Cypriots believe EU enlargement contributed to job losses

Cypriots believe by vast majority (72.5%)that the integration of Central and Eastern Europe countries into the European Union has contributed to job losses at their country, according to a Eurobarometer survey conducted in February 2009.

This is one of the highest percentages in the EU with the average percentage of responses from citizens by other member-states reaching 55.7%.

The survey was carried out on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, which led to the enlargement of the EU with the integration of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Cypriot respondents by 55.9% believe that the changes brought by the fall of the Iron Curtain and the consequent enlargement made life more insecure in their country, whereas the EU average percentage of respondents was 51%.

From an economic perspective, 70.3% of the Cypriots replied that the enlargement has led to massive financial transfers to Eastern and Central European countries, while they appeared to be cautious regarding the general prosperity and economic competitiveness of Europe as a whole.

Furthermore, 61% of Cypriot respondents believe that enlargement has created problems because of the existence of too many different cultures and values among the different EU countries.

Regarding the acceptance of new member states to the EU, Cypriots prioritize issues such as freedom and democracy in the candidate countries (63.7%), economic issues (47.2%), stability of the European borders (16.5%), immigration issues (16.1%) and cultural and religious issues (20.3%).

The overwhelming majority of EU respondents (92%) believe that the enlargements of 2004 and 2007 had a positive outcome in relation with free movement, while 76% of the Europeans believe that the enlargements contributed positively to the modernization of the economy of the EU as a whole, to the spread of democratic values, to the protection of human rights (73%) and the strengthening of the EU international role (73%).