Skopje, 18 June 2023 (MIA) — Over half of citizens — 57.5 percent — believe that the country's NATO membership is beneficial but it will not accelerate its accession to the European Union, according to a poll commissioned by the Sitel Detektor TV show.

According to a Detektor press release, the poll found that 48.9% percent of ethnic Macedonian respondents believed that membership in NATO was a good decision and 33.6% believed the opposite. Ethnic Albanian respondents were more supportive of the membership, with 85.1% saying it was beneficial, and 11.1% saying it was not.

"A little over half of those surveyed, or 51.5%, believe that joining NATO has increased the country's security, whereas 36.1% believe this is not the case," the release says.

Compared to a survey done by the same institute four years ago, Detektor notes, optimism in the public has waned regarding NATO membership helping the country join the EU faster.

"Regarding the possible benefits that the country has from its OSCE chairpersonship, 36.1% see certain benefits, and 35.3% do not. Most of those who see benefits say they are related to the country's promotion and increasing its credibility," the poll found.

The telephone survey was done by Skopje's Institute for Political Research on May 2–6 among 1,112 respondents. mr/