Name, identity issues affect EU perception: poll

 The name and identity issues strongly affect the citizens’ perception over EU membership, shows the deliberative poll over the benefits and challenges from Macedonia’s EU accession, carried out by the Skopje-based European Policy Institute.

The poll was conducted on 1-7 November 2017 on 1,200 respondents, as well as on 18-19 November 2017 on 150 respondents, following a debate on EU membership, name and identity issues.

Prior to the debate, 30 percent of respondents opposed to EU integration due to the fear of change of the national identity, with the number dropping to 19.6 percent after the debate. Poll results show that 28 percent of respondents prior to the debate strongly support a change of the constitutional name if terms Macedonians and Macedonian language are guaranteed, while the percent increased to 40.9 after the debate.

The stance against a change of the constitutional name when joining the EU notes a slight change, standing at 31.4 percent prior to the debate and 32.9 percent after.

EPI’s Aleksandar Jovanovski said Monday the poll showed the citizens’ preferences prior and after a detailed elaboration of the topic.

Prior to the debate, 52.2 percent of respondents supported EU membership, increasing to 63.7 percent afterwards. In addition, 5.3 percent of those polled after the debate said Macedonia is meeting democratic criteria to join EU, a drop from the 11.5 percent prior to the event.