A Pew poll finds conservative attitudes still rule in CEE

A Pew poll finds conservative attitudes still rule in CEE
The Czech Republic is a stand out in terms of tolerance amongst the CEE countries, where 77% of young people under the age of 39 accept same-sex marriage. / Photo: CC
By Ben Aris in Berlin June 22, 2017

A poll by Pew Research found that attitudes to both democracy and homosexuality remain very conservative in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), including among the youth.

“Support for democracy is relatively tepid among both [18-39 years and 40-plus] age groups. Majorities in most countries across the region are upbeat about free markets, with similar levels of support among young and old,” according to a Pew Research Center survey of adults in 18 CEE countries.

The standout success stories of moving towards more Western European values are the Czech Republic and Poland, where young people are significantly more supportive of democracy than older adults.

“Throughout the region as a whole, a similar share of those under 40 and those 40 and older say democracy is preferable to other forms of government (medians of 49% and 44%, respectively). One especially notable example of this young-old alignment is Russia, where 31% of both groups say democracy is preferable to other forms of government,” the report found.

However, even where democracy is less popular, a growing majority accept that the market economy system is superior to central planning.

A median of 59% of those 40 and older say people are better off in a market economy, compared with 64% of those under 40. Only in a handful of countries – including Croatia, Czech Republic, Russia and Ukraine – are younger people significantly more likely than older people to favour a market economy, the report found.

There has been less progress with attitudes to homosexuality, however. Young people are consistently less likely to say that divorce, drinking alcohol, sex before marriage and homosexual behaviour are morally wrong, but they still hold socially conservative views. Among those under age 40, a substantial share (a median of 63%) say homosexual behaviour is immoral, though this is somewhat lower than the share of those 40 and older who share this view (a median of 76%).

In Eastern Europe the aversion to homosexuality is particularly marked: in Russia and Ukraine only 8% and 11% support same-sex marriage respectively versus 3% and 7% amongst the 40+ age group.

Against this the Czech Republic is a standout in terms of tolerance amongst the CEE countries, where 77% of young people under the age of 39 accept same-sex marriage and 58% of the over 40s do – well in excess of the regional median of 23% of those ages 18 to 39 who favour same-sex marriage, compared with 12% of those 40 and older.

“Younger Central and Eastern Europeans are twice as likely as older adults to say they favour same-sex marriage. But overall support is low among both groups,” Pew concludes.

 

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