EU is right for ignoring Serbian protests

The EU faces challenges in supporting democracy in Serbia due to a lack of pro-democracy advocates within the country. An open letter from Commissioner Marta Kos emphasizes the need for inclusive dialogue and societal ownership in the EU accession process. Serbian society's blame towards the EU highlights deep-rooted nationalism and political conflict.

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.