Serbia’s trust in the EU and its support is falling, according to a survey. Disapproval of European integration prevails among older citizens, while young people are cautiously optimistic.
Public trust in Serbia towards the European Union is declining after four years without the opening of a single new chapter of accession talks. According to a recent survey for the Savremena politika portal, in a hypothetical referendum on EU membership next week, 35.8 percent of respondents would vote in favor, while 33 percent would be against. The news agency Hina informed about it on Saturday, writes TASR.
Support is higher among younger voters, while older citizens are more against joining the Union. Approximately 22.4 percent of respondents were undecided and 8.8 percent would not vote. 15 years ago, almost 70 percent of Serbs supported EU membership, while their share remained above 50 percent for many years. In August 2022, it was still 57 percent, but by December 2022, the support was reduced to 43 percent.
Young people agree the most
The latest poll, from December this year, showed that disapproval is lowest among 18-29-year-olds (18.7 per cent), but only 41.9 per cent of those in this age group support EU membership, with almost a third undecided. Among people over 70, only 20 percent are in favor of joining the EU.
The European Commission’s last two reports on Serbia’s progress in the accession process, issued at the end of 2024 and 2025, noted a lack of improvement in democratic institutions, the rule of law, media freedom and freedom of expression, pointing to the strengthening of repression during anti-government protests that began in 2024. EU member states recently did not support the opening of a group of eight chapters on competitiveness and inclusive growth.
