Most in E. Europe, except Greece, are positive about EU membership: poll

People in 10 out of 11 Eastern European countries see more benefit than harm in European Union (EU) membership, a Gallup poll has found.

People in Poland are most positive about EU membership. By 65 percent to 11 percent, Poles see more benefit than harm in EU membership.

By 62 percent to 16 percent, people in Hungary see more benefit than harm in EU membership, found the poll.

It was followed by Croatia, by 59 percent to 20 percent; Lithuanian, by 59 percent to 15 percent; Romania, by 58 percent to 17 percent; and Estonia, by 51 percent to 13 percent.

In Latvia (by 49 percent to 22 percent), Bulgaria (by 45 percent to 20 percent), Slovakia (by 42 percent to 23 percent), and Czech Republic (by 39 percent to 25 percent), still more people see benefit than harm in EU membership, although the percentage falls under 50 percent.

The only exception is Greece, where 50 percent people see more harm than benefit in EU membership, compared to 34 percent who see more benefit than harm.

When it comes to the issue of accepting Syrian refugees, Eastern Europeans are divided, the poll shows.

In five of nine countries surveyed, clear majorities of those who said their country should not accept any refugees were more likely to see benefit than harm in EU membership, according to Gallup.

The poll was based on results of face-to-face interviews conducted with at least 1,000 adults in each of those countries in 2015 and 2016. Endit