There are two variants of opinion regarding term of change of Slovakia's membership in the European Union (EU) from associated to full-membership: optimistic one says of entry into the EU until 2004, pessimistic one shifts the time horizon to 20110 to 2015.

Governing coalition - harmonious in wishing of early Slovakia's integration to association of countries of united Europe - continues in eager knocking on the EU door, which it began in the past in the role of governing opposition. Entry into unique European club of countries is not issue of wish, but very difficult preparation, as it was shown in Scandinavian countries, where supporters of the EU entry in referendum did not lose foothold only due to small percentual difference in favour of membership. In the process of preparation for the EU integration, citizens were the weakest element in majority of countries and examples of countries, where Euro-optimists won by slight majority, are warning against neglecting of preparation and education of citizens.

Austrian Ambassador to Slovakia Gabriele Matzner-Holzer admits that opinion poll on Austria's entry to the EU ten years ago finished by simple majority saying no. According to Hanns Abele of the Economic and Commercial University based in Vienna, only 30 percent of citizens were in favour of integration. Very sceptical was also leading Social-Democratic Party, which agreed with concerns of eurosceptics that integration will burden state budget non-corresponding with possibilities of country, ruins agriculture and thousands of people will lose their jobs. Never-ending fight of arguments and emotions was led in the press, as well as in public. "Having evaluated possibilities of Austria without emotions, attitudes towards the EU have changed," said Abele. "Generally acceptable opinion - that it is more advantageous to be part of the EU and actively participate in deciding of its authorities rather than stay out and let others decide on us - was a result of analyses."

Evaluation process followed by governing campaign in order to citizens are informed on all aspects of integration. Despite strong opposition of greens and People's Party of Freedom and traditional approach of Austrians towards all new, two thirds of citizens of Alpine republic were in favour of Austria's integration to the EU. One of strong arguments of Euro-optimists was statement that integration can help influence budget of each family via saving of 1,000 shillings monthly. "It was proven that such prognosis was a little bit exaggerated," says Abele, "in reality it is somewhere in between 600 to 700 shillings, what is also interesting result."

Austria is profitable not only economically, but also politically," emphasised G.Matzner-Holzer in an interview for daily SME. Co-operation instead of confrontation will always bring advantages." In order to Slovakia's interest in EU membership lead from the process of declaration into real integration, Slovak government began to build domestic association pillar from underneath. Such is a characteristics of activities directed towards education of citizens on aspects of entry into the European structures. The first step were seminars regarding problems of European integration for representatives of state administration and local self-governments in 1996.

Then, there was a two-year period of vacuum influenced by disunity of governing coalition regarding issues concerning relation to the EU and membership in it. Now, this period is being changed in favour of initiative of the Department for European Integration at the Slovak Government Office supported by the EU via the PHARE programme. In the cycle of 24 conferences in the period from February to June, it offers employees of regional, district, local municipalities and offices, university teachers, entrepreneurs, representatives of the third sector and managers the most complex view on the process of entry into the EU and requirements regarding potential members.

"Slovakia shifted its interest in EU membership by an important step forward," said one of the first lecturers Prof. Ing. Otto Sobek, CSc. of the Economy University based in Bratislava about the cycle of conferences.