Fifty-eight percent of Czechs view the government’s response to the September floods positively, according to the results of an October survey published by the STEM agency today.
However, the figures vary significantly depending on whether respondents were supporters of the government led by PM Petr Fiala (ODS), or of the opposition, the survey found.
The results also indicated that the majority of Czechs believe that the affected businesses and residents should pay for the flood damage recovery through insurance and savings. There was low willingness to contribute to paying for billions of crowns worth of damage by raising taxes.
The government’s performance during the floods is rated highest by its supporters; 88% of them agree that the cabinet has managed its role and 45% say the government has done its best. In contrast, dissatisfaction is evident among supporters of the opposition, 57% of whom assess the government’s intervention negatively. Voters of non-parliamentary parties view the government’s performance similarly.
Even among opposition supporters, however, there is a significant proportion of people who acknowledge that the government has handled the situation well, according to the authors of the survey.
The September floods hit mainly the Moravia-Silesia and Olomouc regions in mid-September. Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura (ODS) earlier estimated the extent of damage to state property at CZK 25-30 billion, with tens of billions more damage to private, municipal and regional property.
Regarding proposals for possible funding of flood damage repairs, three-quarters of the survey participants said it should be covered by insurance and the savings of the affected residents and businesses. The second most positively-received solution was cutting investments and ministry budgets, which 74% of respondents agreed with.
“The other widely accepted solution is state flood bonds, with 67% of respondents agreeing,” said STEM. According to the authors of the report, this proposal is perceived as less burdensome for individuals because it does not require immediate payment, redistributes the burden into the future, and is voluntary.
On the contrary, tax rises (27% approval) or an increase in the national debt (28%) were the least popular with respondents.
STEM conducted the survey from 4-13 October through a combination of online and face-to-face interviews. The total of 1,052 Czech residents over 18 answered the questions.
