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.
Tag: protests
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.
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.