A referendum on joining the European Union was held in the Czech Republic on 13 and 14 June 2003. The proposal was supported by 77.3% of voters, with a turnout of 55.2%. The Czech Republic joined the EU on 1 May 2004.
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has an area of 4,475,757 km2 (1,728,099 sq mi) and an estimated population of about 513 million. The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states in those matters, and only those matters, where members have agreed to act as one. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the internal market, enact legislation in justice and home affairs and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. For travel within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished. A monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002 and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency.
The Czech Republic, also known by its short-form name, Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast. The Czech Republic covers an area of 78,866 square kilometres (30,450 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate. It is a unitary parliamentary republic, with 10.6 million inhabitants; its capital and largest city is Prague, with 1.3 million residents. Other major cities are Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc and Pilsen. The Czech Republic is a member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, the United Nations, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.
Opinion polls in the run-up to the referendum showed support for joining from 63% to over 70%, with the highest support among younger, wealthier and better educated people. [1]
Date | Agency | Yes | No | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|
19 - 26 May 2003 | CVVM [2] | 63% | 22% | 15% |
7 - 14 April 2003 | CVVM [3] | 58% | 24% | 18% |
March 2003 | STEM [4] | 51% | 16% | 33% |
3 - 10 March 2003 | CVVM [5] | 59% | 22% | 19% |
February 2003 | STEM [6] | 50% | 32% | 18% |
3 - 10 February 2003 | CVVM [7] | 59% | 23% | 18% |
28 January 2003 | STEM [8] | 47% | 19% | 34% |
December 2002 | STEM [8] | 48% | 21% | 31% |
November 2002 | STEM [8] | 48% | 19% | 33% |
17 - 24 October 2002 | CVVM [9] | 47% | 18% | 23% |
September 2002 | STEM [10] | 43% | 20% | 37% |
5 - 12 June 2002 | CVVM [11] | 42% | 17% | 41% |
22 - 29 April 2002 | CVVM [12] | 40% | 19% | 41% |
March 2002 | STEM [13] | 46% | 19% | 35% |
November 2001 | STEM [6] | 47% | 19% | 34% |
2 - 9 May 2001 | STEM [14] | 40% | 22% | 38% |
5 - 12 March 2001 | STEM [15] | 45% | 18% | 37% |
October 2000 | STEM [16] | 48% | 15% | 37% |
May 2000 | STEM [16] | 42% | 16% | 42% |
September 1999 | STEM [16] | 44% | 19% | 39% |
April 1999 | STEM [16] | 46% | 14% | 40% |
April 1997 | STEM [16] | 50% | 16% | 34% |
August 1996 | STEM [16] | 46% | 13% | 41% |
Choice | Votes | % |
---|---|---|
For | 3,446,758 | 77.3 |
Against | 1,010,448 | 22.7 |
Invalid/blank votes | 100,754 | – |
Total | 4,560,399 | 100 |
Registered voters/turnout | 8,259,525 | 55.21 |
Source: Direct Democracy |
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