Gorčević: 75 percent of citizens believe that EU membership will benefit Montenegro

The citizens of Montenegro strongly support the country's European path, recognize the benefits of future membership in the European Union and express a high level of trust in European and Montenegrin institutions, according to data from the spring survey conducted by the European Union within the framework of the Eurobarometer program at a six-monthly level, the Ministry of European Affairs announced.

Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević said that the results of the survey confirm the strong pro-European sentiment of citizens and the growing European awareness in Montenegro.

"I am particularly pleased to learn that 75 percent of citizens believe that Montenegro's future membership in the European Union will bring concrete benefits to the country. This confirms that citizens understand the importance of the European path and that they see European integration as a process that directly improves the quality of life, strengthens institutions and opens up new development opportunities for Montenegro," said Gorčević.

As she stated, it is particularly significant that 68 percent of Montenegrin citizens express their commitment to the European Union, while the institutions of the European Union enjoy significant trust from citizens in our country.

"Membership in the European Union is not only a political and administrative process, but also a matter of values ​​and belonging to the community to which we naturally aspire. The trust that citizens express in European institutions confirms that they see the European Union as a reliable framework for the future development of Montenegro," said Gorčević.

She added that on Europe Day, the results of the Eurobarometer confirm that the European idea in Montenegro has strong support from citizens.

"The support of citizens shows that Montenegro's European path represents a clear social and state choice, especially considering that as many as 65 percent of citizens believe that Montenegro is moving in the right direction. This confirms citizens' trust in the policies of the Government of Montenegro and shows that citizens recognize the results of the country's European path," said Gorčević.

According to Eurobarometer data, Montenegro, it was announced, is convincingly leading among the Western Balkan countries and achieving a result that is twice as high as the European Union average, where 31 percent of citizens share the same view.

Speaking about the results in areas that are crucial for the further course of the negotiation process, Gorčević pointed out that even the most demanding areas are recording an increase in citizens' trust.

"Trust in the judiciary in Montenegro today stands at 49 percent, which represents an increase of 29 percentage points compared to the previous survey and the best result among the candidate countries in the region. Although we still have a lot of work to do, it is important that citizens recognize progress in areas that are key to the successful completion of the negotiation process," said Gorčević.

The statement emphasizes that trust in the police in Montenegro has increased by 30 percentage points, in the army by 36 percentage points compared to the previous survey, and trust in the Government in the spring Eurobarometer is 54 percent.

"Although much work remains to be done, these data indicate a strengthening of the perception of the rule of law, institutional stability and citizens' trust in the state's capacity to provide legal certainty, equality before the law and effective protection of the public interest," it was announced.