Young people trust the army and the church the most, and when choosing a partner, the most important thing for them is the approval of their family and their religious belief, that is, the religion to which the partner belongs.
This was shown by the research "Dealing with insecurities in traditional frameworks", conducted by the Center for Civic Education.
According to CGO data, as many as 72,4 percent of young people point out that family approval is important to them, as well as religious beliefs, that is, the religion of the partner. In addition, 39,5 percent believe that ethnic origin is important, and 24,5 percent of young people value innocence. Half of young people, as many as 50,8 percent, emphasize the importance of partner education.
The study was conducted in cooperation with the Ipsos agency on a sample of 501 respondents aged 14 to 29, CGO said yesterday.
The author, Valentina Ostojić, assessed that these data show that young people in Montenegro are concerned about the socioeconomic factors of life, such as employment, education and career opportunities, but also that they are extremely conservative.
Research shows that only 41,5 percent of young people are involved in the labor market in any way, including casual and part-time jobs. When looking for a job, 61,6 percent believe that expertise is key, while 42,5 percent emphasize the importance of connections with influential people, and 32,8 percent emphasize political connection.
The most expressed fears of young people, according to that research, are a bad health system, unemployment, no less worthy pensions and pollution. As many as 41 percent of young people believe that the government should limit or ban harmful industrial production.
At the same time, 45,8 percent of young people have the desire to emigrate from Montenegro, with master's and doctoral students most often expressing this intention. The most common reasons for leaving are a better standard of living - in 32,4 percent of cases, better employment opportunities in 18,2 percent, higher wages in 14 percent, and better education in 11 percent. Only 5,5 percent of young people want to leave to experience life in a new culture.
According to research, the education system causes both dissatisfaction and mistrust. Dissatisfaction with the quality of education is expressed by 37 percent of respondents, while an additional 35 percent have a neutral attitude.
"Even 55 percent believe that it is possible to "buy" grades and exams in Montenegro. This perception is more pronounced among highly educated respondents," the study specified.
As for life priorities, 83 percent of young people state independence as the most important goal, while 76,9 percent want to have children, and 75,9 percent want a successful career. Participation in political life is a priority for only 19 percent of respondents.
According to that survey, as many as 78,3 percent of Montenegrin youth would not want drug addicts as neighbors, while 42,7 percent would say the same about members of the LGBTQ+ community. More than half of the respondents believe that Montenegrin culture must be protected from foreign influences, and the same number believe that same-sex couples should not have the right to marry.
Trust in institutions varies - young people trust the military the most, while political parties and the media enjoy the least trust. On the other hand, 58,7 percent of young people have great trust in the religious organizations they belong to.
As far as politics is concerned, almost half of young people, 48,8 percent, are not interested in political events. Nevertheless, 71,1 percent support Montenegro's entry into the European Union, while 80,3 percent of young people believe that the wars of the 20s still have a significant impact on the region. About XNUMX percent of young people think that in certain circumstances a dictatorship could be better than a democracy.
Nikoleta Đukanović, Professor of Humanities Studies at the University of Donja Gorica (UDG), said that young people predominantly see Montenegro's entry into the EU as a framework for a better life, and not as a means for democracy and the rule of law, equality for all, and respect for human rights.
"When you ask young people who are advocating for Montenegro's entry into the EU, whether they cherish the values of that organization, they predominantly give negative answers, blaming the West and Western values for everything that is wrong," said Đukanović.
She said that the research data are devastating, but not surprising, because they point to deep problems in society, for which the competent institutions must take responsibility and actively work to improve it.
"Of particular concern is the fact that 37 percent of young people are dissatisfied with the education system, which indicates low confidence in the quality and efficiency of education. How can young people become competitive and successful when the fundamental values of education and work are undermined? The best young people leave Montenegro, while political parties often abuse their positions, recruiting average and even bad students, who then enter important state positions. Such a system creates additional obstacles for progress, and it is clear that without serious reforms, nothing will get better," Đukanović pointed out.
The survey showed that young people in Montenegro show a tendency towards conspiracy theories, so 41 percent believe that some diseases, such as the COVID virus, were created by secret societies to influence governments, while only 20 percent of respondents reject this claim. Half of respondents believe that secret societies have an influence on politics, while 27,6 percent of respondents remain undecided.
Advisor to the Prime Minister for Culture and Youth, Vučić Ćetković, commented on the results of the research and pointed out that the increase in fees for the professional training program, as well as the increase in wages, can contribute to the improvement of standards for young people in Montenegro.
"The task of the state is to provide young people with quality education, employment opportunities and a good transition from the education system to the labor market. "The entry of Montenegro into the EU will inevitably affect the fact that young people will leave their country, so it is necessary to work very strategically and thoughtfully to solve that problem," he said.
Bonus video:
