The people of Montenegro are increasingly susceptible to conspiracy theories and propaganda, with significant numbers believing that global elites are intentionally instigating health crises or viewing homosexuality as a disease.

This alarming trend was highlighted by a public opinion survey carried out by the Damar Institute for the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) from February 22 to March 4 of this year, involving a representative sample of 1,008 respondents.

“During the research, citizens were asked to evaluate a number of proposed claims as either true or false. The findings clearly indicate a widespread acceptance of conspiracy theories,” stated Jelena Jovanović, executive editor of the Raskrinkavanje.me portal, which strives to combat media manipulation, enhance media content quality, promote media literacy among readers, and uphold professional standards within the media landscape, in a CDT statement.

The survey revealed that 54.1 percent of citizens believe that global elites are attempting to reduce the world’s population, while only 15.5 percent dismiss this as false, and 30.4 percent expressed uncertainty.

“Furthermore, half of the respondents (50.2 percent) contend that global elites are orchestrating a new pandemic, with 14.9 percent rejecting this notion, while just over a third (34.9 percent) cannot assess its validity. Additionally, 44.7 percent of citizens think that the coronavirus pandemic was engineered, contrasted with 38.5 percent who disagree, and 16.8 percent who remain neutral. Approximately one-third believe that Donald Trump is combating a global deep state (31.1 percent), while more than a third (36.2 percent) oppose this view, leaving 32.7 percent uncertain. Although the majority (47.7 percent) consider the claim that climate change is a hoax fabricated by global elites as false, a concerning 32.1 percent support it, and 20.2 percent are unsure,” the statement continued.

The CDT pointed out that regarding propaganda narratives and conspiracy theories in international politics, 39.6 percent of citizens believe that the European Union (EU) is compelling them to abandon traditional values, while 36 percent disagree, and nearly a quarter (24.4 percent) are undecided.

“37 percent accept the belief that the EU poses a threat to Orthodoxy, compared to 41.9 percent who do not, while 21.1 percent have no opinion. The majority (48.7 percent) acknowledge that Russia has seized portions of Ukraine, a quarter (25.3 percent) claim this to be untrue, and another 26 percent are unsure. Nearly equal portions of citizens believe (30.4 percent) or disbelieve (30.2 percent) that Russia is fighting against imperialism, while 39.4 percent have no opinion. A substantial 81.3 percent affirmed the statement that only two biological sexes exist (male and female), with only 10.8 percent deeming it false, and 7.9 percent uncertain. Moreover, a notable 64.6 percent assert that homosexuality is a disease, while 12.3 percent reject this claim, and 23.1 percent are undecided. Additionally, 41.2 percent of respondents believe that feminism aims to destabilize families, whereas 34.9 percent oppose this view, and 23.9 percent are uncertain,” reported the CDT.

The NGO noted that these narratives frequently circulate on social networks and online portals, and the research findings highlight the severe issue of public disinformation prevalent in Montenegro.

“We would like to emphasize that Montenegrin institutions and laws do not currently recognize or address disinformation, which explains the significant number of citizens who believe in unfounded claims being disseminated unchallenged,” the CDT statement concluded.

Citizens Rate Institutions Poorly in Combatting Disinformation

The CDT further reported that negative evaluations of institutional performance in combating disinformation remain widespread.

“Approximately 60 percent of citizens feel that state institutions, to varying degrees, evade effective action against disinformation for political or social advantages. Conversely, less than a fifth (19.3 percent) disagree, while 21.3 percent of citizens are undecided. When queried about institutional responses to disinformation, over half (58.5 percent) of citizens rated their work as bad or very bad, while only 16.3 percent described it as very good or good, and a quarter (25.2 percent) expressed uncertainty,” stated the CDT.

It was noted that, compared to the 2023 survey, the percentage of citizens rating institutional performance as bad or very bad has slightly decreased (from 65.2 percent in 2023). However, the proportion rating institutional efforts positively has also diminished (from 20 percent in 2023), alongside a marked increase in those expressing uncertainty (14.9 percent in 2023).

A substantial 85.1 percent of citizens favor enhanced government regulation of social media as a strategy to tackle disinformation, while only 14.9 percent express disagreement. Many citizens are critical of the role of global tech companies in managing disinformation. Specifically, 30 percent believe that platforms like Facebook and X directly facilitate the spread of disinformation, 10.4 percent think they do so unintentionally, and only 9.3 percent believe they contribute to combating disinformation. One-fifth (20.9 percent) view their role as neutral, while a considerable portion (27.4 percent) were unable to provide an opinion on this matter,” concluded the CDT.

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