Armenians eye EU as “strong but not predatory, like a bear”

December 15, 2010 - 14:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - According to a baseline study of 100 opinion leaders, followed up by an opinion poll questioning 400 members of the general public, most Armenians feel their country has good relations with the EU, and that the EU shares the same values that they hold dear.

Strong but not predatory, like a bear: this was one of the recurring associations made by opinion leaders in Armenia, when asked which animal the European Union could be compared to,

“Soft, big, powerful, but not aggressive,” elaborated one respondent.

The overwhelming majority of respondents have a positive assessment of the EU and its relations with Armenia. An impressive 98% of opinion leaders for example say that Armenia has good or fairly good relations with the EU (vs. 83% on average for ENPI East). Some 78% of the general public feels that Armenia and the EU have very (10%) or fairly good (68%) relations. In both groups, respondents attribute to the EU a set of guiding principles that is very close to their own - such as democracy, rule of law, human rights - highlighting a perception of shared values.

Similarly, perceptions of the EU's involvement in Armenia are very positive among opinion leaders and the general public alike. For example, the vast majority of both groups feel that the EU can help bring peace and stability to Armenia (86% of opinion leaders compared to 84% of the general public), while 83% of both groups believe the EU can help bring peace and stability in the surrounding region.

The vast majority of Armenians would also like the EU to play a greater role in the country, with 94% of opinion leaders and 83% of the general public wanting greater involvement in economic development.

The results are part of the EU-funded Opinion Polling and Research (OPPOL) project, funded under the 2007-2010 European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) regional information and communication program.