“EU skepticism on rise due to economy”

Experts believe that the economic situation is the reason why Serbian citizens’ support for the EU integration is declining.

Izvor: B92

Sunday, 16.01.2011.

11:17

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Experts believe that the economic situation is the reason why Serbian citizens’ support for the EU integration is declining. Next week will be very important for Serbia’s European integration since the European Parliament should adopt the resolution on Serbia and ratify the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). “EU skepticism on rise due to economy” But results of a poll that show that public support for the EU integration is declining in Serbia were published ahead of the politically important week. Experts explain that this is mostly due to economic reasons. Political Science Faculty Professor Zoran Stojiljkovic thinks that economic crisis has made people think that the EU is not an ideal place to live. “Crisis and the crisis context, closing of the EU member states for the labor from less developed member states is some sort of warning that the EU is not an ideal place to live, but that it also has a pragmatic side,” he said. “We should come down from ‘myth heights’ that Serbia will solve all of its problems through European integration and go toward education of our citizens about what the benefits and limitations are of the union membership,” the professor pointed out. Center for New Policy (CNP) NGO Director Vladimir Todoric agrees that the economic crisis has affected the decline of the public support for the EU integration, but thinks that the government also bears some guilt. He stressed that the EU had stopped being “attractive“ especially because the standard of living had dropped in Serbia comparing to a period from several years ago when the country had a less pro-European government. “When people see that unemployment in Spain is 20 percent, that Greece, Portugal and Ireland are struggling with debt, it's certainly visible that it's not all roses there. However, situation is far worse in Serbia,“ Todoric pointed out. According to him, the citizens are unhappy with what the institutions have done regarding the EU integration, especially since the quality of life did not significantly change. The CNP director believes, however, that 90 percent of the citizens would not renounce the white Schengen list or some other benefit of the EU integration and return to past. (FoNet)

“EU skepticism on rise due to economy”

But results of a poll that show that public support for the EU integration is declining in Serbia were published ahead of the politically important week.

Experts explain that this is mostly due to economic reasons.

Political Science Faculty Professor Zoran Stojiljković thinks that economic crisis has made people think that the EU is not an ideal place to live.

“Crisis and the crisis context, closing of the EU member states for the labor from less developed member states is some sort of warning that the EU is not an ideal place to live, but that it also has a pragmatic side,” he said.

“We should come down from ‘myth heights’ that Serbia will solve all of its problems through European integration and go toward education of our citizens about what the benefits and limitations are of the union membership,” the professor pointed out.

Center for New Policy (CNP) NGO Director Vladimir Todorić agrees that the economic crisis has affected the decline of the public support for the EU integration, but thinks that the government also bears some guilt.

He stressed that the EU had stopped being “attractive“ especially because the standard of living had dropped in Serbia comparing to a period from several years ago when the country had a less pro-European government.

“When people see that unemployment in Spain is 20 percent, that Greece, Portugal and Ireland are struggling with debt, it's certainly visible that it's not all roses there. However, situation is far worse in Serbia,“ Todorić pointed out.

According to him, the citizens are unhappy with what the institutions have done regarding the EU integration, especially since the quality of life did not significantly change.

The CNP director believes, however, that 90 percent of the citizens would not renounce the white Schengen list or some other benefit of the EU integration and return to past.

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