Disinformation about European integration is extremely widespread in Serbia and North Macedonia, while in Albania it is primarily present in the context of political rivalry. This was stated today at the conference “Youth from the Western Balkans Amid Regional Cooperation, Disinformation, and Political Participation,” organized by the Open Foundation for the Western Balkans. According to research presented there, only 40% of respondents in Serbia believe that the country will join the EU.
The conference highlighted research results from the Regional Program for Mobility and Youth Leadership, which enabled 19 young researchers from Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia to develop ideas in six areas: regional cooperation, European integration, education and employment, youth migration, political participation and youth activism, and digital and green transformation.
Aleksandra Veljović, a member of the research team working on the project “Combating Disinformation on European Integration in the Media,” stated that it would be devastating if a referendum on Serbia’s EU membership were held now, as only about 40% of young people would support membership. In contrast, this figure is around 68% in North Macedonia and over 85% in Albania.
Veljović mentioned that they attempted to contact relevant institutions, such as the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of European Integration, but were unsuccessful. She expressed a desire for representatives of these institutions to review the research findings.
Discussing differences in attitudes toward the EU, she noted that around 40% of respondents in Serbia believe that the country will never join the EU, while more than 40% of respondents from Albania expect to join the EU by 2030.
Antonio Grujevski, an architect and member of the team that worked on the project “Lack of Knowledge about the Green Transition among Youth in Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia,” emphasized that climate change and artificial intelligence will be the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Therefore, the youth in these regions need to be informed and prepared for these issues, as the West and the EU are actively addressing them.
He added that around 40% of young people are researching the documents and visas required to leave Serbia.
