Population prefers Customs Union to European Union, survey

The largest part of the population prefers the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union to the European Union, according to the Public Opinion Barometer presented on May 15, Info-Prim Neo reports. If a referendum is held, 38% of the respondents will vote for the Customs Union, 35% for the European Union, while 28% for joining both of the organizations. Experts say this division is due to the fact that the foreign policy vector is often changed. If a referendum on joining the EU is held, 52% of those sampled will vote in favor, while 30% will vote against, this being the highest level of Euro-skepticism since 2002, from when this question has been put. At the same time, 57% of the respondents will vote for joining the Customs Union. 15% of those surveyed will vote for joining NATO, while 56% will vote against. About 50% of those polled said the reelection of Vladimir Putin as President is beneficial to Moldova. The Kremlin leader is the foreign political personality that enjoys the greatest trust among the Moldovans (78%). He is followed by the U.S. President Barack Obama and Romanian President Traian Basescu. Commissioned by the Public Policy Institute, the Public Opinion Barometer was conducted with financial support from Soros Foundation Moldova between April 10 and May 10. It covered a sample of 1,055 persons. The margin of sampling error is 3%.