BELGRADE – If the referendum were to be held tomorrow with question “Do you support Serbian membership in the EU?”, 48% of the Serbian citizens would be in favor, 28% would be against, 15% would not vote, and 9% would not know what to answer. These are the results of the last public opinion poll called “European Orientation of Serbian Citizens” which was conducted by Serbian European Integration Office. In this poll 1.027 adults took part, and it is conduced by Eurobarometer standard.
Support for the reforms, as in previous years, is high. 73% of the examinees think that the reforms, which are necessary for the joining the EU, are needed beside the EU membership because of the citizens’ well-being and because of the creating better Serbia.
Fight against corruption (20%), judiciary reform (16%), public education reform (15%), and public health system reform (13%), citizens consider as the most important reforms which have the main influence on their everyday life. After this reforms the next are better protection of human rights and agricultural reform (7%), as well as consumer protection (5%).
The highest percent of the citizens, 65%, consider that the issues between Belgrade and Prishtina should be resolved regardless of whether it is required by the EU. Two thirds of the examinees support the commitment of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the continuation of the Belgrade-Prishtina dialogue and its readiness to achieve the sustainable solutions.
30% of the examinees say that the membership in the EU would be a good thing for them, 29% consider that it is bad, and 41% think that it is neither good nor bad. For the biggest number of the citizens, 18% of them, membership is a possibility to fix situation in the country, better employment chances (16%), path towards better future of the young people (15%), as well as possibility for moving freely within the EU (12%).
When we talk about grant development aid to Serbia, from 2000. till today, 27% of the citizens recognized the EU as the main donor to Serbia in the last 15 years, 20% think that it is Russia, 15% think it is Japan, and 14% think it is China. Official data say that, in the period from 2000. to 2014, the EU and member states are the main donors with the amount of roughly 2.6 billion euros.
Serbian European Integration Office regularly conducts this public opinion polls from 2002.
Souce: SEIO