Russia

When the regulators are raised: How does the propaganda machine “extinguish” the crisis in Serbia?

Although discussions of “colour revolutions” in Serbia surfaced in early November, significant attempts to delegitimize protests became apparent on November 22. Ana Brnabić, Parliament Speaker, then characterized roadblocks due to fatalities in Novi Sad as “well-coordinated from abroad”. A couple days later, the narrative intensified. Media outlets began comparing Serbian protests to those against Russian […]

December 8, 2024

Anti-Western front: How Serbia defends Russian voices

The evil West and the “island of freedom” Reporters Without Borders recently assessed that Russia Today uses its office in Belgrade to “adjust Kremlin narratives before spreading them throughout Southeast Europe”. In that analysis, created as part of their new initiative, Propaganda Monitor, RWB also called on the EU and its member states to […]

October 20, 2024

Russian-Chinese tailwind for settling scores with NGOs

The beginning of August reminded in many ways the end of December 2023. There are protests in the streets, warnings in the media about a new Maidan and “colour revolutions”, as well as Russia’s claims that the West is trying to “destabilise the situation” in Serbia following a “notorious scheme” (RTS). There is also gratitude […]

September 2, 2024

Speaking the Kremlin Language: Who Spoke Out After the Serbian Elections

The Russian narrative about Maidan – the events in Ukraine from 2013/2014, which Russians portray as a foreign-orchestrated coup, while Ukrainians see it as a revolution of dignity that freed Ukraine from decades-long Kremlin influence – seems to have resonated well in public discourse in Serbia. Just as protests against violence due to two massacres […]

March 9, 2024

Elections in Serbia and Russia’s pat on the back

When the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, expressed “enormous concern about tendencies of nationalist propaganda” in Serbia ahead of the elections held on 17 December, the response came at lightning speed. “She is concerned about nationalist tendencies… She probably listened to the speeches of people from the ‘Serbia against Violence’, who suddenly became patriots. Until […]

January 7, 2024