Hungarian, Polish and Czech public opinions and political parties facing European integration

Considered mainly from the economic angle, European integration is approved by a majority of the people and especially by the elites in Hungary, Polan d and the Czech Republic. But there are doubts stemming from a widespread l ack of knowledge about the European Union and from competing views about ea ch of these countries' future. Social and economic policies arouse fear as well as the partial transfer of sovereignty. However, this relative consens us about Europe played a central role in the emergence of political parties in 1989-1990, some parties thus acquiring, or re-acquiring, legitimacy. Th ree poles pro-European, anti-European and Euro-skeptical have crystallized since then. Despite greater differentiation in politics and the opening of negotiations for membership, populations are not much involved in this proc ess, and debate about European integration is rather superficial in all thr ee countries.