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Citizens of the Western Balkans, unanimously/ What unites them, more important than what divides them

2023-07-18 20:01:00, Aktualitet CNA

Citizens of the Western Balkans, unanimously/ What unites them, more important

For the ninth time in a row, the Regional Cooperation Council publishes the results of the Balkan Barometer - the annual survey conducted with six thousand citizens from all over the Western Balkans, giving an overview of their opinions about regional cooperation, EU integration, trust in public institutions and media, their biggest concerns, employment, climate change, security, digital life, transport, rule of law, travel, etc. You can view the results of the Barometer at https://www.rcc.int/balkanbarometer/

"The Balkan Barometer reveals the 3 main trends of public opinion in the Western Balkans. First, the good news, 76% of people believe that regional cooperation is good for the development of their economies. Moreover, 69% agree that what unites the citizens of the Western Balkans is more important than what divides them. The second news, support for EU integration: it turns out 59% or 3% less than in 2021. And the third is the concern about depopulation, as 44% consider living abroad, 5% more than in 2022. It is also extremely worrying that 71% of young people are thinking of leaving their country", said the General Secretary of the RCC, Majlinda Bregu.

Balkan Barometer 2023, Public Opinion edition, main results:

- 1 in 5 citizens connects the Balkans with hope or cooperation.

- For 15% of citizens, the Balkans means trust, but for 1 in 10, it means fear.

Citizens of the Western Balkans, unanimously/ What unites them, more important

- 51% are dissatisfied with the economic situation

- 27% say that corruption is the biggest problem

- 69% say that the law does not apply to everyone equally - 7% more than in 2022

- 45% feel threatened by the illegal possession and misuse of weapons

- 71% say that the war in Ukraine significantly affected their purchasing power

- 75% do not trust political parties

- 65% expressed increased concern about the spread of fake news

"The Balkan Barometer highlights human stories, their concerns about work, efforts for more well-being and how everything that is happening around us is affecting our region, which is fragile, easily vulnerable. The barometer shows us how ready we are to make our home a better place, where we can live better and where we can feel safe and with a better future for ourselves and our children.

People see and feel in regional cooperation and the things that unite us hope and the opportunity to improve ourselves", concluded Bregu./ CNA.al