Poll: 61% support EU entry

“ Agency Director Srđan Bogosavljević says that 48 percent of respondents identified unemployment as Serbia’s biggest problem, followed by the low standard of living. Kosovo ranked fifth when it came to Serbian citizens’ worries.”

This clearly shows that on average Serbian people are wiser than their politicians…

We can see several things happening here. First of all, SPS has shot itself in the foot by signing on to the pro West champaign... two thirds of its voters have left it seems, and so they can not get into parliament. Second, not too long ago estimates said that 69% favored EU entry, and so if it is 61% now, it means that some numbers are wrong, or support for the EU is fast falling. Tadic's party is a coalition, not just one party. Along with the other pro-West party, they have a total of 47% popularity, and the Radicals plus Kostunica's guys have a combined total of 45%. The result therefore means that society is very much divided, and in such cases problems occur. Proof of this is Ukraine, with a similar situation - they are achieving nothing the last several years in similar conditions. In Latin America such conditions lead to coups and revolutions. This leads me to conclude that the results here will not be good.

Unemployment will continue to be a problem even if we join the EU. Many of our people will leave to work in the EU, resulting is maybe a single digit unemployment rate. The problem is though that our educated people will leave too, and so how will our country function with our specialists gone? What will happen to our hospitals or other vital things? How many of our companies will go out of business due to competition in the free market with developed western giants? These issues are of major concern. Our development right now is not sustainable... what is our economic growth good for when our trade deficit is only rising? We are becoming a slave/colony to its masters, forced into debt and other things. We need to develop serbia for itself, and not suffer the devastating "dependency syndrome" that has plagued much of the developing world. We have to seek alternative partners, and there are very many of them.

May god help Serbia... I say this with most honesty, for the future looks unstable. We are still left on this planet despite repeated aggression and genocide done on us over the centuries. It is a miracle that we are still alive. With half the luck that we had until now we should pull through somehow, but we can't rely on luck all the time, especially now that so many of us have turned against our Church's/Culture's values. Like our migrant's children have been swallowed up by the Western societies, so seems to be path that Serbia is taking, to be swallowed up by the West. If that dictator Tito has thought anyone anything... it's to not align. We were the leader of the third world, and we could be that again. The third world was once a good term, and it should be our duty to make it so again. We should not join the 1st world (West), or the 2nd (soviets and satelites)... we have to go the third path. Countless countries have been undermined by the West that have tried this path, but we must not give up, for there is an alternative.

Lazar: "We need to develop serbia for itself, and not suffer the devastating "dependency syndrome" that has plagued much of the developing world..."

With all due respect, what are you waiting for?
It seems that your politicians are waiting to get Kosova back first and then start doing what you said!!

Someone must explain to the Serbs that EU doesn't mean a check sent at home from Brussels every month....
The real number maybe is 25%...

Also, the big question is if minority votes are counted in these statistics. The reality is that the radicals would be in power if it were not for the minority votes. Most serbs support the nationalist parties, but the minorities contribute a substantial portion of the votes to the minority of serbs. Therefore in our democracy it is important to look at the whole picture, not just serbs. I can imagine that the radicals would have many fewer votes if albanians from all of Kosovo voted and participated in democratic processes, something which they know little about.

"This clearly shows that on average Serbian people are wiser than their politicians…
(Bad Gorilla, 4 September 2008 15:07) "

I think that is the problem with every country, hehe.

It seems albanians thing that because Serbs are concerned with every day concerns like inflation, unemployment, health care, and visas that they think differently about Kosovo then our politicians.

Well in reality nothing can be farther from the truth. Polls before have indicate that even if 60%+ of Serbs support the EU over 70% would choose Kosovo over the EU.

Miri, we tried to go about real development. The result was that we got bombed, that the West supported terrorists against us, and then used that as a reason to bomb us when they clearly avoided any peace deals that were acceptable to both sides.

National sovereignty comes before development, in my opinion. Of course, our minorities don't care about some serbian issues, and there are those serbs who want to leave to work and live abroad.

Kosovo has nothing to do with these issues at hand. Quite frankly I would not be too concerned to take it back, as it is really is not a major priority. Economically it is by far the most backward and depressed region in all of Europe, if you exclude the North and the serbian enclaves. It has little hope for anything in the near future, and with only most Western Countries and their few pressured allies recognizing the entity, it really is not going anywhere. Simple trade data shows that Kosovo exports about 9 percent of what it imports... and it imports between 1.5 and 2 billion dollars. Its main export is scrap metal, and that is quickly going away. So why should we fund this separatist region like we have done for decades? Pristina did not have one paved street in 1945. We built it all up, invested so much money. Right now it would be best to save our money and not throw it to waste... Kosovo is not going anywhere, so it is not a high priority for us. If it were going then it would be a high priority.

yes, yes, interestingly they left out the fact that support is declining compared to last poll by 6-7 %. we need to join eu as much as a rape victim needs to move in with her or his rapist, because the rapist as it happens has a nice apartment! serbia needs to become and remain an independent country. those who say they support joining have the shallowest of shallow reasons, they think some money will come to their bank account from nowhere. anyway i doubt membership somewhere where bulgaria is admitted is worth it, or worth anything, no hard feelings :)
NO to eu.

"Pristina did not have one paved street in 1945. We built it all up, invested so much money."

Well thank you. You have done an amazing job over the 100 years! Until your attitude about 1998-99 changes Serbia should stay out: NATO sided with the terrorists? Like those 1,000,000 'Serbian citizens' you threw out?

The enclaves and the North are in worst shape by the way.

“ Agency Director Srđan Bogosavljević says that 48 percent of respondents identified unemployment as Serbia’s biggest problem, followed by the low standard of living. Kosovo ranked fifth when it came to Serbian citizens’ worries.”

This clearly shows that on average Serbian people are wiser than their politicians…

Someone must explain to the Serbs that EU doesn't mean a check sent at home from Brussels every month....
The real number maybe is 25%...

Lazar: "We need to develop serbia for itself, and not suffer the devastating "dependency syndrome" that has plagued much of the developing world..."

With all due respect, what are you waiting for?
It seems that your politicians are waiting to get Kosova back first and then start doing what you said!!

We can see several things happening here. First of all, SPS has shot itself in the foot by signing on to the pro West champaign... two thirds of its voters have left it seems, and so they can not get into parliament. Second, not too long ago estimates said that 69% favored EU entry, and so if it is 61% now, it means that some numbers are wrong, or support for the EU is fast falling. Tadic's party is a coalition, not just one party. Along with the other pro-West party, they have a total of 47% popularity, and the Radicals plus Kostunica's guys have a combined total of 45%. The result therefore means that society is very much divided, and in such cases problems occur. Proof of this is Ukraine, with a similar situation - they are achieving nothing the last several years in similar conditions. In Latin America such conditions lead to coups and revolutions. This leads me to conclude that the results here will not be good.

Unemployment will continue to be a problem even if we join the EU. Many of our people will leave to work in the EU, resulting is maybe a single digit unemployment rate. The problem is though that our educated people will leave too, and so how will our country function with our specialists gone? What will happen to our hospitals or other vital things? How many of our companies will go out of business due to competition in the free market with developed western giants? These issues are of major concern. Our development right now is not sustainable... what is our economic growth good for when our trade deficit is only rising? We are becoming a slave/colony to its masters, forced into debt and other things. We need to develop serbia for itself, and not suffer the devastating "dependency syndrome" that has plagued much of the developing world. We have to seek alternative partners, and there are very many of them.

May god help Serbia... I say this with most honesty, for the future looks unstable. We are still left on this planet despite repeated aggression and genocide done on us over the centuries. It is a miracle that we are still alive. With half the luck that we had until now we should pull through somehow, but we can't rely on luck all the time, especially now that so many of us have turned against our Church's/Culture's values. Like our migrant's children have been swallowed up by the Western societies, so seems to be path that Serbia is taking, to be swallowed up by the West. If that dictator Tito has thought anyone anything... it's to not align. We were the leader of the third world, and we could be that again. The third world was once a good term, and it should be our duty to make it so again. We should not join the 1st world (West), or the 2nd (soviets and satelites)... we have to go the third path. Countless countries have been undermined by the West that have tried this path, but we must not give up, for there is an alternative.

Also, the big question is if minority votes are counted in these statistics. The reality is that the radicals would be in power if it were not for the minority votes. Most serbs support the nationalist parties, but the minorities contribute a substantial portion of the votes to the minority of serbs. Therefore in our democracy it is important to look at the whole picture, not just serbs. I can imagine that the radicals would have many fewer votes if albanians from all of Kosovo voted and participated in democratic processes, something which they know little about.

"This clearly shows that on average Serbian people are wiser than their politicians…
(Bad Gorilla, 4 September 2008 15:07) "

I think that is the problem with every country, hehe.

It seems albanians thing that because Serbs are concerned with every day concerns like inflation, unemployment, health care, and visas that they think differently about Kosovo then our politicians.

Well in reality nothing can be farther from the truth. Polls before have indicate that even if 60%+ of Serbs support the EU over 70% would choose Kosovo over the EU.

Miri, we tried to go about real development. The result was that we got bombed, that the West supported terrorists against us, and then used that as a reason to bomb us when they clearly avoided any peace deals that were acceptable to both sides.

National sovereignty comes before development, in my opinion. Of course, our minorities don't care about some serbian issues, and there are those serbs who want to leave to work and live abroad.

Kosovo has nothing to do with these issues at hand. Quite frankly I would not be too concerned to take it back, as it is really is not a major priority. Economically it is by far the most backward and depressed region in all of Europe, if you exclude the North and the serbian enclaves. It has little hope for anything in the near future, and with only most Western Countries and their few pressured allies recognizing the entity, it really is not going anywhere. Simple trade data shows that Kosovo exports about 9 percent of what it imports... and it imports between 1.5 and 2 billion dollars. Its main export is scrap metal, and that is quickly going away. So why should we fund this separatist region like we have done for decades? Pristina did not have one paved street in 1945. We built it all up, invested so much money. Right now it would be best to save our money and not throw it to waste... Kosovo is not going anywhere, so it is not a high priority for us. If it were going then it would be a high priority.

yes, yes, interestingly they left out the fact that support is declining compared to last poll by 6-7 %. we need to join eu as much as a rape victim needs to move in with her or his rapist, because the rapist as it happens has a nice apartment! serbia needs to become and remain an independent country. those who say they support joining have the shallowest of shallow reasons, they think some money will come to their bank account from nowhere. anyway i doubt membership somewhere where bulgaria is admitted is worth it, or worth anything, no hard feelings :)
NO to eu.

"Pristina did not have one paved street in 1945. We built it all up, invested so much money."

Well thank you. You have done an amazing job over the 100 years! Until your attitude about 1998-99 changes Serbia should stay out: NATO sided with the terrorists? Like those 1,000,000 'Serbian citizens' you threw out?

The enclaves and the North are in worst shape by the way.