Serbia, Slovakia and Georgia: elections vs. the streets - Democracy 2.0
+ Von der Leyen "stays the course" as the ship sinks
Today I am providing my English translation of 2 articles, both originally in Italian.
The first one is an article written by Roberto Vivaldelli and first published on InsideOver on Thursday 30th January 2025 and then on ComeDonChisciotte.org yesterday, Sunday 2nd February 2025, with an introductory comment (in italics) by Franco Ferrè (FF).
(All formatting and footnotes original).
Serbia, Slovakia and Georgia: elections vs. the streets - Democracy 2.0
The popular protests in Serbia, Slovakia and Georgia and the questions they raise: winning elections no longer seems to be enough to stay in government.
The popular protests in Serbia, Slovakia and Georgia over the last few months and the consequences they are having on the respective governments (resignations in Serbia, strong pressure in Slovakia and Georgia) raise important questions: winning the elections, as happened in all three cases, even clearly seems no longer to be enough to stay in government, especially if the government takes positions that deviate from a kind of “marked path”, whereby uncritical adherence to the political line established in NATO and the EU (but decided, as everyone knows, elsewhere) is unquestionable dogma, even when, as in two of the three cases mentioned, the countries in question are not adherents of either. If the elected governments deviate from the Main Road, or do not try hard enough to follow it, there are street demonstrations, protests, riots demanding that they be removed. Of course, none of the government structures in these countries is made up of saintly people, and the pretexts that are adopted from time to time to take to the streets may undoubtedly also have some foundation (e.g. see HERE on Serbia), but - in the light of the extensive and capillary activities of the so-called foreign “NGOs” in these countries (where the “N” is by now little more than a fig leaf) - the doubt remains that what is “spontaneous” is only the good faith of some of the participants, mostly young people, who it is easy to imagine as prey to well-constructed narratives about the West and Europe that have very little to do with reality (partially excluding the case of Serbia, where no EU flag has peeped out of the squares). The doubt arises, corroborated also by cases such as that of Romania, that by now a new form of Democracy 2.0 is taking shape, where even appearances are now being eroded, and situations where the “people” express guidelines different from those established elsewhere are no longer tolerated, “sheltered from the electoral process” (citing Mario Monti). The article in “InsideOver” below analyses the situation in the three countries in detail and provides a complete picture of the main aspects to be taken into account. (FF)
From Serbia to Slovakia, what is behind the protests
Georgia, Slovakia, Serbia: three countries with different backgrounds, whose governments are often labelled, not always accurately, as “pro-Russian”. And yet, in recent weeks, they share a common element: a wave of protests against their respective leaderships and accusations of “foreign interference” against Western NGOs that would fan the flames of discontent to stir up new EuroMaidan-style “Coloured Revolutions”.
On 27th January [2025], students from Belgrade University in Serbia blocked the Autokomanda road junction for 24 hours, bringing with them tents, food and signs. Farmers and motorcyclists also came to support them, concerned about previous attempts by motorists to force student blockades. For more than two months, the students have been paralysing Serbian universities to denounce government corruption, which they say is responsible for the collapse of a roof at the Novi Sad railway station on 1st November 2024, which caused 15 deaths. Demonstrations are taking place daily and have gathered tens of thousands of supporters, with protests also taking place in Serbian communities abroad. On 17 January, more than 50,000 people gathered in front of the headquarters of the public TV RTS, accusing it of pro-government bias. As a sign of solidarity, some employees of the broadcaster displayed a banner in support of the students.
The mobilisation also involved schools and businesses: 68% of high schools and 48% of primary schools suspended classes on 24th January [2025], while more than 200 businesses, including Cineplex and Laguna Bookstore, closed down. Theatres, museums and nightclubs also joined in, depriving young people of alternatives for the evening and amplifying the message of protest.
The pressure from the square led to the resignation of Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, who announced his decision to “avoid further complicating the situation” and “not to further fuel tensions in society”. His exit follows weeks of protests and the growing demand for accountability for the disaster in Novi Sad. More than a dozen people have been indicted for the collapse, including former transport minister Goran Vesic, who had resigned a few days after the tragedy. President Aleksandar Vučić said in a televised speech that he would decide within ten days whether to call early parliamentary elections or form a new government.
Accusations of interference
The students are demanding justice for the victims of Novi Sad, the publication of confidential documents on the incident and the prosecution of those responsible, but their battle widens to denounce “corruption” and “cronyism” in the Serbian government. Vučić reacted by calling the protests a Western attempt to foment a “coloured revolution” in Serbia, comparing them to the Maidan events in Ukraine in 2014.
Confirming this line, the Government started its war against foreign NGOs: between 21st and 22nd January [2025], 14 foreign activists from the EU and the Western Balkans were interrogated by the police and expelled on charges of being a “national security risk”. Among them were participants in an academic conference organised by NGO Academy, supported by the ERSTE Foundation and the University of Vienna.
Vučić is often portrayed in the Western press as an ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Not so. Serbia, in fact, has so far tried to maintain a balance between European integration and historical ties with Moscow, developing a strategic partnership with Russia, especially in areas such as energy, defence and economic investment, but maintaining a balanced foreign policy, avoiding aligning itself completely with what the Kremlin advocates.
Young people divided
Young people are divided: Demostat published an analysis in 2021 that showed that young Serbs are divided between those who look to Europe as a model and those who maintain a strong attachment to national identity and ties with Russia, while a survey by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) in 2020 noted that many young Serbs are critical of the political class and desire more transparency and reforms.
In terms of dynamics and impact, the protests in Serbia are reminiscent of the uprising that broke out in Tunisia in 2010, triggered by a seemingly minor event but with momentous consequences. On 17th December of that year, Mohamed Bouazizi, a young street vendor, set himself on fire after being mistreated by the police and ignored by the local authorities. His desperate act triggered a wave of anger that led to the fall of the Tunisian regime, demonstrating how a single episode can turn into a revolution against a “corrupt” and oppressive system.
Also in Slovakia, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the policies of Prime Minister Robert Fico. In Bratislava on Friday, protesters chanted slogans against Prime Minister Robert Fico. During the protest, organisers called for his resignation for the first time officially.
The demonstrations under the name “Slovensko je Európa” (Slovakia is Europe) started after the December meeting between Fico and Russian President Vladimir Putin and following statements by Tibor Gašpar, Vice-President of Parliament and member of Fico's party (Smer-SD), who opened up to the possibility of a future withdrawal of Slovakia from the European Union.
“Smer does not have an exit from the EU or NATO as a priority objective. However, both organisations are changing over time and we have to keep open the possibility of considering even radical solutions, if necessary”, Gašpar said in an interview on public television STVR. These statements triggered strong political reactions. The Hlas-SD party, the government partner, categorically rejected any discussion of a possible farewell to the EU or NATO.
Tensions over the country's orientation
“Hlas supports a sovereign foreign policy, with Slovakia's interests in first place, but excludes any hypothesis of leaving the European Union or NATO”, reads a party statement. The President of the Republic, Peter Pellegrini, also reiterated Slovakia's commitment to western alliances, citing the memorandum signed last September by the three main institutional representatives.
Sparks with Zelensky over gas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj criticised Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, accusing him of preferring Russia to the US and other Western partners for energy supplies.
For his part, Fico stated that Slovakia intends to continue purchasing Russian gas and asked Ukraine to guarantee its transit through its territory. The Slovak premier also threatened to block EU financial support to Kiev, reiterating his critical stance towards Ukraine. He called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj an “enemy”, accusing him of using the possibility of gas transit from Azerbaijan as a pretext to avoid retaliation.
As of 1st January [2025], Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian gas through Soviet pipelines, after refusing to renew the agreement with Gazprom that had been in place for decades. Slovakia, heavily dependent on cheap Russian gas, tried for months to convince Kiev to extend the agreement, warning that non-renewal would lead to higher energy prices both domestically and in the EU.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Fico cited a report by the Slovak Secret Service (SIS), which allegedly indicated the presence of experts in Slovakia involved in protests in Georgia and Ukraine. He also suggested that the funding came from the US. “You can laugh all you want, but it is the truth”, the premier stated.
NGOs organising the protests confirmed the existence of a strategic email for the demonstrations, drafted with the help of ChatGPT, which mentions the non-violent occupation of public buildings as one of the options. Tibor Gašpar, former police chief and now deputy speaker of parliament for Fico's party (Smer-SD), warned that the situation could escalate with a trigger event, similar to what happened in 2018 after the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak. According to Fico, such a scenario could involve clashes between protesters and security forces, especially if government buildings are occupied.
It is no mystery that there are numerous pro-Western NGOs directly subsidised by the State Department and USAID (United States Agency for International Development) in Slovakia. In 2022, the previous pro-EU government, through the then Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Ivan Korčok, and USAID Administrator Samantha Power, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for development cooperation between Slovakia and the United States.
Slovakia had already signed a first memorandum with the US in 2018, becoming the first country in Central and South-Eastern Europe [to sign such a memorandum].
The role of the West in the protests in Georgia
In Georgia, the role of NGOs was central during the 2024 protests. According to recent estimates, almost 90 per cent of NGOs in Georgia are foreign-funded, without receiving any domestic financial support, The Nation reported. With the electoral prospects of the United National Movement (UNM) declining, civil society and the network of some 10,000 NGOs have become the de facto centres of opposition. Unlike the non-profit sector in the US, UK and Europe, which relies on domestic philanthropy and volunteers, Georgia's system is almost exclusively dependent on foreign funds.
Since 15th April 2024, tens of thousands of protesters, mostly young people, have paralysed Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, in protest against what they call the government's departure from the European Union. Over 80% of Georgians support integration with the EU, and the bill that triggered the protests was seen as an obstacle to this path.
The contested law requires NGOs and civil society groups that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “organisations serving a foreign power”. Despite the pressure, the Georgian parliament passed the law on 14 May with 84 votes in favour and 30 against, leading to an escalation of protests. The then President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, vetoed the law, but the ruling party had the majority to overcome it.
The demonstrations grew, with increasingly explicit demands for the resignation of the government and references to the popular revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia in the early 2000s. Foreign politicians, including Baltic foreign ministers and the chairman of the foreign committee of the German parliament, participated in the protests.
At the end of 2024, Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer, was sworn in as the new head of state, while thousands of demonstrators continued to protest for the 32nd consecutive day against him and the Georgian Dream government. Former President Salomé Zourabichvili1, whose term expired yesterday, left the presidential residence but does not recognise the legitimacy of her successor. In his inaugural speech, Kavelashvili said he wanted to be “the president of everyone, regardless of opinions about me”, calling on the country to unite around common values. He also emphasised the importance of traditions, national identity, family and faith.
As evidence of foreign activity in the country, earlier this month, Georgia decided to expel 25 foreign nationals arrested during the protests that broke out on 28th November 2024, after the suspension of EU accession negotiations.
In an increasingly complex geopolitical context, the protests in Georgia, Slovakia and Serbia highlight not only deep internal divisions, but also the increasing role of foreign interference and so-called “civil society” in shaping the balance of power, raising questions about the future of these countries suspended between East and West.
The second article was published on Movisol.org on Saturday 1st February 2025. (All emphasis and footnotes mine).
Von der Leyen "stays the course" as the ship sinks
At a time when the European Union is plagued by increasing infighting, the barrage of criticism and threats coming from the Trump administration has made the elites highly upset and burying their heads in the sand in order not to accept the new realities. It is clear that the Eurocrats in power have no vision for the future or even the present.
Thus, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, knowing that Trump was cancelling all climate and “green” programmes, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared on 21st January [2025] that the EU would “stay the course and continue to work with all nations that want to protect nature and stop global warming”. “The Paris Agreement continues to be the best hope for all mankind”, she noted. Furthermore, she announced her intention to present a new “decarbonisation” plan, along with a new “clean energy” plan and a proposal for a common capital market, the “European Savings and Investment Union”.
As for the sanctions on Russia, instead of admitting that they have backfired and that high energy prices are destroying European industry, she claimed that “Putin has cut off our gas supplies” and that the price increase is the result of “energy blackmail by Russia”2. Furthermore, she claimed that gas imports from Russia to the EU have fallen by about 75 per cent, when it is well known that EU countries are still buying Russian gas, but delivered on board tankers in the form of LNG, instead of through pipelines, at three times the price.
According to the New York Times [link], the European Council (EC) has set up an unofficial “Trump task force” to work on possible responses to changes in US trade and foreign policy, which will meet on 3rd February [2025] in Brussels. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be among the participants, the first time the UK has attended an EC meeting since Brexit. Top of the agenda will be continued support for the war in Ukraine, retaliatory measures on trade policies, and defending the EU's “Green Deal”.
Meanwhile, in the real world, the fragmentation of the European Union is growing: opposition to the anti-Russian and “green” policies dictated by Brussels is not only registered among the new member states, i.e. Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and the Czech Republic, but also in Austria and other important countries. In Romania, as we reported, the result of the presidential elections was simply annulled under a false pretext, as the winner, Calin Georgescu, was considered unacceptable by the Eurocrats.
In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council on 23rd January [2025] to examine information received from the secret services on a possible attempt to overthrow the government. He pointed out that “foreign experts” involved in the protests in Georgia and the Maidan in Ukraine had arrived in Slovakia and might try to provoke a coup by occupying government buildings and engaging in civil disobedience.
For the record, as soon as she left power, the former Georgian president was immediately hired by a leading US Neocon-inspired think-tank. [I reported about it here] To think wrong is a sin, you know, but most of the time you get it right, said that slightly bent fellow who knew about politics...
Of course, we all know that it is Zelensky who decided not to renew the contract with Gazprom for gas transit through his country at the end of last year, as explained in this New York Times article, for instance.
Good article. People of Serbia are extremely deluded. The NGOs guide the narrative in which the corruption is the source of all evils forgetting to mention that they are one of the main conduits of corruption. For example Western NGOs guide the protests that are directed at the Public Prosecutor over alleged unwilligleness to prosecute those responsible for the train station collapse. However they fail to notice that Serbian public prosecution as well as high board of judiciary are both staffed by USAID. The country is almost completely colonised and subjected to foreign interest but now the thorn in the EU but is russian gas and Chinese infrastructure, both sources of income that government cant just reject because it's suicidal. In any case people are deluded. The only hope is Trumps cap on funding but they still receive private foundation and EU money
Gross stupidity/money minded beaureucrats in Europe.
The writing is on the wall EU. Margaret Thatcher Von der Leyden piss off.
Does anyone in Europe notice the vulnerability of the USA?
NO.
I don't want to see the EU survive....shit we can't even vote for these people.
Spain wants to deal with China....it cannot because of EU rules.
DOES anyone in the world NOT see a uninodal world (Ambassador Charles Freemans new word....which makes sense) world where we can trade in peace?
IF anyone want's to make sense of what is going on: U-tube Ambassador Charles Freeman.