OSCE Mission to Montenegro publishes Opinion Poll on public perception of State Prosecution Service
An opinion poll conducted in September 2022 reveals that almost half of the citizens surveyed generally have a positive attitude towards the country’s State Prosecution Services, and trust this institution. Over 40 per cent of respondents noticed positive change in the work of the State Prosecution Service during the last 12 months, while 59.8 per cent believe that State Prosecution Service is generally efficient in their work. The survey’s results show that 35 per cent of the respondents support the work of Acting Supreme State Prosecutor Maja Jovanović, while 44.1 per cent pointed out that they support the work of Chief Special Prosecutor Vladimir Novović. When respondents think that the State Prosecution is not efficient enough, they mostly name state corruption (87.6 per cent), fear of criminal organizations (82.3 per cent), as the reasons.
These are some of the key findings from a Perception of the State Prosecution Service in Montenegro Research commissioned by the OSCE Mission and conducted by Damar Agency, sampling 1,000 adults through a random stratified multi-stage sample.
Presenting the results, Miloš Vukanović, Development Director in the Damar Agency, stated that as one of the key institutions in the judicial reform process, the State Prosecution Service has been going through a dynamic period of organizational reform. The State Prosecution Service, he stated, is continuously at the center of interest domestically and internationally. “Slightly less than half of the respondents (46.4%) believe that the State Prosecution Service is mostly successful in combating corruption, while 42.9% think that the State Prosecution Service does not successfully fight corruption. The research further shows that citizens predominantly receive information about the State Prosecution Services through television and internet portals,” said Vukanović.
Following the presentation, Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, Deputy Head of the Mission stated that the Mission believes that this opinion poll will support the Supreme State Prosecutors’ Office to enhance their communication with citizens. “To build trust with citizens, it is crucial that the State Prosecution Service communicates effectively with the public about its work and the specific activities they undertake,” said Leirtroe, adding that the Mission will continue its support to State Prosecution Service in 2023.
Acting Supreme State Prosecutor Maja Jovanović thanked the Mission for its support in conducting research and in other activities. “The fact that over 40 per cent of respondents noticed changes for the better in the work of the State Prosecutor’s Office in the last 12 months and that almost half of the citizens generally have a positive general attitude when it comes to the State Prosecutor's Office of Montenegro is important. We will continue our work and to communicate with the public so next year’s survey the public confidence and trust will continue to grow.” said Jovanović.
Since 2015, the Mission has worked with the Office of the Supreme State Prosecutor. In addition to supporting research on the public perception of the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, it assisted in drafting and implementing its first communications strategy, as well as producing of the TV show, “The Prosecutor’s Hour”.