“Maidan will not take place in Serbia” – this is one of the first reactions of the authorities to the opposition protests and citizen unrest that took place during Sunday’s demonstration.
As citizens and the opposition demand the elections be canceled due to serious irregularities reported by domestic and foreign observers, the government and pro-government tabloids are once again comparing the protests to Kiev’s Maidan, accusing them of attempted coup d’état and incitement to citizenship. war and calling citizens and opposition leaders traitors.
The term “colored revolution” and the new Maidan have for years been applied to all protests, as well as to opposition actions and criticism of the government in general. This interpretation aims to delegitimize the demands expressed in these protests, attributing everything to a conspiracy against Serbia organized from abroad.
Even the most massive protests after the May shootings were described in pro-government media and in statements by top state officials as a “color revolution.”
After the December 17 elections, on the first day of protests, pro-government tabloids accused Germany of interfering in the Serbian elections, calling the young participants in the demonstration in front of the Republic Election Commission (RIK) German agents. As previously reported by ISFGerman Deutsche Welle denied allegations by Serbian tabloids regarding the organization of the protests.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also spoke about the protests organized from abroad. Although he did not specify which country he was referring to, he said Serbian state authorities were preparing an “important letter on the influence and interference of an important country in the electoral process of Serbia in the most brutal way.
“It will be finished by the New Year, and then we will send it to the whole world to see how this type of interference is carried out in processes that sovereignly belong to an independent country,” Vučić said on December 21. is not yet informed of this letter and the country to which the president is referring.
On Sunday, while the demonstrations continued, the Serbian Prime Minister, during an appearance on the program “Hit tweet”, thanked the Russian services for having provided information to the authorities about the demonstration. “Importantly, the data was also provided to us by the Russian security services. When I personally shared this with some ambassadors, they accused us of spreading disinformation, lies, believing Russian services and that it all made no sense.”
Russia warns of a ‘new Maidan’
By discrediting the protests and the narrative that the West is destabilizing Serbia, state officials have received support from Russian officials. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said activists “mobilized from various structures, financed and controlled from abroad” played an instigating role in the protests.
“They are committing violence against the Serbian state, employees of the Interior Ministry and other state authorities who only protect citizens. They cynically hide behind the struggle for justice and human rights, but their behavior shows their true attitude towards these values,” Zakharova said, adding that during the recent elections in Serbia, the majority of citizens expressed their opinion.
“Serbs have convincingly confirmed their support for the current leadership of the country, led by President Aleksandar Vučić,” she added.
Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Bocan Harčenko also said Maidan would not succeed and praised Serbian services for responding “very effectively” to such scenarios.
The Belgrade newspaper Politika writes that “Moscow revealed to Belgrade the West’s plans for the Maidan.” The article states that “Western power centers” do not like Serbia’s international position and attitude confirmed on December 17, “that there is no recognition of the so-called Kosovo, no change in policy towards friendly countries, towards friendly countries.” Russia, China, the collective South.
What does “Maidan” actually mean?
The term “Maidan” is used to describe events in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014. Ukrainians also call Maidan the Revolution of Dignity.
The discontent of Ukrainian citizens at the time was triggered by the decision of the then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, close to Moscow and under sanctions from Serbia and other European countries, not to sign the agreement association with the EU. Unlike Yanukovych, who wanted closer ties with Moscow, all participants in Maidan advocated close cooperation with Europe and against Ukraine’s joining the customs union with Russia.
Citizens led by opposition leaders rebelled on Independence Square (Maidan) and protests lasted day and night. Ukrainian special police responded to the protests with mass arrests and beatings of citizens. Such a reaction from the authorities provoked even more massive protests and further escalation. The epilogue of the protests that began in November occurred in February when Yanukovych relented and signed an agreement with opposition parties to form a national unity government that would hold elections.
However, Yanukovych fled to Russia, which quickly annexed Crimea. Eight years later, Russia invaded Ukraine and the conflict continued.
While Maidan means liberation for Ukrainians, for the Kremlin, Maidan is an event in which the West overthrew the pro-Russian authorities in that country. Such a Kremlin view of this event is present in statements by senior Russian and Serbian officials, as well as in pro-government tabloids and right-wing and pro-Russian parties in Serbia, such as “Zavetnici” and Branimir’s movement. Nestorović, who would play a crucial role in the formation of the government in Belgrade. By claiming that the demonstrations are organized “from abroad”, the government is trying to discredit the protests of citizens and opposition parties.