The support of the citizens of Montenegro for the country’s accession to the European Union is constant and high, according to a survey conducted by the De Facto agency in November 2023 for the needs of the Delegation of the European Union. Almost four-fifths of Montenegrin citizens, 78.5% of them, support Montenegro’s membership in the European Union. Regardless of whether they support membership or not, 76 percent of citizens are convinced that Montenegro will become a member of the European Union.
“The consistently high level of support of the citizens of Montenegro for their country’s membership in the European Union is a reason for encouragement for us, and I believe for the Montenegrin authorities as well. Such strong and stable support of citizens for membership of almost 80 percent should be the driving force for all political actors to speed up reforms on the way to EU accession. Our common goal should not only be membership but also improving the living conditions of citizens along the way and promoting the values of the EU as the foundation of a prosperous democratic society,” said EU Ambassador to Montenegro Oana Cristina Popa.
The survey showed that citizens see the European Union as the most important political, economic, and trade partner in the future, while 50% of them see the EU as the biggest financial donor to Montenegro. If a referendum on Montenegro’s membership in the European Union was organized today, 86.8% of citizens would vote, and of those who voted, almost 90 percent would answer the referendum question in the affirmative.
A positive attitude towards the EU and high support for membership in the union are an additional obligation, but also a strong incentive, both for the Ministry of European Affairs and for the Government as a whole, said Minister Maida Gorčević.
“Encourage us to work even more dedicated, more efficiently, and better to fulfill all the requirements of the accession process and ensure that Montenegro becomes the next member of the EU. In this direction, we will continue to work towards reaching European standards and improving the quality of life of our citizens, which is the most important goal of this pro-European Government, through the implementation of all necessary reforms.” Minister Gorcevic said.
Asked to evaluate the speed with which Montenegro is moving towards membership in the European Union, 19% of citizens believe that the process is proceeding very quickly, while 35.8% answered as quickly as the circumstances allow; 40.8% believe that it is not moving fast enough or is moving very slowly.
“Although support for accession to the European Union in Montenegro remains strong, we can notice certain developments from the so-called hard into the soft category of supporters. The observed trend warns of the importance of preserving one of the rare, if not the only, issues around which there is a consensus in Montenegro,” said Olivera Komar from the De Facto agency.
The majority of citizens, 65.5% of them, believe that things in Montenegro are moving in the right direction, but only 11% are completely convinced of that. According to the research results, the biggest problem of Montenegrin society is the economic situation. Then comes unemployment and corruption. Citizens’ concerns about the state of healthcare and the environment are also on the rise.