Poles want President Lech Kaczynski to ratify the Lisbon Treaty immediately, says a survey by CBOS pollsters and are one of the most pro-EU in the 27 nation bloc.
According to an opinion poll by the CBOS public opinion research centre, 52 percent of Poles think that President Lech Kaczynski should sign the Lisbon Treaty ratification bill immediately, while only 14 percent are against, with 34 percent having no opinion on the matter.
The Lisbon Treaty has the most supporters among the highest educated respondents (65 percent) and those earning more than 1200 zloty (370 euro) a month (71 percent of support).
Supporters of of the ruling Civic Platform (PO) and the leftist opposition Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) would like the president to ratify the treaty the most - 72 and 74 percent respectively - while only 38 percent of supporters of the largest opposition party in Poland, Law and Justice - a grouping connected to President Kaczynski, would like him to do so.
According to 22 percent of Poles, the best solution for the crisis that started when Ireland rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum would be to repeat it in that country; 11 percent think that the EU should resign from the treaty, while 21 percent are for drawing a new document, which would contain its main ideas.
Poles also seem to be for an integrated Europe - 60 percent of respondents were of the opinion that despite the problems with the treaty, EU countries should try to deepen their integration, while only 13 percent were against tightening ties between them.
Poles do not support the idea that some EU countries should cooperate more closely than others - the so-called ‘two speed Europe - ’50 percent are against, 21 percent are for. But, if such a group was to be singled out, 66 percent of Poles think that Poland should be among the closer cooperating countries.
A staggering 85 percent of respondents were positive about Poland's membership in the EU, with only ten percent against it, making the country one of the least Eurosceptic nations in the bloc.
The poll was conducted on 4-7 July on a representative group of 1094 Polish citizens. (mo)
source: Polish Press Agency