“No matter what, we are against it” – this is how people in Serbia feel about Serbia imposing sanctions on Russia and joining NATO – a survey conducted by the Henry Jackson Society has shown.
78.7 percent of Serbian citizens voted against Serbia imposing sanctions against Russia and Serbia aligning its policy with the EU’s on that issue, while 12.1 percent were in favour.
The survey has also shown that, despite the EU’s pressure on Serbia, 53.3 percent of citizens of our country want Serbia to remain neutral in relation to the conflict in Ukraine. 35.8 percent of respondents believe that Serbia should support Russia, 4.4 percent said they support Ukraine, and 6.5 percent did not answer.
It was especially interesting for the researchers to see what the people in Serbia would do in the case of EU using the so-called carrot-on-a-stick system.
Thus, the question asked if imposing sanctions on Russia if the EU would do any of the following, what their opinion would then be:
- If imposing sanctions speeds up Serbia’s entry into the EU: 80.7 percent are against sanctions in that case, 6.4 are in favour, 14.7 are undecided.
- If the West provides Serbia with significant financial aid: against 78.5, for 9.5, undecided 12
- If the West stops pressuring Serbia to recognize Kosovo’s independence: against 74.3, for 13.6, undecided 12.1
- If the West threatens sanctions against Serbia: 69.9 percent are against imposing sanctions on Russia, 17.4 percent in favour, undecided 12.6
- If the EU threatens to bring back visas for Serbian citizens: against 76.6, for sanctions 12.6, undecided 10.8
- If the EU threatens to cancel the funds: against 76, for 12.4, undecided 11.7
- If the West threatens to withdraw investments: against 72.7, for 15.1, undecided 12.3
- If the West threatens Serbian athletes with sanctions: against 78, for 8.9, undecided 13.2 percent.
Another expected result was that as many as 52.3 percent of respondents believe that Russia is not to blame for the conflict in Ukraine, 32.9 believe that it is, and 14.9 are undecided. On the other hand, 66.3 percent of them blame Ukraine for the conflict, while 13.9 percent say that Ukraine is not to blame. People in Serbia see the US government and NATO as the biggest culprits behind the war in Ukraine (82.4 and 84.8 percent, respectively).
The Henry Jackson Society researchers also asked people this organization asked in Serbia how they would react if a referendum was held tomorrow regarding our country’s entry into the EU – 31.6 percent are definitely against it, 12.7 percent are probably against it, 23 percent are probably in favour of entry, and 15.1 percent are definitely in favour, 7.1 would not vote, while 10.4 percent do not know.
In the potential referendum for Serbia’s entry into NATO was held, the result would be – 63.4 percent are definitely against, 15.7 percent are probably against, 5.1 are probably for joining NATO, and 1.2 percent are definitely in favour of joining.
Regarding relying on big countries in international politics, 54.1 percent of respondents say that Serbia should rely on Russia, 22.6 on the EU, 1.2 on the USA, 9.7 on China, 0.6 on Great Britain and 1.7 on France.
(Politika, 05.02.2023)
https://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/536257/anketa-srbi-zapad-istok
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