If the Serbian citizens were to decide on the country's EU membership today, 51 percent of them would vote in favor, which shows an increase in the support to that goal, for the first time after it dropped below 50 percent in 2011, a regular public survey carried out by the Serbian government's EU Integration Office showed.

The same research showed that 53 percent of survey respondents believe the government is responsible for the fact that Serbia has not obtained the candidate status, and as much as 75 percent believe that Belgrade-Pristina relations should be resolved separately and independently of the country's EU integration.

Unlike the 51 percent of citizens who would vote in favor of EU membership, 28 percent would vote against, which is a 2-percent decrease compared to previous surveys. If the referendum was called now, a total of 18 percent of citizens would abstain from voting.

When asked why they would vote against the country's EU membership, 23 percent of the citizens said the reason is that it would bring more harm than benefit, 15 percent said that it would lead to blackmail, pressures and conditioning, 13 percent point out it is not the best solution, 12 percent that it would lead to economic disaster and indebtedness, 10 percent believe the EU has not future, and 6 percent say the reason is that Kosovo is being imposed as condition.

Director of the EU Integration Office Milica Delevic stated at a news conference that the survey also showed that the Serbian citizens look upon the EU integration process more rationally, that they do not idealize the EU, but nevertheless realize that membership would bring benefit to the country.

In that sense, the survey showed that a total of 39 percent of citizens consider the EU membership as beneficial, 26 percent as bad, and 35 percent as neither good nor bad. Among the citizens who consider the EU accession beneficial, 41 percent point out it would bring more job opportunities, and would lead to a better future for young people, 35 percent because of the possibility of free travel to the EU member states, and 28 percent because this would help improve the situation in the country.

It is interesting that the number of citizens who consider the government responsible for the events regarding the EU integration has increased, and the number of those 'blaming' the EU has reduced.

Consequently, 53 percent of citizens blame the government for the non-obtaining of the candidate status in December 2011, five percent blame it on the situation in Kosovo, 4 percent on the very people, and 32 percent on the EU. This is a regular survey carried out by the EU Integration Office twice a year, and was conducted after December 22, when the European Council decided to postpone the granting of the EU candidacy to Serbia.