Jared Kushner withdrew from a real estate project in Belgrade amid an indictment against several officials for corruption, but Affinity Partners can sue for reimbursement of expenses. The site, often labeled a "historic landmark," is essentially a derelict ruin. Protests against Kushner's investment reflect long-standing anti-Western sentiment in Serbia. There's nothing to celebrate about this.
Tag: balkans
Charlie Kirk International Mourner Society
Governments, organizations, and individuals outside the US have come to the conclusion that it's easy to win some favor from MAGA and its affiliates if you do some sucking up, like in the case of public sympathy expressed in Serbia and Republika Srpska over the murder of Charlie Kirk .
Serbian protests are not a plebiscite
Contrary to the popular belief, the student and civic protesters and the Serbian government are not the only political factors of relevance, despite the efforts, both in Serbia and abroad, to present them as such.
Fear and loathing factories of the Serbian internal media warfare
The overdramatized scenes of riots like the ones in Serbia, shared by rather clueless agency news and often manipulative social media content creators, without actual context and placed into narratives without delving into the specifics of the local events are not doing anyone any justice and do not help the situation.
Serbian students cycled, and Jesus was their copilot
A bunch of young folks from Serbia, Europe's most polluted country, sporting rather pricey cycling gear, came to Strasbourg, France, to complain about Serbian-made problems, and like all true fighters for human rights and democracy they made a stop at the Serbian Orthodox Christian Church in Munich, because apparently they couldn't find enough churches in Serbia. So did the student cyclist happen to mention in Strasbourg that Serbia is an intolerant dumpster fire of a society, and that foreign IT professionals, namely the digital nomads, decided to split?
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.
Why the West should keep ignoring the Serbian protests
German political scientist Alexander Rotert fantasizes about Berlin's imaginary support for Serbia's authoritarian government under Vucic, arguing it prioritizes a lithium project over democratic concerns.
Serbian non-revolution
National Youth Council of Serbia, in its 2024 Alternative report on the position and needs of young people in the Republic of Serbia, finds that 57 percent of young people (aged 15 to 30 years old) in Serbia feel that we need a strong leader. The Serbian student protesters are not the democratic role models you are looking for.
Why Serbia stands with Trump
Yes, yes, Serbia 35% tariffs, Trump crazy. But Serbian political discourse and The Donald already have some history behind them. Read which convicted Serbian war criminal supported Trump's presidential bid since 2016, and how and why Carl Bildt got to mock Vučić on Twitter in 2020. Plus, we really dig vindictive narcissist dilettantes here.
Serbianism 