The total support of the citizens for Montenegro to join the European Union has increased to almost 78%, with a record high number of 50.2% representing those who strongly support that idea. These are the results of the latest public opinion poll conducted by the DeFacto agency, which was presented to the head of the EU Delegation and ambassadors of EU member states in Montenegro.
The poll confirmed that there is a general consensus about the European Union accession. If there was a hypothetical referendum on the membership, 80% of the voters would vote for Montenegro’s entry. According to the research findings, the citizens of Montenegro continue to perceive the European Union as Montenegro’s most important political and economic partner and financial donor, while the EU Delegation is among the three institutions that enjoy the most trust by citizens.
On the other hand, the survey showed that the majority of citizens are not satisfied with the speed with which the country approaches the European Union. For the second time since this indicator was measured, more people believe that the pace is slow (54.7%) rather than fast.
“This research clearly tells us that in difficult times the citizens of Montenegro are even more committed to their European future. But the citizens’ message is also a clear call for urgent action – that Montenegro has no more time to lose and that now is the time to secure the country’s European future,” said the EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa, commenting on the results of the poll.
The Ambassador emphasised that the EU hears this message loud and clear and expressed hope that Montenegrin political actors who have the power to undertake the necessary activities and initiate the necessary reforms will also hear the citizens’ messages.
“Now is the time for all pro-European actors to back up their words with concrete actions, reach a broad political consensus, and fulfil the promise made to the citizens about the European future. Acting pro-European means working together for the sake of the public good, above political, and ideological commitments,” said Ambassador Popa.
Prof. Dr. Olivera Komar from the DeFacto agency, which conducted the research, stated that support for Montenegro’s accession to the European Union still remains the only consensus in the highly polarised Montenegrin society.
“Additionally, the vast majority of citizens believe that Montenegro’s membership in the EU would benefit regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. With this, the citizens are sending a clear message to the political elites about what should be the direction of Montenegrin politics, and what kind of society they want to live in,” emphasised Komar.
The public opinion survey was conducted for the needs of the Delegation of the European Union in Montenegro, on a representative sample of 1,005 respondents, in the period from 28 October to 14 November 2022.