Eurobarometer 59.1 (2003)

This Eurobarometer survey queried respondents on standard Eurobarometermeasures, such as how satisfied they were with their present life,whether they attempted to persuade others close to them to share theirviews on subjects they held strong opinions about, whether theydiscussed political matters, and what the European Union´s prioritiesshould be. Additional questions focused on the respondents´ knowledgeof and opinions about the European Union (EU), including sources ofinformation about the EU and whether their country had benefited frombeing an EU member. Topics: Respondents were also asked how informed they were about EUenlargement, their preferred option for the immediate future of the EUas it concerned the enlargement (i.e., whether the EU should includeall, some, or none of the countries wishing to join), and whether theyagreed or disagreed with statements regarding the EU enlargement (e.g.,whether having more countries in the EU would mean more guaranteedpeace and security in Europe, whether the EU should financially helpfuture member countries before they join, and whether the EU shouldreform the way its institutions work before welcoming new members). Inaddition to the selected standard trend variables (which includedadditional questions about the perception of and attitudes toward theEuropean Parliament, the European Convention, and the United States ofAmerica), the survey also elicited respondents´ opinions about the euroand its introduction as the common European currency. Respondents wereasked a series of questions about dual pricing (prices in both the euroand their own respective national currency), its usefulness andnecessity, whether they felt handling eight coins was complicated, theusefulness of 1- and 2-cent coins, and whether some of the coins shouldbe replaced by notes. General attitudes regarding the euro replacingtheir national currency and whether the euro made the respondent feelmore European were also assessed. Finally, respondents were askedquestions about parental leave, more specifically about the attitudesof men toward taking time off from the workforce for parental leave.Questions addressed the main reasons that would encourage or discouragefathers from taking parental leave. Demography: Gender, age, marital status, occupation, and householdincome.