Around 60 percent citizens of Serbia support protests and blockades following the canopy collapse
Significant hope in students, and increased concern about the direction in which the country is heading, accompanied by feelings of anger, rage, and fear caused by the Novi Sad tragedy, are main findings of CRTA’s latest public opinion survey. Results reveal that as many as 61% citizens of Serbia support the protests and blockades that followed the canopy collapse. Even 10% of citizens who lean towards ruling parties support the protests, as well as a quarter of those who primarily consume pro-government media.
More than half of the population (57%) believes Serbia is moving in the wrong direction, while a third identify corruption as the biggest issue facing individuals and society as a whole.
Far more citizens believe in the genuine intentions of young people to insist on accountability for the death of 15 citizens caused by canopy collapse (58%) than those who see student actions as another attempt by domestic and foreign enemies to undermine Serbia (33%).
Citizens have the most trust in students (44%) to persist in their demands for justice, followed by trust citizens who attend protests (37%). Trust in the prosecution stands at 28%, while 27% of respondents trust the President of the Republic.
Half of the citizens (51%) do not believe that the protests are orchestrated by the opposition as a bid to seize power. Even more (59%) reject the idea that incidents at protests are caused by “ordinary citizens” frustrated by traffic disruptions.
According to the majority of citizens (48%), political responsibility for the canopy collapse lies with the responsible ministers, followed by the President of the Republic (39%). Regarding criminal liability, 67% of citizens believe it lies with the construction contractors, and slightly fewer (58%) point to supervisory bodies.
Citizens do not see an advisory, legally non-binding referendum on confidence in the President, an idea proposed by the President, as a solution to the political crisis. However, if a referendum were to take place, 52% of citizens would currently withhold their confidence in the President, while 34% would express support. Opinions on early elections are divided, as are views on the conditions under which such elections would be held.
The poor economic situation significantly impacts citizens. A quarter of respondents cite inflation, while an equal proportion mention low living standards and poverty as the biggest problems they face. Crime is the top concern for one in five respondents, while slightly less than a fifth of the adult population (18%) is troubled by the ongoing protests. Kosovo is identified as an issue by 11% of citizens.
*Crta conducted this public opinion survey with the assistance of the TMG Insights agency (a representative of the international Kantar network) from December 20 to December 28, 2024, on a nationally representative sample of 1,030 respondents using face-to-face methodology.
