Author: Dejan Pantic

Lithium of discord

The Serbian protests against the lithium mining project proposed by Rio Tinto were not motivated by environmentalism but instead were aimed against the Serbian ruling kleptocratic coalition with an outpouring of anti-Western hysteria. Protesting against a non-existent, "neo-colonial" mining project is fashionable and safe over here. But it's an exercise in futility to try to damage President Vucic's standing by using his own rhetoric and methods.

The square circle logic of Serbian protests

Recent protests in Serbia, notably the general strike, aim to challenge the autocratic regime of President Vucic. However, the protests often lack effective impact as many businesses remain operational. Official demands focus on transparency and university funding, but protesters avoid directly calling for regime change due to socio-political taboos. The discontent reflects a deeper sense of national identity and responsibility.

Serbian Odious Party

Aleksandar Vucic and his big-tent coalition have been in power since 2012, and even if they did manage to steer the economy in the right direction (they didn't), maintain the rule of law, and run the government services efficiently (they don't), or even have the capacity to act civilly (out of the question), in most societies that have parliamentary and presidential elections they would have most likely overstay their welcome after twelve years in office. The Serbian government strengthens its support among the electorate by using physical violence, defamation, lies, and whining. But all this doesn't concern his voting base. To them, such behavior is considered assertive and irreverent, a mark of a strong leader who speaks truth to power and cares about traditional values like Family and Nationhood.

Vucic isn’t Assad

A good portion, if not the majority of the Serbian electorate never had a problem with the war crimes committed by the political parties that comprised the government of Slobodan Milošević. In fact, those same crimes are considered as proof of the patriotic virtues espoused by the current Serbian administration, led by Milošević's former minister of information, Aleksandar Vučić.

No, Serbia is not ditching Russian weaponry

Serbia is reportedly shifting its military procurement from Russia to China, driven by sanctions and Western pressure. General Milan Mojsilovic noted delays in Russian contracts, leading to increased use of Chinese weaponry, such as the FK-3 air defense system. Despite claims of neutrality, Serbia remains close with BRICS amid skepticism about its military transparency.