The majority of Serbian citizens in favour of EU membership, cooperation with Russia and want better defined Serbia’s policy of neutrality

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Results of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy survey showed that Serbia is deeply polarized society and the need for defining of the policy of neutrality, as well as the comprehensive public debate on National Security Strategy, highlighted the conference held on 8th March 2017 in Belgrade.

At the conference was presented BCBP's study „Public perception of Serbia’s foreign policy“, which shows that the majority of 1.400 respondents are in favour of EU membership, are against membership in NATO and are satisfied with he existing level of cooperation with Russia.

The divisions are most noticable in analysis of attitudes towards the policy of neutrality, even though the majority is still in favour of some kind of miliary neutrality, she highlighted. The largest group of respondents conidered that policy of neutrality should be retained, but that this policy should specificy what it entails, while the fifth of respondents is satisfied with the current form of military neutrality, said StojanovicGajic.

There is slightly higher number of those who are supporting Serbia's engagement in addressing security issues beyond national borders than those who are against, but almost half of respondents do not know in which parts of the world Serbia should be engaged. In this regard, costs of peacekeeping operations are the most significant item for 35% of respondents, results of survey showed.

Wanting EU membership, satisfied with Russia, opposed to NATO

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Nearly half of the citizens considered the current level of political cooperation with Russia satisfying, one-third desired Serbia’s integration into a Russia-led Eurasian Union, one-fifth is against this, and the majority has no opinion on the issue, stated Stojanović Gajić. The majority has no opinion on the Crimea issue and believes that Serbia should remain neutral regarding the Ukraine conflic, she stressed.

More than half of respondents believed that Serbia will never become a NATO member. If the referendum was held, 64% would vote against and only 9% for NATO integration, which is the minimal support in the last ten years, stated Stojanovic Gajic.

“It is important to say that the decline in support of NATO membership isn't causing the rise of the opposite attitudes. It shows us that the part of suppoters of NATO membership became undecided, not opposed to the issue”, pointed up the director of BCBP.

The main novelty is the decline in support of EU membership, even though there is still more citizens in favour with that measure. If recognition of Kosovo was a requirement for accession process, only 13% of citizens would support that decision.

Germany and the EU most successful democracies

The majority of respondents regarded influence of Germany, China and Russia as positive, and influence of EU and USA as mostly negative, BCBP's researcher Milos Popovic pointed out. The majority views USA as an economic, military and technological power, Russia is percieved as a political and military power, while Germany  is the best  in aspect of investors' credibility and, accompanied with the EU, is seen as the most successful in domain of democracy, human rights and rule of law. Citizens believe that China is a leader in new technologies and a successful economic power.

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Analysis on media reporting on EU, Russia and USA made by CRTA (Center for research, transparency and responsability) was presented at the conference as well. Media has a great influence on citizens' attitudes, concluded Tamara Skrozza, a journalist in Vreme and editor of the research.

 

The conference is a part of the project entitled “Renewed and revised co-operation between the BCSP, regional partners and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs”, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.