Slovaks are more fearful and pessimistic about the coronavirus outbreak than Czechs, according to the research from the European National Panels company. On the other hand, they trust their government more than Czechs
The polling used several indexes to capturing the attitudes and mood of society in the current situation.
The research focused on five indicators: the level of fear, confidence in the state, the opinion on the pandemic, the impact of the situation on the population, and citizens’ experience with the virus in their own life.
“The obvious difference between the attitudes of the two nations lies in the level of pessimism which reflects the general difference in nature and emotions of both nations. If we look at the figures in more detail, we can see that mostly Slovak women and people from small Slovak municipalities panic about the situation. On the other hand, Czech men are mostly not concerned about coronavirus,” explained researchers from the European National Panels.
“Compared to Czechs, Slovaks are usually more emotional, more open and also more intense. Simply put, Slovak mentality is much closer to the Balkans. They experience things more intensely and know how to express their emotions,” said Jan Tuček, one of the researchers.
According to the European National Panels, there is also a distinct difference in confidence in the government between undergraduates and people with lower education. This difference is not that obvious in the Czech Republic but is very prominent in Slovakia.
“It is more complicated to explain the higher confidence of Slovaks in the state apparatus. My guess, regardless of the data, is that they just had the elections, and they have not yet decided whether they trust the current or the previous government more. The same could be also true about the Slovak president, as Zuzana Čaputová had little time to make many mistakes and antagonize at least a part of the society,” added Tuček.
The researches will continue to map the attitudes in society in Czechia and Slovakia, as well as in Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
Title image: Medical staff members wearing protective suits take samples from a young boy to test for the novel coronavirus called COVID-19 at the Bulovka hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 14, 2020. The Czech Republic’s government has approved further dramatic measures early Saturday to try and stem the spread of the coronavirus. The government has ordered retail businesses including shopping malls to close as of Saturday morning. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
