Lobbyists as perceived by Serbs

A survey on the perception of lobbyists in Serbia, conducted by GFK agency, has been presented at the 7th Club of Lobbyists of Serbia.

The survey, including 1,000 respondents in Serbia, has shown that 50 percent of people in Serbia have heard about lobbying as term. The highest rate of such respondents is registered in Belgrade, and the lowest in Vojvodina. A rate of citizens who have heard of “lobbying” increases with education and is higher among the employed than among the unemployed. The term is perceived more positively than could have been expected initially.

“Unfortunately, lobbying is not separated enough from politics, because it is primarily associated to politics and persuasion. Bribe and corruption are mentioned as well, but out of the first five terms that lobbying associates to, four can be defined as positive. It confirms that there is high awareness of what lobbying essentially is,” said Miroslav Miletić, President of the Serbian Society of Lobbyists.

According to the survey of GFK, one-third of respondents think that people who are active in lobbying are politicians, as well as people who are persuasive, persistent, good orators, influential, intelligent, resourceful, and wealthy. Citizens of Serbia are of an opinion that internal and foreign politics and business are the areas where lobbying is most present.

Most respondents think that lobbying is necessary and useful in relations between Serbia and the world. This conclusion is in line with one of the objectives of the Serbian Society of Lobbyists on representing interests of our economy abroad and improving its image.

The Serbian Society of Lobbyists is a non-profit, non-governmental and non-political organisation, established in January 2009. Members of the Society are professionals wishing to actively participate in designing strategies and achieving and protecting objectives and interest of Serbia in the country and abroad.

Source:emportal.rs