The ongoing social and political crisis in Serbia is widely perceived as a crisis of democracy, institutions, and public trust and, according to research published Tuesday by the Bureau for Social Research (BIRODI), the rule of law, a functional social order, and free and fair elections have emerged as the top priorities for the country’s “active public.”
The survey indicates that the sharpest social conflict in Serbia is the one between professional journalism and propaganda-driven media outlets. This suggests that media integrity has become the central fault line in Serbian society; an overwhelming 94.2 percent of respondents describe this conflict as either very or moderately intense.
When asked who is responsible for the current state of society, respondents primarily point to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the ruling parties, the Serbian Government, and the Parliament, while they see citizens, students, universities, and civil society organizations as the key figures capable of providing a solution.
The dominant emotion among those surveyed is anger (36.9 percent). However, a significant 16.1 percent expressed a motivation to take action. Researchers say this points to an “active-negative” emotional profile within the public – a combination of deep dissatisfaction and a readiness for social engagement.
As for a way out of the crisis, 38 percent of respondents believe the solution lies in organizing free and fair elections in line with international standards, while 17 percent prioritize the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law.
Notably, 22.3 percent of respondents support a change of government through non-electoral means. This highlights a profound crisis of trust in existing institutional mechanisms, particularly the electoral process itself.
The data also reveals a shift in how people want to be involved: the two most popular forms of social engagement are election monitoring (22.6 percent) and participating in student movement campaigns (22 percent), while interest in political party affiliation is extremely low.
Source: N1
