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18. 11. 08. - 15:00

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18. 11. 08. - 15:00

Croats say they are not Balkans

Croatian Times

According to the latest Gallup Balkan Monitor research, three in five of Croats do not consider themselves Balkans. Almost two thirds identify strongly with their country and only seven per cent of them want to leave it.

The Balkan Monitor is a part of Gallup Europe network which conducts surveys in the EU27 member states and throughout Europe.

The latest Autumn 2008 research, presented on Monday in Brussels, was conducted on samples of around 1000 respondents per country, in Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Monte Negro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The research found that 60 per cent of Croats do not like being labelled ‘Balkan citizens.’

Asked if they would like to move to another country temporarily or permanently, 88 Croats answered ‘no’, while seven per cent said 'yes.'

Croats also emerged as notably EU sceptic. Only 29 per cent said EU entry would be good for Croatia, 26 per cent said it would be bad, while 38 per cent said it would be neither.

Less than half (46%) the Croats polled believed the European Commission wanted Croatia to join the EU, while only 42% thought EU citizens wanted Croatia to join.

And one in five Croats feared EU entry would have a negative effect on their income.

The majority of Croats polled also complained that their financial situation was not improving and that the Croatian government was not doing enough to fight organised crime.

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