The key features of Gallup's new poll on Kosovo show the increase of negative views of Kosovo's secession, a division within the region, a rising mistrust among the ethnic communities within Kosovo and a two-third majority in Serbia not willing to sacrifice Kosovo status for the sake of European integrations

Following the recent International Court of Justice decision on Kosovo, the GBM team has assembled data on how Kosovo’s independence functions on the ground.

These results have been incorporated in the latest Focus On report – a series that examines the major issues impacting the Western Balkans.

This latest issue – Focus On Kosovo’s Independence – looks at the way people in Kosovo view independence, differences between the views of ethnic groups, opinions about the international presence and, importantly, how the situation is seen in Serbia.

Among the key findings described in the report are that:

• Montenegro and the people of Kosovo – both of the major ethnic groups – saw the region becoming less stable as a result of the Kosovo-Serbia dispute.
• Both of the major ethnic groups in Kosovo saw it being less likely – compared to their views 12 months earlier – that they could live together in harmony.
• Neither of the ethnic groups in Kosovo were convinced of the benefit of the international presence in the country.
• 70% of Serbs were unwilling to accept Kosovo’s independence as a price for joining the EU; President Tadic is likely to take this as a mandate and retain his forthright position on the issue. Indeed, he is planning to go to the UN to seek a negotiated compromise on the future of the territory.
• Results of the "Gallup Europe" and "European Balkan Fund" survey titled "Gallup Balkan Monitor" shows that 93 percent of Kosovo Albanians believed in 2008 that Kosovo's independence would have a positive long-term reflection on the Balkans, but this support reduced to 75 percent in 2009.
• Pertaining to Kosovo Serbs, the percentage of those who believed Kosovo's independence would not have a positive effect has increased from 74 percent in 2008 to 80 percent in 2009.

• The survey shows majority of Croats (90%) believe that Kosovo's independence is a positive factor for the Balkan's stability.

• In Albania, 77 percent of respondents claim Kosovo's independence would have positive influence on Balkan developments.
• No respondents in Montenegro expressed belief Kosovo's independence would have a positive effect, while 75 percent expect problems.
• Only nine percent of respondents in FYRMacedonia expect Kosovo's independence to represent a positive factor to Balkan's stability, 17 percent claim the opposite, while 55 percent do not have an opinion on the subject.