The American non-governmental and non-partisan organization National Democratic Institute (NDI) published the results of a survey conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in which 2.518 respondents (1.564 in the Federation of BiH – FBiH and 894 in Republika Srpska – RS) took part, which shows that 90 percent of citizens think BiH goes in the wrong direction.
The NDI survey in BiH, conducted in December 2021, showed that a minority of respondents in RS with 34 percent support Milorad Dodik’s declared intention to withdraw RS from state institutions, with 35 percent for RS independence.
Forty-eight (48) percent of respondents in RS are against the withdrawal of RS from state institutions, and 45 percent of respondents in RS are against independence. Avoiding interethnic violence (72 percent) and focusing on the economy (69 percent) were considered more urgent than promoting Serbian unity (49 percent).
Namely, the research was conducted before the invasion of Ukraine and after the High Representative imposed amendments to the criminal law banning genocide denial and glorification of war crimes. Survey data show that 60 percent of the entire state approves the amendments, including 60 percent of Serbs. The vast majority of RS respondents see Dodik’s decision to boycott the BiH Parliament and leave state institutions as retaliation for the High Representative’s actions. About 75 percent see no benefit from Dodik’s refusal to abide by the new laws.
“The research confirms what NDI sees in the field. People across BiH want peace, prioritize economic development, and do not support ethnic division,” noted Nenad Simovic, senior resident director of NDI/BiH, in Sarajevo.
“They don’t want corruption and unemployment to be present, but empowering young people.”
Approximately 90 percent believe that BiH is moving in the wrong direction (compared to 85 percent in 2020). This growing dissatisfaction is linked to economic problems, political stalemate and corruption, which are the main issues.
Support for the European Union (EU) membership has increased compared to the past year, from 85 percent, with a marked increase in Serb support from 55 percent in 2020 to 64 percent in 2021. NATO accession continues to provoke divisions, with strong Bosniak support (90 percent) ) and Bosnian Croats (92 percent) and strong opposition from Serbs (82 percent). The higher level of support for EU integration in RS correlates with the public’s reluctance to deviate from the path of economic development, social stability, and political integration.
It may be difficult to predict the correlation between survey data and voter turnout in the October 2022 general election, but there are noticeable changes from previous NDI surveys that suggest a strong voter turnout, with 58 percent of respondents from all three major ethnic groups claiming to vote for sure. This applies to 56 percent of Bosniaks, 63 percent of Bosnian Croats, and 60 percent of Serbs, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
