End of Communism Cheered but Now with More Reservations
The Pulse of Europe 2009: 20 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Released: 11.02.09
Nearly two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, publics of former Iron Curtain countries generally look back approvingly at the collapse of communism. Majorities of people in most former Soviet republics and Eastern European countries endorse the emergence of multiparty systems and a free market economy.
However, the initial widespread enthusiasm about these changes has dimmed in most of the countries surveyed; in some, support for democracy and capitalism has diminished markedly. In many nations, majorities or pluralities say that most people were better off under communism, and there is a widespread view that the business class and political leadership have benefited from the changes more than ordinary people. Nonetheless, self reported life satisfaction has risen significantly in these societies compared with nearly two decades ago when the Times Mirror Center1 first studied public opinion in the former Eastern block.
About Hungary the report states:
"In Hungary, there is clear frustration with the current state of democracy, despite the public's acceptance of the shift to a multiparty system. More than three-quarters of Hungarians (77%) are dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in their country. This may be due in part to an overwhelmingly dismal national mood: About nine-in-ten think the country is on the wrong track (91%) and that the economy is in bad shape (94%). Disenchantment with political elites is especially strong in Hungary, where only 38% believe voting gives them a say in politics. And even more than other publics included in the survey, Hungarians are frustrated by the gap between what they want from democracy – such as a free press, free speech and competitive elections – and what they believe they currently have."
Public Opinion Two Decades After the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Pew Global Attitudes Survey of 14 Nations, Fall 2009
For interactive map:
http://pewglobal.org/docs/?DocID=25
For complete document:
http://pewglobal.org/reports/pdf/267.pdf.
For Executive summary:
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=267
