Martin is a 30 years old Czech who has been living in Brussels for 8 months. He works as a researcher at the European Commission.
Question: What comes to your mind when you think about the EU?
Martin: Wonderful idea with a lot of historical problems between the countries. Long time needed to take a collective decision on many issues. Disadvantage in comparison to Japan or USA. Two groups of countries – the real member EU 15 and their shadows EU 12.
Question: In the moment, what opinion do you think the people have on the EU?
Martin: I think the applicant countries and the new member states are more excited about the EU than the old ones. The younger generation feels the challenge for them and appreciates that.
Question: What fears do your people have from the EU?
Martin: That the EU will dictate us their rules also in the fields, where they have now idea about the reality (traditional products, production limits, restrictions) The people think, that Brussels does not work enough in comparison with their direct economical competitors (USA, Japan, Switzerland, etc.)
Question: When applicable, were the TV debates on the need for your country to access the EU controversially discussed?
Martin: Yes, it was controversially discussed. But the need to access the EU was not so much discussed; it was more the access conditions that were criticised, because they were not the same for all the countries.
Question: If you read the media, how is the relationship between your country and bigger countries like Germany and France? And what do you think?
Martin: Germany is our most important trading partner since many many years. A lot of people have still mixed origin and families with the Germans and the Austrians. From the longtime point of view that is very good. The short time point of view is a bit worse because of 40 years of economical stagnation (which were actually caused by the war and “liberation”) and the economical and lifestyle differences.
Question: What would be your worst idea about the EU?
Martin: The bad economical prosperity and competitiveness. And of course bad relationship between the nations and people and then nationalistic movements
Question: Do you know how the EU works?
Martin: Yes
Question: If I told you that about 70% of the new laws in your country come from Brussels, would that be ok for you?
Martin: In no case!
Question: Keeping the last questions in mind, what do you think about the role of your national parliament? The MPs are elected by the people and they speak your language, don't you think that they should be the ones who make the major part of the law here? In other words, what do you think about the fact that the majority of the laws that are affecting you life are taken on the European level?
Martin: I would say, that the best way would be: the former successful regional politicians should become MPs and afterwards should be elected to the European parliament.
Question: Do you think there should be more information about how the European institutional system works (as it has a big impact on our life but we don't know how it even works)?
Martin: Of course, in the Czech medias there are not enough information about the EU and its work !!
Question: According to you, what should the EU focus on? And why the EU should itself deal with it?
Martin: Research, Education, Protection against cheap Asian products, Customs and many others.
Because the EU did not support research in the previous period enough in comparison with its economical competitors, European universities are still a little bit behind the top (with exceptions, of course). The European products are not protected enough and a lot of good producers and companies suffer or bankrupt because of bad customs policy and cheap non-european fakes or low quality products.
Question: Do you think that it is important to have a Europe as one entity in the world or do you think it's better to have strong States who cooperate together?
Martin: I am still looking for the answer to this question
Question: Would you like the EU to become a federal State?
Martin: No
Question: What about a European army?
Martin: Some special troops, but the army should stay on the national level for some years yet.
Question: Should there be a common language in the EU?
Martin: I don´t think so. My mother learned Esperanto 40 years ago. It was a nice idea, but....
English has the strongest power now, but there are nicer languages in Europe. The most inhabitants speak German.
There will always be problems with that.
Question: Do you believe that there is a limit to the development of the EU? If yes, how to know where that limit is?
Martin: I think the 50 years of development of the EU clearly showed that there is no limits and I am curious what will happen in the next 50.
Question: One says that you tend not to care about something as long as it’s not related to money. Do you think that setting up a European tax would raise the people's interest in the EU or it would only be another step towards a United States of Europe-like structure?
Martin: I agree with that fully: a European tax would help raising the people’s interest in the EU.
Question: According to you, is the EU too bureaucratic?
Martin: I think there is still space to make it simpler inside the EU.
Question: Would you say that the EU is democratic?
Martin: Yes, I would say that.
Question: Last, but not least, what is the impact of the EU on your daily life?
Martin: It is my every day bread.
