Serbia poll: Majority of citizens do not want the country to join the EU

The percentage of Serbian citizens who support the country’s European integration fell to an all-time low. According to a poll conducted by Ipsos in early April, only 34.9% of the sample were in favor of joining the European Union.

At the same time, the percentage of citizens who oppose European integration increased by 43.8%, stating that they would vote against EU membership if a referendum were held. 21% of respondents refused to take a position. It is worth noting that this is the first time that anti-Europeanists have prevailed in a poll on Serbia’s European integration.

“Since March, the percentage of anti-Europeans has started to rise sharply and the percentage of supporters of European integration is gradually declining. This trend continues and there is a great decline in the percentage of Europeans,” said Ipsos director Marko Uliarevic. He believes that these changes are due to the war in Ukraine and especially to the fact that the EU is putting intense pressure on Serbia to impose sanctions on Russia.

It is noted that Serbian President Aleksandar Vuτςiτς reiterated today in an interview with the Financial Times that Serbia, despite pressure from Brussels, does not intend to side with the EU in imposing sanctions on Russia. “We are told to choose a side. No, we have our own side, which is in Serbia’s interest. […] “You can put pressure and coercion but this is our honest position,” Vucic told FT.

Meanwhile, according to Serbian press reports, a resolution is being prepared in the European Parliament calling on Serbia to align with EU foreign policy and impose sanctions on Russia.

Source: AMPE