Though unhappy, young people in Serbia don’t want to involve in politics

The study “Youth in Serbia 2018/2019” is published by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation as the research done in ten countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia and Serbia.

The Demostat team presented the data for Serbia. From the study carried out by face-to-face interviews with 1.121 participants between 14 and 29 years of age.

The survey shows young people are worried about the future and financial issues but are determined to find a better life for themselves individually, and many see it abroad.

On the political side, they think the Government should reduce unemployment, root out corruption and guarantee social security and human rights.

 The transformation of that wishlist into a clear political programme should be under the state and social-democracy auspices, which the young people are receptive to, the study says.

Such policy, it adds, is less ideological, while a significant percentage of the interviewed belong to a kind of political “realists.” They believe that getting rid of corruption, solving the Kosovo and Euro-integration issues are critical problems which request difficult decisions.

 The acceptance of the European identity, positive opinion about the European democratic values and the effects of the European Union membership points out that a clearly articulated vision about Europe will potentially fall on fertile soil among the young people in Serbia, the study says.

 Consistent and comprehensive system protection and promotion of democratic values in the society is needed the most. That, the research says, would lead to more significant economic achievements and thus too young people’s greater satisfaction with institutions and democracy.

There are many differences among the youths in socio-demographic variables like the gender, social-economic position and place of living, they are less expressed than the similarities among them.

It seems that mass media and the Internet manage to unite their life values and opinions to a great extent, the study says.