Who Are Belgrade’s Most Desired Allies? Narrative on the European Union, China and Russia during Serbian Parliamentary Campaign of 2020

Natasza  Styczyńska

doi:10.12797/Politeja.18.2021.73.05

Authors

Natasza Styczyńska Jagiellonian University in Kraków

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.18.2021.73.05

Keywords:

Serbia, parliamentary elections, political parties, EU integration, Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Serbia presents itself as a country skillfully balancing between the European Union (EU), Russia, and Asia, trying to maintain good political and economic relations with the biggest players on the international arena. The Covid-19 pandemic and China’s media-publicized assistance to Serbia has affected the perception of which countries are seen as Belgrade’s true allies. At the same time, Serbia remains a EU candidate country (membership negotiations officially started in 2014) and the European Union is not only Serbian biggest trading partner, but also the biggest donor. The main aim of the article is to compare the distinctive meaning that EU membership and cooperation with non-EU countries (mainly China and Russia) has for Serbian political parties, taking into account that the Covid-19 pandemic and the ‘vaccine diplomacy’ influenced the Serbian public discourse and perception on who is the Belgrade’s most trustful partner.

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Author Biography

Natasza Styczyńska, Jagiellonian University in Kraków

Is an assistant professor at the Institute of European Studies of the Jagiellonian University. Currently, she is a researcher in two H2020 projects: Populist rebellion against modernity in 21st-century Eastern Europe: neo-traditionalism and neo-feudalism (POPREBEL) and EU Differentiation, Dominance and Democracy (EU3D). Her academic interests include transformation processes in Central and Eastern Europe, party politics, nationalism, populism and euroscepticism in the CEE region and the Balkans.

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