU–the highest for all member states.
Among Turkish Cypriots 71% think EU membership is a good thing.
Placing hope in the EU
No doubt because if the “European solution” to the Cyprus problem that politicians have long been promising, 77% of Greek Cypriots wish that the European Union will play a more important role in their daily lives within a year–the highest in the EU–while 72% of the Turkish Cypriots expect the EU to play a bigger role in their lives in the future.
Almost 100% strongly attached to their country
A huge proportion of citizens of the government-controlled areas, at 97%, feel strongly attached to their country–amongst the highest in all member states, although that proportion is also very high, at 91%. Only 32% of Greek Cypriots feel attached to the European Union–the lowest in the EU.
The Turkish Cypriot level of attachment to the country, at 96%, is also above the EU average. Most of the Turkish Cypriots do not feel attached to Europe.
Information via TV
Greek Cypriots score better than the EU average on basic questions about the EU but Cyprus knowledge on issues relating to the European Constitution appears significantly more limited.
Television is the main source of information: 83% watch news broadcasts on the television, discussions with other people is 35%, the radio 27%, the Internet 25%, the daily press 24%, and books, brochures and informative leaflets 21%.
Only three out of ten Greek Cypriots believe that the European Union is presented sufficiently through the national media. Here it should be noted that the Financial Mirror devotes a full page each week to European Union policy issues.
By contrast, Turkish Cypriots think the local media has too much and too positive information on the EU.
Most citizens of the Republic of Cyprus believe that the European Union plays an important role in world issues.
Fiona Mullen
