The prevailing perception, although lower than before, that Montenegro is a multicultural society remains, yet there are numerous and concerning indicators pointing to a high level of perceived discrimination – 49.1% based on religious and 59.7% based on national affiliation. Simultaneously, over half of citizens would not want a partner of a different religion or nationalilty. Serbs are seen as the most privileged national group, while Roma are viewed as the most discriminated against. These are some of the findings from a public opinion survey on citizens’ attitudes toward multiculturalism in Montenegro, presented today by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) as part of the project “Multiculturalism in Focus,” financially supported by the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights.
“There remains a dominant impression among citizens – precisely 76.8% – that Montenegro is a multicultural society. However, compared to our survey from April 2023, there has been a decline, as 81.7% held that view at that time. There is also a marked perception of discrimination based on religion -49.1% – and nationality – 59.7%, with Roma cited as the most discriminated group,” said Nikola Đurašević, programme associate at CCE, emphasizing the polarized perception of discrimination against minority peoples.
The research findings indicate that Serbs are viewed as the most privileged national group, with a slight increase in the average score from last year, while the perception of Montenegrins’ privilege has decreased. Additionally, Muslims and Bosniaks have seen a noticeable increase in perceived privilege, whereas this perception is much lower for Albanians and Croats, and especially Roma, who remain at the bottom of the scale.
“Most respondents rate relations among ethnic groups positively, while about a fifth view them as poor, and slightly over a third them as neutral. There is also a majority belief that the Constitution and laws adequately protect the rights of minorities,” said Đurašević.
“When it comes to the contribution of institutions and organizations to reducing discrimination against various groups and promoting multiculturalism, culture, and minority rights, non-governmental organizations stand out as key actors. Trust in the Government is declining, particularly in political parties, but also in the Ombudsman regarding these issues, while trust in religious communities is growing,” explained Đurašević.
There is a decline in public awareness of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights’ efforts to promote minority rights—over 70% in 2024, compared to 66% in 2023, report being unaware of these activities. At the same time, the Ministry’s work on enhancing inter-ethnic tolerance received an average rating of 3.29, compared to 3.00 in 2023.
There is a decline in public awareness about the work of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights in affirming the rights of minority peoples—over 70% in 2024 compared to 66% in 2023 report that they are not familiar with these Ministry activities. Meanwhile, the Ministry’s work in improving interethnic tolerance received an average rating of 3.29, while that rating was 3.00 in 2023.
Compared to the previous wave of research, public awareness about the existence of national minority councils in Montenegro has increased, yet the majority of the public still remains unaware of these councils’s activities.
“There has been a slight increase in the percentage of citizens who are somewhat familiar with the culture and customs of minority peoples in Montenegro, while the number of those who are undecided on this issue has decreased. A majority, around 57% of respondents, believe that educational programmes in Montenegro are fully or partially adapted to promoting multiculturalism and tolerance among different ethnic and religious groups, while about a fifth hold disagree, and around a quarter cannot remain undecided,” said Marlena Ivanović, programme associate at CCE.
The media generally received a neutral rating regarding reporting on these issues, although its significant influence on shaping attitudes towards national minorities is recognized, with over 2/5 indicating that this influence is negative and over 1/3 believing that positive examples of cooperation among different ethnic and religious communities are not adequately represented in the media.
“Data show an increase in the perception of discrimination against minority peoples in all analyzed areas compared to 2023. Additionally, the distance regarding different religious beliefs and ethnic identities is most pronounced when it comes to family relations, while a smaller percentage express discomfort toward individuals of different religious or national backgrounds in leadership positions, such as a boss, colleague, friend, or neighbour. Consequently, it is very concerning that in 2024, more than half of respondents – 52.3% – state that they would not marry someone from a different ethnic group, and 56.4% say they would not marry someone of a different religion. We pointed out these alarming percentages last year, and we see that they have become now entrenched,” concludes Ivanović.
Various aspects indicating the state of civic awareness have also been tested. In this context, there is a growing belief that one should be distrustful and reserved towards people from other ethnic groups, and around 1/5 believe that the history and culture of their nation are much richer than others, while it is noted that the number of opponents to this view is increasing, and a majority believes that every nation has a rich history and culture in its own way.
Almost 3/5 of respondents support introducing more content in schools that promotes multiculturalism, while less than a fifth do not support this idea, and a quarter has no opinion.
A special part of the research focused on attitudes towards migrants and refugees.
“Although about 2/3 of citizens believe that Montenegro is open to migrants and refugees, we have recorded an increase in distance toward them. In both waves 44.8% feel that there are already enough mechanisms for their integration. At the same time, there has been a significant decline in the percentage of those who believe the state should enable more of these mechanisms, and an increase in those who believe that migrants and refugees should not be retained Montenegrin territory,” said Nikola Đurašević.
“Finally, as many as 73.2% of surveyed citizens believe that incidents in society in recent years are motivated by ethnic and religious intolerance, marking a significant increase from 61.8% in 2023. Those who do not see this cause as dominant cited politics, general social discontent, mental health issues, drug addiction, and alcoholism, etc,” concluded Đurašević at the presentation of the findings.
The research was conducted from 17 to 25 October 2024, using the CAPI method, on a stratified random sample of 1,000 respondents over the age of 19. Professional support in conducting the research was provided by the DAMAR Institute.
Itana Gogić, project assistant