Brush Up Your English

Enlargement: what the people think

As the celebrations fade, people in the "old" and the "new" Europe are starting to express their hopes and fears about enlargement in a clutch of opinion polls. A recent CSA survey in France showed that although 62 percent of French people are in favour of enlargement, almost half said they were "sceptical" or "opposed" to the EU. And, in a separate poll in France, 50 percent said they had "hopes" for enlargement compared to 36 percent who felt "fear". The fears of people on the other side of the Rhine seem to revolve around money.

enlargement – rozšíření celebration – oslava to fade – blednout to express – vyjadřovat hope – naděje fear – obava, strach opinion poll – výzkum veřejného mínění recent- nedávný to be in favour of – souhlasit s almost – téměř separate – samostatný compared to – v porovnání s to revolve – točit se okolo, týkat se

A survey for the broadcaster RTL last week showed that three in five Germans back the EU's expansion but 64 percent worry that they will end up footing the bill and 75 percent are worried that jobs will drift east. Further south, a survey by Publico in Portugal demonstrated that about 43 percent of Portuguese consider that enlargement will have more negative than positive impacts on the country.

survey – výzkum to back – podporovat to end up – skončit to foot the bill – platit peníze za ostatní (frázové sloveso) to drift – přesunout se east – východ further south – dále na jih to demonstrate – ukázat to consider – považovat, uvažovat impact – dopad, důsledek

Here too, there are concerns about labour markets, with 64 percent believing a cheaper work force from the new EU members will adversely affect Portugal. Even in the new member states, enthusiasm is waning. In the largest former accession country, Poland, support for the EU in June 2003 was 77 percent but, after rows about access to labour markets and the Constitution, public opinion polls show support now at less than 50 percent.

concerns – obavy labour market – trh práce to believe – věřit cheaper – levnější work force – pracovní síla adversely – nepříznivě to affect –ovlivnit to wane – slábnout, ubývat former – bývalý, někdejší row – spor, hádka access – vstup constitution – ústava less than – méně než

Furthermore, in Latvia, only 45 percent of those surveyed said in March that they would vote for EU membership even though the previous September they had voted by 67 percent to join the EU. However, these surveys were conducted before 1 May and leaders will be hoping that support for the EU will rise once the EU finds its rhythm.

Furthermore – nadto, kromě toho to vote – volit membership – členství even though – ačkoli previous – předcházející, minulý to join – připojit however – nicméně to conduct (a survey) – provést (výzkum) to rise – vzrůst once – až, jakmile

Připravuje Markéta Frýbová

Další informace [nápis]
Číslo 25/2004
Časopis Veřejná správa č. 25/2004
Časopis Veřejná správa
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