Commissioned by the Office for a Democratic Belarus (ODB) and supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Jean Monnet Chair @Kent, Professor Elena Korosteleva (PI) of the Global Europe Centre conducted a cross-temporal (2009, 2013, 2016) survey about European and national values in Belarus tilted ‘Belarus between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union: a national values 2016’. The nation-wide representative survey took place during 18/01-07/02/3016 and focused on (i) the EU-Belarus relations: perceptions, interests and expectations; (ii) Belarusian values and norms; and (iii) Geopolitics: Belarus between the EU and the EEU. Detailed findings are available in the survey brief and on the ODB website.
The survey showed that there were three particular trends observable among the Belarusian respondents:
- There is a high-level understanding and appreciation of the EU as an international partner, underpinned by a growing sense of common interest and partnership in a number of areas
- Differences in normative associations between BY, the EU and the EEU continue to persist. At the same time, fostering economic welfare may present a common ground for convergence
- Perceived rivalry and strategic overlap between the EU and the EEU are becoming more pronounced. Public reasoning, however, is currently swayed in favour of economic cooperation with the EEU”
GEC Policy Brief – ‘The EU-Russia relations in the context of the eastern neighbourhood’
This policy brief examines EU-Russia relations in the context of the eastern neighbourhood. It contends that both the EU and Russia’s ambitions for the eastern region have evolved into two competing region-building projects underpinned by differing strategies, norms, instruments, and actors. Although projecting competing rationalities, the two projects, until recently, had peacefully co-existed, working around conflicting issues of political norms and economic convergence, which were not necessarily seen as insurmountable for furthering regional cooperation. Their subsequent politicisation and securitisation, as a consequence of events in Ukraine, have rendered regional partnership currently incompatible, revealing a profound lack of understanding the region by both the EU and Russia; and the EU under-exploited capacity to work co-jointly with the Eurasian Union (and Russia) vis-a-vis the region. This report contends that the EU must make an effort to acknowledge and engage with the above actors in the region, in order to develop cooperative strategies, based on shared interests, international norms and compatible instruments for the advancement of economic and political convergence.
GEC focus groups brief 2014 ‘Moldova’s Focus Groups: Widening a European Dialogue in Moldova’
Commissioned by the Slovak Atlantic Commission (SAC), Professor Elena Korosteleva conducted focus groups about European, national and Eurasian values in Moldova in order to contribute to the debate on the relations between Moldova and the European Union (EU) from the public’s perspective. Focus groups were conducted in Moldova between 28 March and 11 April 2014 focusing on the country’s relations with the EU and the (Eurasian) Customs Union (ECU); as well as public perceptions, values, and attitudes towards the afore-mentioned entities. Detailed findings are available in the survey brief enclosed.
GEC survey brief 2014 (GECSB2/14) ‘Moldova’s Values Survey: Widening a European Dialogue in Moldova’.
Commissioned by the Slovak Atlantic Commission (SAC), the Global Europe Centre (GEC), under the leadership of Professor Elena Korosteleva, conducted a survey about European and national values in Moldova in order to contribute to the debate on the relations between Moldova and the European Union (EU) from the public’s perspective. The nation-wide representative survey was conducted in Moldova between 19 October and 7 November 203 focusing on the country’s relations with the EU and the (Eurasian) Customs Union (ECU); as well as public perceptions, values, and attitudes towards the afore-mentioned entities. Detailed findings are available in the survey brief
Three major trends are currently observable in the behavioural patterns of Moldova’s population:
- Public support of the EU and its policies (EaP) has slightly eroded which is reflected in the respondents’ perceptions, levels of interest, attitudes and behavioural preferences
- Moldovan respondents signal deep confusion in relation to the values they associate with their country vis-à-vis those attributed to the EU, and the Eurasian Customs Union (ECU)
- Levels of awareness about the Eurasian Customs Union (ECU) are relatively high (85%), and many respondents see the ECU as equally effective as the EU in addressing immediate pressing problems of economic reforms, trade relations and employment in Moldova.
GEC survey brief 2013 (GECSB1/13) ‘Belarus and the Eastern Partnership: a National Values Survey’.
Commissioned by the Office for Democratic Belarus (ODB), the Global Europe Centre (GEC), under the leadership of Professor Elena Korosteleva, conducted a survey about European and national values in Belarus in order to contribute to the debate on the relations between Belarus and the European Union (EU) from the public’s perspective. The nation-wide representative survey was conducted in Belarus between 20 May and 4 June 2013 focusing on the country’s relations with the EU and the (Eurasian) Customs Union (ECU); as well as public perceptions, values, and attitudes towards the afore-mentioned entities. Detailed findings are available in the survey brief
Three particular trends are observable in Belarus’ public relations:
- Comparative trends demonstrate a positive and substantive shift in public attitudes towards the EU; reflected in higher levels of awareness, more knowledge about EU structures and policies, more interest in EU affairs, more perceivable commonalities with the EU as a polity, more appreciation of EU support, and most importantly, identity-based preferences developing in relation to the latter.
- At the same time, normative underpinnings of public behaviour remain firmly rooted in cultural traditions and historical legacies of the past.
- Levels of awareness about the (Eurasian) Customs Union (ECU) are relatively high (90%). Importantly, the majority of respondents see the ECU as more relevant in addressing immediate economic and energy security concerns.