For the first time, this unparalleled research project has examined the views of people taking part in formulating or influencing Czech European policy. Civil servants, politicians, journalists and experts were asked to answer 27 questions in areas relating to the Czech Republic’s role in the EU, economic and institutional aspects of integration, partners in European policy and current issues. Vít Dostál, Alena Falathová, Filip Chráska, Tomáš Karásek, Viera Knutelská, Ondřej Kováč and Petra Pejchová have been part of the KAS and AMO research team.

Among the most important results obtained through the interrogation and its analysis, are the following:

•The Czech Republic’s ability to formulate and assert its own interests in the EU will improve over the next 10 years. According to the Czech political elite, the Czech Republic was lacking this ability so far.

•Access to the Single Market is the Czech Republic’s main benefit of membership in the EU. The Single Market will intensify further, although a fully liberalized market in services and energy will not be achieved.

•Developments in the eurozone, which will continue to expand and integrate both economically and institutionally, are of key concern to the Czech Republic. The Czech position outside the eurozone is disadvantageous for the Czech economy. The Czech Republic should seek the adoption of the common currency.

•The European Union will follow the path of variable geometry. Fundamental institutional reform and a revision of primary law is not expected. The European institutions whose influence will strengthen most will be the European Central Bank and the Court of Justice of the EU.

•Slovakia, Germany and Poland are the Czech Republic’s closest allies in the EU. Germany and the Czech Republic share common interests in the areas of economic policy and the European Single Market.

•Relations between the Czech Republic and France are rated worst, while most respondents expect a future deterioration in relations between the Czech Republic and Great Britain. With Poland and France, European policy elites see conflicting interests in agriculture. With Germany, the Czech Republic cannot find common ground in relation to energy and with the United Kingdom in the question of the future of the EU.