Attitudes of Western Balkans Youth Towards the European Union

Sanin Bilić, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The youth in the WB show a wide range of attitudes when it comes to the EU and it is relevant core values. This is mainly due to the differing historical contexts, socio-economic conditions and the EU accession process. Here I will digest the most recent results of different survey regarding the attitudes of the youth towards the EU in the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Kosovo.*[1]

The EU places great importance on its youth, recognizing them as an important body for the Union’s future prosperity and democratic stability. This commitment is shown by numerous comprehensive policies and initiatives which aim to foster youth engagement, education, and employment. One of the more important is the EU Youth Strategy (2019 – 2027) which serves as the framework for cooperation in youth policy among EU Member States. It is focused on three core areas[2]:

  • Engage: Encouraging the meaningful participation of young people in civic, economic, social, cultural, and political life.
  • Connect: Promoting opportunities for young people to experience exchanges, cooperation and cultural understanding.
  • Empower: Supporting youth empowerment through quality, innovation, and recognition of youth work.

Albania

A 2023 survey conducted among university students revealed that approximately 72.8% of respondents associate the EU with freedom to travel, study and work anywhere in Europe. When it comes to democracy, 36% view the EU as synonymous with it. The same study indicates that 72.8% of young Albanians believe that EU membership would enhance their personal opportunities, mostly in the fields of education and employment[3]. Regardless of the positive outlooks, there is a degree of scepticism due to domestic challenges such as corruption and political instability.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina generally exhibit a positive attitude toward the EU, viewing potential membership as beneficial towards enhanced travel, employment opportunities, and overall quality of life. But this optimism if often constrained by domestic challenges and ethnonational politics. A 2017 study by the UNDP[4] states that young people in BiH believe EU accession would facilitate new opportunities for travel and employment. Some have expressed concerns regarding increased dependence on other countries. The study also claims that youth expect EU membership to improve their prospects for mobility and job opportunities. However, certain challenges are arising, as the 2024 report by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung highlights a significant distrust of youth the democracy and a significant inclination towards authoritarian practices, stating that this scepticism may affect the perceptions of EU accession process negatively.[5] According to a survey conducted by the Directorate for European Integration, the youth support of the EU integration process is fragmented across the entities in BiH, where 87% of youth in Federation of BiH are supportive of the process, this positive trend is followed by the Brcko District with 87%, while there is a predominantly negative trend in the Republika Srpska with only 55% of youth being in support of the European Integration process. So, the total average (when taking into consideration the youth population proportion of each entity) is 75.7%

Republic of Serbia

The attitudes of youth towards the EU are reflecting an interplay of complex dynamic, that of pro-European sentiment and that of nationalist sentiment. A recent survey by the European Movement focused on Western Serbia and Šumadija as these are the regions with a significant youth population[6]. They found that around 70% of residents would vote in favour of EU membership if a referendum were held. But nearly 20% of young people aged 15 to 29 opposed EU integration and over a third remained neutral. On the other hand, The National Youth Council of Serbia’s 2018 report indicated a neutral stance among young people with an increasing negative trend.[7] Supporter often cite economic development as the primary advantage of EU integration, followed by improved rule of law and reduced unemployment. As seen in the previous case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the inclination towards the authoritarian model is also on the rise in Serbia, which could further negatively influence the perceptions of EU accession.[8] A 2021 analysis showed that 39% of young people supported Serbia joining the EU, 33% were against and 28% undecided[9]

Montenegro

Out of all other countries in the WB, Montenegro has made the most significant progress in the EU accession negotiations. Youth generally view integration as a path towards improved economic prospects and stability. But still, certain challenges exist, such as corruption and limited employment opportunities. A 2023 survey conducted by DeFacto Consultancy for the EU delegation showed that 78.5% of Montenegrin citizens support EU integration.[10] The youth associate EU membership with improved quality of life, better living standards, increased employment opportunities, and enhanced mobility.[11]

Republic of North Macedonia

There has been a significant decline of trust in the EU as shown by a 2021 survey of the Institute for Democracy „Societas Civilis“ (IDSC) which found that only 13.1% of respondents viewed the EU as the country’s most important ally, which constitutes a sharp decline from 43.2% in 2019.[12] The decline can be attributed to the prolonged accession delays and perceived lack of support of the EU. Even though the trust is declining, the support for the EU membership remains strong, as the IDSC’s 2023 analysis indicates that 60% of the population supports EU accession.[13]

Kosovo*[14]

The youth in Kosovo are generally supportive of the EU accession process. This outlook is influenced by the EU’s significant role in Kosovo’s post-war reconstruction and state-building efforts. Young people often place more trust in the EU institutions than in local and national institutions. However, there is some scepticism involved due to the prolonged EU accession process and EU’s perceived ambivalence toward Kosovo’s integration. Youth in Kosovo* strongly supports EU integration, according to a 2021 survey by the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, 92% of respondents are in favour of Kosovo’s EU membership.

The chart above depicts discrepancies in the overall support of youth for EU Integration of their respective countries. The differences can be explained in contexts of broader geopolitical relation as well as inter – regional tensions along with the level of openness for international cooperation. Higher levels of support are seen in Montenegro, particularly due to significant progress in the field of EU integration, along with Kosovo* due to the international stabilizing interventions. Lower support is seen in Serbia, mainly due to widely present nationalist sentiments.

Conclusion

To conclude this article, we notice a strong pro-European orientation among the youth in the WB region with significant hopes of EU membership contributing to resolving outstanding and years long problems related to education, healthcare, employment. I can say, with a certain degree of confidence, that the WB see EU as their future but I shall not overestimate this as we have seen the rise of pro-authoritarian sentiments in multiple countries of the region as well as that we have to take into consideration the reality of ethnonational politics hindering EU accession process in countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Identity politics remains detrimental to the interests of the youth in this region and we hope to see this declining in the wave of upcoming generations.

Keywords: Youth, European Union, Accession, Western Balkans, Integration

[1] This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

[2] https://youth.europa.eu/strategy_en

[3] https://ijecm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1217.pdf

[4] https://www.undp.org/bosnia-herzegovina/publications/socio-economic-perceptions-young-people-bosnia-and-herzegovina?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[5] https://abnase.com/young-people-in-the-region-distrustful-of-democracy-with-a-tendency-towards-authoritarian-practices/

[6] https://www.serbianmonitor.com/en/what-do-young-people-in-serbia-think-about-the-eu/

[7] https://inees.vps.ns.ac.rs/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EU-for-Youth-Challenges-and-Opportunities.pdf

[8] https://www.serbianmonitor.com/en/what-do-young-people-in-serbia-think-about-the-eu

[9] https://socijalnoukljucivanje.gov.rs/en/analysis-published-status-of-vulnerable-groups-in-the-process-of-accession-of-the-republic-of-serbia-to-the-european-union-status-of-youth/

[10] https://www.gov.me/en/article/results-of-recent-research-montenegros-membership-in-the-european-union-is-supported-by-80-percent-of-citizens

[11] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/montenegro/stable-high-level-support-montenegros-membership-european-union_en

[12] https://balkaninsight.com/2022/02/25/north-macedonian-faith-in-eu-influence-plummeting-survey-shows/

[13] https://idscs.org.mk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/B5-Public-Opinion-Analysis-Paper-No.-27-2023-WEB.pdf

[14] This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.