BANJA LUKA RESIDENTS SUPPORT BiH'S MILITARY NEUTRALITY AND OPPOSE EU MEMBERSHIP

BANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 2 /SRNA/ - Banja Luka residents support BiH’s military neutrality, and residents of Sarajevo and Mostar mostly favor NATO membership, according to a recent poll of 600 citizens conducted in August by the Banja Luka-based Association Center for Lobbying.

The poll found that 66.33% of respondents support BiH joining NATO, 25.5% favor military neutrality, 5% favor demilitarization, and 3.16% would like BiH to join another military alliance. The poll shows that 71.5% of Banja Luka residents support military neutrality, while 97.5% of Sarajevo residents and 94% of Mostar residents support BiH joining NATO. Among Banja Luka residents, 15% favor demilitarization, 6% support joining another military alliance, and 7.5% favor BiH’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. The poll shows that 63.5% of Banja Luka residents have a very negative opinion of NATO, 26% have a somewhat negative opinion, and 10% have a somewhat positive view, while a majority of Sarajevo and Mostar residents hold a very positive opinion of the military alliance. Overall, 55.3% of respondents support holding a referendum on BiH’s future military status, 29.5% are against it, and 15.6% of residents of Banja Luka, Sarajevo, and Mostar have no opinion on the matter. In Banja Luka, 51% of residents support the referendum; 51.5% of Sarajevo residents are against it, and 72% of Mostar residents support the referendum. Regarding EU membership, 73% of all respondents support BiH joining the European Union, while 24.33% are opposed, according to the results of this poll. Among the polled residents of Banja Luka, 53.5% are against BiH joining the EU, 39.5% support the process, and 7% stated that they don’t know. According to the poll, 87.5% of Sarajevo residents and 92% of Mostar residents support BiH’s accession to the EU. In the area of Banja Luka, compared to previous surveys, there is a decline in support for BiH joining the EU and an increase in support for BiH’s military neutrality. This year’s poll, compared to previous ones, shows for the first time that support among citizens of Sarajevo and Mostar for NATO membership is higher than support for joining the EU.