|
Date of release: March 14
Released in: daily newspaper Vecer
Original text: click
here
Phone survey carried out on March 10-12 by Public Opinion
and Mass Communication Research Centre, Institute of
Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana
N=911 (adults)
Support for joining NATO rises
71 percent support for joining
EU - for joining NATO 48 percent, 28 percent against
it and 23 percent still undecided - Dr. Niko Toš:
"The referendum for EU is won, the referendum for
NATO is also more or less decided."
The support for joining NATO
has been decreasing in the first two month of this year,
according to the political barometer, but has risen
this month and is almost as high as it was in December
of last year, after the NATO summit in Prague. At that
time there had been detected a rise in the positive
attitude towards membership in NATO.
At that time 50 percent of the
people supported joining NATO, 30 percent were against
it, and 20 percent were undefined. In January the support
for NATO decreased: 44 percent of the people polled
were for joining NATO, 39 percent were against it, and
17 percent of the people were still undefined. In February
the decrease in NATO support continued, 37 percent of
the people would vote for joining the NATO organisation,
36 percent of the people were against it, and 27 percent
of the people polled did not take anyone's side.
The political barometer in March,
the last one before the referendums on joining EU and
NATO, which will be held on Sunday, March, 23rd, gave
these results: 48 percent of the people polled support
Slovenia's joining NATO, 28 percent would vote against
it, and 23 percent of the people are still undecided.
When these 23 percent of the people who said they cannot
decide were asked into which way they were currently
leaning, for or against membership in NATO, they received
these results: 25 percent said they were more in support
of NATO, 24 percent said they were against NATO, and
51 percent of voters who could not decide before, still
staid undecided. 70 percent of those who have already
decided, and are for or against NATO, say that their
choice is final in they will not change their minds
anymore; but 25 percent of then still say that their
choice is not final and can still be changed. "It
still stands, that those which are for NATO are more
firm in their choice, than those who are against it,"
was said at the public presentations of the results
by the head of the Public Opinion and Mass Communication
Research Centre, dr. Niko Toš, who is in charge
of the political barometer research. Based on his assessment,
the result of the NATO referendum is more or less decided,
and added that the public debates, which will continue
until the referendum silence, cannot greatly influence
the outcome of the referendum anymore.
Who do the voters trust
The most frequently given answer
to the question, who you trust the most in the debates
about EU and NATO, was ex-president of the country Milan
Kucan, who was followed by the Minister of European
Affairs dr. Janez Potocnik, the president dr. Janez
Drnovšek, in the forth spot comes the President
of the National Assembly Borut Pahor, fifth came the
Rector of the University of Ljubljana dr. Jože
Mencinger, sixth was the Premier MA. Tone Rop, on the
seventh place id the Chairman of Committee on Foreign
Policy Jelko Kacin, eight came the Minister of Foreign
Affairs dr. Dimitij Rupel, in the ninth place is the
Minister of Defence dr. Anton Grizold, tenth is the
president of SDS party (Social Democratic Party of Slovenia)
Janez Janša, and eleventh is a sociologist dr.
Rastko Mocivnik.
People were also asked if they
agree with the arguments for joining EU and NATO, which
were presented by the President of the European Commission
Romano Prodi, NATO secretary General George Robertson,
and the Commissioner responsible for Enlargement of
the European Union Günter Verheugen, which they
made during their recent visits to Slovenia. 40 percent
of the people polled believe Prodi, 13 percent do not
believe him, arguments presented by Verheugen are accepted
by 37 percent of the people asked, 14 percent of the
people do not believe him, while Robertson received
the worst assessment - 34 percent of the people believe
him, and 20 percent of the people do not believe him.
The turnout will be high
The political barometer for March
also predicts high turnout at the vote on March 23rd:
88 percent of the people asked said they will go to
the referendums on EU and NATO, six percent will not
go to the polls, and six percent does not yet know if
they will vote or not. Out of the 88 percent who will
go to the polls, 52 percent will vote for NATO, 28 will
vote against it, and 20 percent of those who will go
to the polls staid undefined.
And how do the followers of different
parliamentary political parties stand on the NATO issue?
Most supporters of NATO come from the voters of LDS
(Liberal Democracy of Slovenia); 68 percent of them
support joining NATO and 19 percent are against it.
63 percent of the followers of SDS (Social Democratic
Party of Slovenia) also support NATO, and 25 percent
does not support it; 48 percent of ZLSD (United List
of Social Democrats) supporters are also for NATO, 30
percent are against it; in SLS (Slovenian People's party)
46 percent support NATO, 22 percent do not. Among those
who vote for NSi (New Slovenia - Christian People's
Party)59 percent will vote for NATO, and 21 percent
against it. The political barometer did could not measure
what do the followers of Desus think. Desus is also
one of the parties who opted for NATO alongside LDS,
SDS, ZLSD, SLS and NSi.
Two parliamentary parties, SMS
(Slovene Youth Party) and SNS (Slovene National Party)
declared themselves against joining the alliance, but
their voters say this: 35 percent of the people who
would vote SMS are for joining NATO and 51 percent are
against it. The voters of SNS are a lot more divided:
44 percent of them support joining NATO, and 46 percent
are against it.
Majority for EU
"The EU referendum is already
won," says Toš, because according to the latest
political barometer, 71 percent of the people would
vote in favour of EU, ten percent would vote against
it, and 19 percent still do not know if they will support
joining EU or not. Among those who said they will definitely
go to the referendum on Sunday, March 23rd , 76 percent
said they will vote for EU, ten percent would vote against
it, and 14 percent still does not know if they will
circle for of against on their ballot.
"Do you think Slovenia would
benefit from becoming a fully member of EU?"
it would benefit: 70%
it would not benefit: 17%
don't know: 13%
"If the referendum on joining EU was held next
Sunday, would you vote for or against it?"
for: 71%
against: 10%
don't know: 19%
"Do you intend to take part in referendum for joining
EU and NATO on March 23rd?"
yes: 88%
no: 6%
don't know: 6%
"Support for joining EU
(asked only those who intend to take part in referendum)"
for joining EU: 76%
against joining EU: 10%
don't know: 14%
|
Monitored media 
