The majority of respondents, 54,8 percent, support the work of the Chief Special Prosecutor (GST) Vladimir Novović, according to the 2023 "Perception of the State Prosecutor's Office in Montenegro" survey conducted by the Organization for European Security and Cooperation (OSCE) and the agency De Facto Consultancy.
Support for Novović's work increased in comparison to the previous year, 2022, when his work was supported by 44,1 percent of respondents.
This survey shows that almost one third of respondents (32,5 percent) have a positive or somewhat positive general attitude towards the State Prosecutor's Office, while a little more than one third (36 percent) have a somewhat negative or very negative attitude.
There is a downward trend in the number of respondents with a very positive or somewhat positive attitude towards the State Prosecutor's Office.
The results of the survey show that slightly more than one third of the respondents (37,6 percent) fully or partially support the work of Acting Supreme State Prosecutor Tatjana Begović.
The research states that it is interesting to note that a little more than a quarter of respondents (27,8 percent) could not assess whether they support Begović's work or not.
Respondents were asked to what extent they believe that the State Prosecutor's Office is efficient in its work. It was noted that 46,2 percent of respondents believe that the State Prosecutor's Office is very or somewhat efficient.
Confidence in the work of specific state prosecutors' offices shows growth compared to 2022.
The highest level of trust among citizens is enjoyed by the Special State Prosecutor's Office, which is somewhat or completely trusted by 55,1 percent of respondents (2022 – 42,7 percent). The Supreme State Prosecutor's Office is completely or somewhat trusted by almost half (49,6 percent) of respondents (2022 - 42,6 percent). The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica is somewhat or completely trusted by 46,6 percent of respondents (2022 - 38,2 percent), in the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje by 41,4 percent (2022 - 34,3 percent), while in the basic state 45,6 percent of respondents fully or somewhat trust the prosecution (2022 - 39,6 percent).
In the last 12 months, 38,9 percent of respondents noticed significant or some changes for the better in the work of the State Prosecutor's Office, where 6,2 percent noticed significant changes, while almost a third (32,7 percent) noticed some changes for the better.
Almost half (45,2 percent) did not notice any changes, while 10 percent noticed changes for the worse.
Respondents from northern Montenegro more often noticed significant changes for the better in the work of the State Prosecutor's Office (45,2 percent).
The data from this year's survey show a large increase compared to the previous wave in 2022, where less than a quarter of the respondents (21,5 percent) state that they are mostly informed about the work of the Prosecutor's Office, and almost half of the respondents (44,6 percent) in 2023 . years.
The Prosecutor's Council plays a key role in ensuring the independence of the State Prosecutor's Office in Montenegro and deals with important organizational and status issues of state prosecutors. It was noted that 40,8 percent of respondents were aware of the fact that the Prosecutor's Council elects prosecutors, which represents an increase compared to the previous year.
A high percentage of respondents (94,7%) believe that corruption is a problem in Montenegro, while even 96,3% claim the same in relation to organized crime. These results indicate a broad perception of these problems among citizens. Cumulatively, 41,2 percent of the respondents believe that the Prosecutor's Office is successfully fighting this phenomenon, while slightly more than half of the respondents (54,6 percent) claim the opposite.
The perception of the State Prosecutor's Office shows that 40,8 percent of respondents believe that the work of the State Prosecutor's Office is transparent. Also, only approximately half of the respondents (about 47,7 percent) are familiar with the competences of the State Prosecutor's Office, which indicates the need for better communication between the institution and citizens.
Additionally, it is important to note that 41,3 percent of the respondents believe that the State Prosecutor's Office is accessible and open to the public, which is an increase of 11,4 percent compared to the previous year (2022 - 29,9 percent). Half of the respondents (50,1 percent) had heard of the show "Meet the Prosecutor's Office", of which only 16,4 percent watched the show.
It is interesting that respondents from the north of Montenegro watched this show more often. Although it is not possible to claim with certainty that watching the show "Meet the Prosecutor's Office" directly leads to a more positive attitude towards the State Prosecutor's Office, there is an interesting correlation between watching the show and a positive attitude. It is additionally interesting to look at the data indicating that respondents who heard and watched the show "Meet the Prosecutor's Office" are more inclined to consider that the State Prosecutor's Office is efficient in its activities. Respondents who visited the official website of the State Prosecutor's Office believe that they are better informed about the work of that institution and more often have a positive attitude towards the State Prosecutor's Office.
It can be concluded that the public presence of the State Prosecutor's Office, both through television and through the Internet, is extremely important for the perception of the citizens of Montenegro about that institution.
The dominant majority of respondents who visited the site agree that the site was viewed (81,8 percent). Three-quarters of respondents (74,3%) think that the site is easy to navigate, more than two-thirds think that it looks good visually (69,1%) and that the site contains enough information (65,8%). Almost two-thirds of respondents believe that the site is not old-fashioned (61,7 percent).
Respondents believe that citizens (60,6%) and civil society (50,6%) have a positive influence on the work of the State Prosecutor's Office, while criminal groups (82,4%) and politicians at the local (68,3%) and state level (66%) have a negative influence influence.
The majority of respondents (54,2 percent) believe that something needs to be changed in the State Prosecutor's Office, with most of these respondents coming from the central region of Montenegro. The reasons for the need for changes in the work of the State Prosecutor's Office include concerns about corruption and criminal connections, political influence, unprofessionalism and lack of transparency, the need for legislative reform and the protection of prosecutors and officials.
Citizens express the need for serious reform of the State Prosecutor's Office, including strict diploma checks, control mechanisms, independence from political influence and stronger protection of prosecutors.
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