Public perceptions towards public safety, internal and external threats

The main finding of this study is that the Serbian public has conflicting views on national and personal security including security at the community level. On the one hand, people instinctively recognize that the main security threats are internal and related to poor governance – such as organized crime and corruption and the low level of trust in the government that serves the interests of politicians. Consequently, the list of the main internal security threats Serbia faces is topped by organized crime, emigration, unemployment, and corruption. On the other hand, the public believe that the country is mostly under external threats from migrants, great powers, and Kosovo-Albanians, which is probably a product of sensationalized media coverage and messaging by politicians.

This publication is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The views presented in this report are perceptions of the respondents and do not necessarily represent the views of Kosovar Centre for Security Studies and Belgrade Centre for Security Policy. Opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily represent the views of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).