Dobromirov: Corruption Is the Biggest Problem for Many Citizens, but That Does Not Mean They Oppose the Government

Nearly 30% of Serbia’s citizens are politically undecided, but treating all of them as anti-government voters is a methodological mistake, professor Dušan Dobromirov said on N1 television.

The research he discussed found that 85% of voters consider corruption one of the biggest problems in Serbian society. Dobromirov said the share of people expressing opposition to corruption appears to overlap with the number of undecided voters. But awareness of corruption, even when corruption has been established and is widely recognized, does not by itself show how those voters will cast their ballots.

He warned that the opposition should not too readily interpret polling results as proof that undecided voters have already joined the anti-government camp. Condemning corruption and opposing the authorities are not the same political position, he argued.

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The fact that there is awareness of corruption, that corruption has been proven, and that we are all aware it is widespread in Serbia is simply not enough.

Commenting on the Serbian Progressive Party’s campaign, Dobromirov described it as centered on a single strong leader who presents himself as capable of solving every problem. The campaign, he said, relies heavily on emotion. Whether promises are fulfilled appears to matter less than voters’ perception of the leader as a father figure prepared to confront corruption.

Dobromirov said opposition parties should campaign together against the government. He advocated a ground campaign built around arguments and data rather than assumptions about the political loyalties of undecided voters.

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It is not so important whether those promises will be fulfilled or not. That is somehow in the background. What matters is that people see and perceive him as a father figure who is ready to fight corruption.