Macedonian citizens support membership in the EU, but not at the cost of including Bulgarians in the Constitution, according to the latest public opinion survey conducted for Detektor by the Institute for Political Research, Skopje.
According to him, if there is a referendum tomorrow, 60,2% of citizens will vote for EU membership, while 28,7% would vote against it.
It is interesting that this year's survey shows the largest number of citizens who would vote against. We are asking this question for the fourth time in the last 5 years. If in 2019 only 17,3% were against, today that number has grown to 28,7%.
Most of the citizens or 31,7% believe that Macedonia will never enter the EU. 18,1% expect it to happen in the next 5 years, 15,9% in the next 10, and 14,8% expect entry into the EU in the next 15 years.
However, more than two-thirds of citizens are ready to sacrifice EU membership if the only way to get there is to include Bulgarians in the Constitution.
69,5% of those polled believe that the new Government should not accept the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution even at the cost of delaying the start of negotiations with the European Union. 21% of those surveyed are convinced otherwise.
In such a situation, as expected, 55,7% of citizens say they are against the negotiation framework agreed with the French proposal, while 28,1% support it.
There are significant differences on this issue between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians. While 63,5% of Macedonians are against the negotiation framework and only 11,6% support it, the situation is the opposite among ethnic Albanians. 55,9% of ethnic Albanians support the negotiating framework created according to the French proposal, while 22,7% are against it.
A large majority of citizens or 60,3% say they are well acquainted with the French proposal defining the negotiating framework, while 37,6% say they are not. Ethnic Albanians are considered more familiar with the French proposal than Macedonians. 66,4% of ethnic Albanians and 58,6% of Macedonians consider that they are familiar with the French proposal.
In such a situation, 54% of citizens believe that this negotiation framework puts Macedonia in a subordinate position and represents an introduction to the Bulgarianization of the country, while 19,2% believe that the negotiation framework takes into account most of the Macedonian demands and guarantees the Macedonian identity, numbers, which are similar to those of last year's survey with a slight increase in opponents of the negotiating framework.
According to the ethnic structure of those who answered the questions, the differences between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians are again large. Among the Macedonians, 64% believe that the framework puts Macedonia in a subordinate position and is an introduction to Bulgarianization, while among the ethnic Albanians, only 18,2% share this view, while 44,1% of those surveyed believe that the framework takes into account most Macedonian demands and guarantees the Macedonian identity.
Almost half of the citizens or 49,1% believe that the negotiation framework can be changed, while 28,3% believe that this cannot happen.
The comparison with last year's survey shows a significant increase in the number of citizens who currently believe that the framework can be changed. If last year 37,1% of citizens believed in changing the framework, today that percentage jumped to 49,1%
Additional guarantees from the EU for the majority of citizens are not acceptable as a condition for changing the Constitution. 47,1% say that they would not accept to change the Constitution and continue the negotiations if Macedonia received additional guarantees, while for 42,1% of the citizens it would be acceptable
Citizens are divided on the question of whether the dispute with Bulgaria will be overcome with the new government and negotiations with the EU will begin.
42% believe that it will be overcome, while 43,8% believe that it will not happen.
The majority of citizens, or 37,7%, believe that the dispute with Bulgaria will not be resolved. 22,7% believe that it will happen in the next 4 years, 17% next year and only 4,2% are of the opinion that the dispute will be overcome by the end of this year.
The survey commissioned by Detektor was conducted by the Institute for Political Research - Skopje on a representative sample of 1030 respondents in the period from June 7 to 11.
According to him, if there is a referendum tomorrow, 60,2% of citizens will vote for EU membership, while 28,7% would vote against it.
It is interesting that this year's survey shows the largest number of citizens who would vote against. We are asking this question for the fourth time in the last 5 years. If in 2019 only 17,3% were against, today that number has grown to 28,7%.
Most of the citizens or 31,7% believe that Macedonia will never enter the EU. 18,1% expect it to happen in the next 5 years, 15,9% in the next 10, and 14,8% expect entry into the EU in the next 15 years.
However, more than two-thirds of citizens are ready to sacrifice EU membership if the only way to get there is to include Bulgarians in the Constitution.
69,5% of those polled believe that the new Government should not accept the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution even at the cost of delaying the start of negotiations with the European Union. 21% of those surveyed are convinced otherwise.
In such a situation, as expected, 55,7% of citizens say they are against the negotiation framework agreed with the French proposal, while 28,1% support it.
There are significant differences on this issue between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians. While 63,5% of Macedonians are against the negotiation framework and only 11,6% support it, the situation is the opposite among ethnic Albanians. 55,9% of ethnic Albanians support the negotiating framework created according to the French proposal, while 22,7% are against it.
A large majority of citizens or 60,3% say they are well acquainted with the French proposal defining the negotiating framework, while 37,6% say they are not. Ethnic Albanians are considered more familiar with the French proposal than Macedonians. 66,4% of ethnic Albanians and 58,6% of Macedonians consider that they are familiar with the French proposal.
In such a situation, 54% of citizens believe that this negotiation framework puts Macedonia in a subordinate position and represents an introduction to the Bulgarianization of the country, while 19,2% believe that the negotiation framework takes into account most of the Macedonian demands and guarantees the Macedonian identity, numbers, which are similar to those of last year's survey with a slight increase in opponents of the negotiating framework.
According to the ethnic structure of those who answered the questions, the differences between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians are again large. Among the Macedonians, 64% believe that the framework puts Macedonia in a subordinate position and is an introduction to Bulgarianization, while among the ethnic Albanians, only 18,2% share this view, while 44,1% of those surveyed believe that the framework takes into account most Macedonian demands and guarantees the Macedonian identity.
Almost half of the citizens or 49,1% believe that the negotiation framework can be changed, while 28,3% believe that this cannot happen.
The comparison with last year's survey shows a significant increase in the number of citizens who currently believe that the framework can be changed. If last year 37,1% of citizens believed in changing the framework, today that percentage jumped to 49,1%
Additional guarantees from the EU for the majority of citizens are not acceptable as a condition for changing the Constitution. 47,1% say that they would not accept to change the Constitution and continue the negotiations if Macedonia received additional guarantees, while for 42,1% of the citizens it would be acceptable
Citizens are divided on the question of whether the dispute with Bulgaria will be overcome with the new government and negotiations with the EU will begin.
42% believe that it will be overcome, while 43,8% believe that it will not happen.
The majority of citizens, or 37,7%, believe that the dispute with Bulgaria will not be resolved. 22,7% believe that it will happen in the next 4 years, 17% next year and only 4,2% are of the opinion that the dispute will be overcome by the end of this year.
The survey commissioned by Detektor was conducted by the Institute for Political Research - Skopje on a representative sample of 1030 respondents in the period from June 7 to 11.
