Contradictory views on national and personal security

The results of the public opinion poll show that trust in security institutions is stable. Traditionally, Serbian Armed Forces are in the first place, trusted by 65% of citizens, who also believe that the army is the least corrupt, said BCSP Researcher Marija Ignjatijević. Trust in the police is also stable, although at the same time more than 70 percent of citizens believe that it is corrupt, and more than half believe that the police protects criminals associated with politicians, politicians and financially powerful people.

In addition, Ignjatijević stated that citizens at the same time believe that the greatest threats to national security come from within, but that these threats should still be addressed through investment in the security sector. At the top of the list of the biggest internal threats to Serbia’s security are organized crime, for a quarter of citizens, and corruption for an additional 15%.

Ignjatijević pointed out that the percentage of people who believe that the Serbian Armed Forces are capable of defending the state is growing, and it can be concluded that they attribute that ability to the perception of better equipment, which is a consequence of media reporting. Ignjatijević explained that the citizens have great trust in the media they follow, which are in the third place after the army and the Serbian Orthodox Church in terms of citizens’ trust.

“Most citizens are informed through television, what more, via stations which do not critically review government officialls’ narrative and these findings show how media are a powerful tool in the hands of the government for shaping public opinion,” Ignjatijević pointed out.

In addition, Ignjatijević pointed out that the majority of citizens would support the return of compulsory military service, but that they primarily view it as a means of youth discipline and preservation of tradition.

BCSP Junior Researcher Marija Pavlović stated that citizens of Serbia feel safe, however, not because the state authorities are doing their job well, but because they live in accordance to the law.

“Most citizens do not think that state institutions contribute to their sense of security – the reason they feel safe is because they respect law and order, not because state bodies do their job well. When it comes to the July protests, half of the respondents believe that the police reacted properly, with some cases of excessive use of force, and believe that everyone who goes to violent protests is to blame for what happened to them, even if they do nothing wrong. “, Pavlović emphasized.

When it comes to safety in local communities, Pavlović stated that citizens are most concerned about unsafe roads and fast driving, peer violence in schools and violence related to drug addiction, as well as domestic violence. They are the least concerned about violence against Roma, right-wing extremist groups violence, as well as violence against migrants.

Sasa Djordjevic, coordinator of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime for Serbia and Montenegro, pointed out that the results of this public opinion poll show that the situation in Serbia is not favorable in any of the researched areas.

“Conducting research like this one is important because it measures the citizens’ assessment on how much the state is capable of protecting them. It is not good when institutions protect the interests of the powerful, and not the citizens, because that is not how a relationship of trust is built. The institutional response to the threats in Serbia is at a dead end because there are no drivers who will return the reforms to the right path. The EU no longer has the power to initiate reforms, and that role must be taken over by professionals within the institutions themselves”, Đorđević concluded.