Survey: Belgraders Express Different Stands on Kosovo, the EU and Russia

Srecko Mihailovic (BETAPHOTO/MEDIA CENTAR BELGRADE)

Confusion, contradiction and anomy, that is, a breakdown of standards and values, are very present among Belgraders, which is reflected in opposing stands on Kosovo, the EU and the war in Ukraine, according to an analysis conducted by Research and Publishing Center Demostat. 

Demostat’s chief researcher and a sociologist, Srecko Mihailovic, has told reporters in Belgrade that 37 percent of the polled agree with the statement that “Kosovo is already an independent state, but we do not want to acknowledge it,” while 30 percent disagree.

Asked whether Serbia should again enter an armed conflict with the Albanians over Kosovo, 70 percent of the surveyed replied negatively and nine percent affirmatively, according to Mihailovic.

Asked about the war in Ukraine, 19 percent of the respondents believe that Serbia should align with the EU foreign policy and impose sanctions against Russia, while 44 percent replied that good relations should be maintained with Russia at the cost of abandoning the EU path.  

If a referendum on Serbia’s EU membership in the EU was held today, it would be backed by 30 percent of the polled, 31 percent would be against, while 39 percent are undecided.

In case of snap elections in Belgrade, according to survey projections, half of the votes would go to the incumbent coalition of the Serbian Progressive Party and the Socialist Party of Serbia, one third of the ballots would be won by the centrist and center-left political parties, while one sixth of votes would be in favor of the right-wing parties.