“Who Governs Serbia?”: the state as a citizens’ service, but power is attributed to tycoons and crime. The survey “Who Governs Serbia?” (13 August 2014) shows a tense relationship between the normative idea of the state and perceptions of the real distribution of power. For most respondents, the state should primarily be an institution that ensures a good life for citizens (42.98%) or an institution serving the rule of law (28.95%). Open associations with “Serbia” often carry a pessimistic tone (decline, corruption, disorder, poverty), alongside an emotional attachment (“homeland,” “my country”).
The key finding concerns perceived real power: the most frequently mentioned actors are the wealthy/tycoons (21.53%) and organised crime (13.22%), followed by the Prime Minister (11.02%) and political parties (7.97%). A noticeable share of responses also links power to external or informal centres (EU 9.15%, “secret associations” 4.75%, foreign investors 4.75%). At the same time, when it comes to government reshuffles, most respondents believe citizens should have the decisive say (52.84%), indicating strong expectations of democratic control despite the sense that institutions are not the main holders of power.
Respondents’ material situation is predominantly unfavourable (poor 34.93% + very poor 18.34%), and political mobilisation is fragmented: the largest share say “I would vote, but I don’t know for whom” (38.43%), while a significant portion would not vote or would spoil/void their ballot. Overall, the online findings suggest a combination of civic expectations toward the state and deep distrust regarding who actually controls social resources and decision-making.
Methodological note: the results were obtained through an online survey (panel/online questionnaire), meaning the sample is not necessarily representative of Serbia’s population. The findings should therefore be read as indicative attitudes of survey participants (N=229), not as a precise picture of the public as a whole.