Page 16 - UKRRptAug18

2.8 Polls & Sociology
Half ( 49%) of Ukrainian residents oppose the cancellation of the existing moratorium on sales of rural land in the country , according to the latest survey conducted by GfK Ukraine and Q and Q Research. The survey appeared against attempts by Western donors and backers to put pressure on Kyiv to open of the nation's land market. In late 2017, Ukraine's parliament extended the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land until January 1, 2019, despite the high priority the International Monetary Fund (IMF) gives to creating a land market.
In addition, 47% of respondents oppose possible privatisation of state-owned enterprises , while 46% of them oppose pension reform (46%). 45% of respondents do not support hospital reforms and 38% judicial reform, while 33% are against secondary education reform and 26% reform of the army, according to Interfax news agency.
Joining the EU is backed by 51% of 5,030 Ukrainians surveyed across the country during the last week in June, according to a poll conducted by Social Monitoring Center, Socis Company and the Yaremenko Institute of Social Studies. Of respondents, 29% said they would vote against joining the EU. Presumably in reference to the IMF, 58% of respondents agreed with the statement that Ukraine is under ‘external control.’ As for joining NATO, 41% were in favour and 37% opposed.
What worries Ukrainians the most is the war in the Donbas region , standards of living, the economic situation in the country and state security in that order, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in May.
Two thirds (67%) of respondents are concerned about the war in eastern Ukraine, half (54%) about the standard of living, two in five (42%) over the economic situation and one fifth about (23%) the security of Ukraine.
At the same time, the status of the Russian language in Ukraine is a matter of concern for 2% of respondents, and 4% of respondents are worried about relations with the European Union. Such problems as relations between Ukrainian citizens of different nationalities, the revival of the Ukrainian nation, and the annexation of Crimea concern 5-6% of citizens.
Compared with 2016-2017, concerns about the war in eastern Ukraine, the standard living and the economic situation have slightly decreased, but still remains high. The political situation in Ukraine also began to worry a smaller part of citizens (from 15% in 2016 to 13% in 2017 and eventually 9% in 2018), KIIS said a statement, according to Interfax news agency.
"At the same time, Ukrainians were more concerned about environmental problems (from 5-6% to 10%). In two years, there was also a slight increase in concern over relations between Ukrainian citizens of different nationalities (from 3.5% to 5%), the problems of the revival of the Ukrainian nation (from 4% to 6%) and the status of the Russian language in Ukraine (from 1% to 2%), but all these problems occupy the last places in the hierarchy of problems for the population of Ukraine," KIIS added.
A total of 2,025 respondents aged over 18 living in 108 towns and villages in all regions of Ukraine (except Crimea) were interviewed. In the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, the survey was conducted only in areas controlled by Ukraine.
16 UKRAINE Country Report August 2018 www.intellinews.com