Notes for Interviewer Introduce yourself and the project: Emphasise it is a collaborative project. Exchange business cards. Explain why respondent has been selected: - emphasise their positional importance Explain structure of interview - questions about background and career - questions about recent changes in the city and their work - questions about their attitudes Make Observations while waiting for the interview, and while in his/her office: who else is seeing the respondent, what kind of office does he/she have, who telephones, how often is the interview interrupted, what is the attitude of the respondent to the interviewer and project. Local Governance in Pecs (Hungary) Project Aims The project is a study of patterns of change in local decision-making in central and Eastern Europe. Pecs has been selected for study because of its importance as a regional city in Hungary Sponsor and Participants This project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, as part of its One Europe or Several? Programme (research project No. L213252030). The project leader is Dr James Hughes, London School of Economics and Political Science, with co-researchers Dr Peter John, University of Southampton, and Dr Gwendolyn Sasse, London School of Economics and Political Science. Interview Schedule Date of Interview: Interviewee: Respondent's Full Name: Current Position: Part One: Socio-Biographical Data Question 1: Tell me about your present career? 1. Current position? 2. Previous employment before current position ? 3. Previous employment (and duration) before fall of communism in 1989? 4. Are you appointed or elected? 5. If an Appointed local administrative official, are you appointed by central or regional authorities? Question 2: Tell me about your social and career background? Date of Birth Place of Birth Where grew up When settled in city/region Occupation of parents Citizenship of self and parents Nationality, if different from citizenship Religion, if any Place of residence Education : Age when completed full-time education: If over 18 years, which University or other higher educational institution: name, where located and specialisation 1 Question 3: In your opinion, which of the following words bests describes you? (in order of preference) and what is the next best, if any? European East European Central European Hungarian Person from Baranya Region Person from Pecs Part Two: NETWORKS Question 4: During the last six months, who are the people that you have been in most frequent contact with on questions of importance for the city? How often are these contacts? How would you estimate the quality of these contacts (Interviewee to use 1 to 5 scale: 1=very good, 2=good, 3=neither good nor bad, 4=bad, 5=very bad) Daily Weekly Monthly Quality Name, Position, Organisation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. continue as necessary 2 Question 5: Have you travelled outside your country in the last six months? YES/ NO How many times and to which countries, and to which organisation (if work related)? Name/Position Organisation Country Frequency 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Question 6: Could you tell us who have been your recent visitors from overseas in the last six months? Name/Position Organisation Country Frequency 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Part Three: INFLUENCE Question 7: Who, in your opinion, are the SIX most influential people in the city in order of importance? Names, Position, Organisation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 3 Question 8: Who, in your opinion, are the SIX most influential business people in the city in order of importance? Names, Position, Business 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Question 9: In general, how much influence do you think you have over decisions that affect the city? High good medium low none Part Four: Attitudes Toward Europe Question 10: Do you think the future of your country is most closely tied up with? a. The European Union b. The United States of America c. Russia d. Germany e. Other Central and Eastern European countries f. Other European countries like Norway and Switzerland which remain outside the European Union g. None of the above 4 Question 11: Generally, what is your opinion of the aims and activities of the European Union? Positive neutral negative Question 12: Which five of the following phrases best sums up the European Union for you? [Interviewer: show card and tick five statements respondent chooses] 1) Economic Cohesion 7) Europe of The Regions 2) Partnership for Peace 8) Monetary Union 3) Subsidiarity 9) A Federal Europe 4) Europe of Nation States 10) Common Foreign and Security Policy 5) Free Trade 11) Common European Home 6) Common Agricultural Policy 12) Structural Funds Question 13: Who do you think benefits most out of the relationship between your country and the European Union? Hungary European Union How much do you think Hungary benefits? Significantly Moderately Minimally Not At All How much do you think European Union benefits? Significantly Moderately Minimally Not At All 5 Question 14: How much do you think EU enlargement has benefited Pecs? Significantly Moderately Minimally Not At All Briefly give the key reasons for your response? Question 15: Do you personally feel that the creation of a market economy, that is one largely free from state control, is right or wrong for the future of your country? Right Wrong Briefly explain your response? Question 16: Please state whether you have ever been involved in any EU funded project? YES / NO Can you name Three (or more) current EU funded (wholly or partly) projects in Pecs? 1. 2. 3. 6 Question 17: Who do you think benefits most out of the relationship between your country and NATO? Hungary NATO How much do you think Hungary benefits? Significantly Moderately Minimally Not At All How much do you think NATO benefits? Significantly Moderately Minimally Not At All Part Five: Transition in the City Question 18: On the whole, are you satisfied with the development of democracy and a market economy since 1989? Democracy Country very satisfied fairly satisfied not very satisfied not at all satisfied City very satisfied fairly satisfied not very satisfied not at all satisfied Region very satisfied fairly satisfied not very satisfied not at all satisfied briefly explain your response? Market economy Country very satisfied fairly satisfied not very satisfied not at all satisfied City very satisfied fairly satisfied not very satisfied not at all satisfied Region very satisfied fairly satisfied not very satisfied not at all satisfied Briefly explain your response? 7 Question 19: What, in your opinion are the most important issues facing Pecs and Hungary at this time? (please rank in order, 1 = most important) Pecs Hungary Political Economic Social EU Accession Joining NATO Other (please name) Question 20: Do you agree or disagree with the proposition that traditional local administrative boundaries in Hungary should be redrawn, if necessary, to comply with EU funding criteria? YES in some places NO Including your own region? YES NO Part Six: Additional Biographical Information Question 21: Are you a member of any clubs/associations? (please name and say how long) local regional national international Question 22: Have you ever been a candidate in an election? Local YES/ NO Regional YES/ NO National YES/ NO Question 23: Are you currently a member of a political party? YES/ NO If yes, please name 8 Question 24: Were you a member of the Communist Party? Date joined/left Office held (if any) Can you nominate other contacts for discussion of issues raised in this project? Name, Position, Organisation 1. 2. 9 1 CODEBOOK FOR ELITES AND INSTITUTIONS IN REGIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE CAREER PATH (0) Interviewer 1 = Local 2 = LSE interviewer 3 = Self completed (1) Current Position 1 = city administration 2 = county/regional administration 3 = business /engineering/managerial 4 = banking/finance 5 = professional 6 = education/culture/media 7 = other 8 = central administration/politics (e.g. MP. Minister) 9 = political/business (inc. local admin.) 10 = political/professional-culture 11 = local administration/politics 12 = party politics 13 = not working/retired 14 = politics/other activity (1 and 2 include members of local councils. In some cases respondents identified themselves simply as member of local council [[when they may have held other positions at the same time]], whereas in other respondents identified themselves as being in business and member of local council.) 1a/Current Position 1 = Administration/politics 2 = Administration and other activity 3 = Private sector 4 = Professional/education/media 5 = Other Previous employment before current position (2) Change in position 1 = no change in position 2 = different position (3) Actual Position 1 = city administration 2 = county administration 3 = business/engineering/managerial 4 = banking/finance 2 5 = professional 6 = education/culture/media/research 7 = other 8 = not working/student/retired 9 = worker/craftsman 10 = administration/politics 11 = political/business-technical 12 = political/professional-culture 13 = business/education Employment before 1989 (4) Change in position 1 = no change in position 2 = different position (5) Actual position 1 = city administration 2 = county administration 3 = enterprises/engineering/ business/banking/finance 4 = professional 5 = education/culture/media/research 6 = not working/student/not in permanent employment 7 = other 8 = worker/craftsman/skilled worker 9 = central administration/politics 10 = administration/professional-cultural (5a) Position before 1989 1 = Administration 2 = Business/banking 3 = professional/education/media 4 = worker/skilled worker 5 = not working/student 6 = other (6) Appointed or elected 0 = not applicable 1 = appointed 2 = elected 3 = indirectly elected (7) Locus of appointment of local officials 0 = not applicable 1= central authorities 2 = county/regional authorities or (local level appointment) [[Though respondents were not given option of local level appointment, it is evident that some respondents answered ‘regional’ or ‘county’ level when they actually meant 3 local versus central. Initially I tried to separate this into two different variables.