The CAS SEE presents the Geo-Power-EU Public Opinion Survey Report – a comprehensive snapshot of foreign policy perceptions across the Western Balkans and three Eastern Partnership countries. 

Between June 2–30, 2025, the University of Rijeka managed a major public opinion survey, implemented by Indago with Newton Research Europe, capturing the views of more than 9,000 citizens across nine countries —  Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. From media trust and migration intent to attitudes toward the EU, NATO, and major global powers, the findings offer a rare look into how people in these strategically crucial regions see their future — and who they want to partner with. 

 

What’s Inside the Report 

The study dives into five big themes: 

  • Information & Media Habits – How people get political news, which languages dominate, and which sources they trust (or don’t). 
  • Economy & Migration – What’s driving people to consider leaving and what reforms could keep them home. 
  • EU & NATO – Levels of support for joining Western alliances — and what citizens see as the benefits and risks. 
  • External Actors – Views of the EU, USA, Russia, China, and Turkey as partners or threats, plus preferred security partnerships. 
  • Politics & Elections – Party preferences and how they align with foreign policy attitudes. 

 

Highlights That Stand Out 

  • Western Balkans:  
  • EU is still an anchor: In every Western Balkan country except Serbia, the EU is the most desired security and economic partner. Citizens tend to balance EU aspirations with skepticism about delivery, showing fatigue over the slow pace of enlargement.  
  • NATO divides the region: While Kosovo and Albania show overwhelming support for NATO membership, opposition in Serbia—paired with ambivalence in several other countries—reveals how security alignments remain contested across the region. 
  • Migration pressures are also higher here — North Macedonia and Montenegro top the list of countries where over a quarter of citizens are considering leaving. 
  • Eastern Partnership:  
  • Optimism about the future is striking — 67% of Ukrainians and 61% of Georgians believe things will get better, compared to just 23% in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  
  • Support for Western alignment is generally stronger, reflecting hopes for post-war reconstruction and security guarantees. 

 

 Top concerns and Information 

  • Corruption dominates concerns: It’s the top future challenge named in nearly every country, followed by brain drain and unemployment. 
  • Digital disruption: Half of respondents now rely on social media for political news — with Georgia and Moldova leading the shift online. Messaging apps like Telegram are a primary news source for Ukrainians, a pattern not seen in the Balkans. 
  • Media distrust is pervasive: Nearly half of people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro say they trust no news source for political information. 

This report offers a window into public opinion at a moment of geopolitical flux. It highlights shared concerns — corruption, security, migration — and deep divides on alignment with the EU, NATO, and other powers. Policymakers can use these insights to shape enlargement, security, and communication strategies that respond to real public sentiment rather than assumptions. 

The full report is available here: https://geo-power.eu/portfolio/item/new-report-public-opinion-on-international-actors-security-and-eu-integration-in-the-western-balkans-and-eastern-neighbourhood/  

UNIRI The Moise Palace: Cres Island

An education center of the University of Rijeka. A five-hundred-year-old patrician townhouse and the largest Renaissance palace on the Croatian islands. A venue and forum for various scientific and research activities, it welcomes visiting academics, students and scholars.