Photo: Pixabay, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
September 2024.
As part of the program Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: Exposing Malign Influences through Watchdog Journalism”, we present you a new monthly analyses of fake news and disinformation narratives.
Pushing Serbia towards BRICS: Reporting on the rise of BRICS and the coming decline of the West
After the BRICS expansion on January 1, 2024, pro-Russian media and political parties in Serbia increasingly advocated for Serbia’s membership in this intergovernmental forum. The most significant step towards this goal was taken in September 2024, during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin was among the guests and had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the forum’s sidelines. During their meeting, Putin stated that he expected Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at the next BRICS summit in Kazan in October, which sparked strong reactions in pro-Russian media.
Russian Sputnik repeatedly wrote positively about the meeting. It reported how the West believed Serbia had chosen a side, but then a “turnaround” occurred, and how it erased all Western illusions about Serbia’s strategic partnership with Russia. In the same article, Sputnik cited former Yugoslav Foreign Minister Živadin Jovanović, who said BRICS is creating a new order where “no one will dare to threaten Serbia or divide the Serbian people,” and that it would be beneficial for Serbia to attend the Kazan summit. Russia Today (RT) reported that “all countries siding with BRICS are on the right side of history, and Serbia, which has always been on the right side of history, should be with them.” The pro-Russian outlet Srbin.info stated that the meeting formalized relations with “the most significant multilateral platform on a global scale at the moment” and declared, “Without any doubt—BRICS is the solution for Serbia.” Informer pointed out that the meeting increased Serbia’s importance, while Russia “always fights for the sovereignty of small countries.”
Shortly after Vulin and Putin’s meeting, Vučić seemingly declined the invitation due to previously scheduled visits when the Kazan summit was set to take place, a decision that Srbin.info strongly criticized. Vučić’s comment was reported as “scandalous” and “quite rude,” suggesting that the head of the CIA “twisted Vučić’s ear.” However, Vučić later stated that he neither rejected nor accepted Putin’s invitation. Republika reported Vučić’s statement that those criticizing him don’t understand what sovereign politics means, while he emphasized his pride in Serbia’s independent foreign policy, while adding “I will once again ask all those who boast while trying to criticize Serbia for not being 100 percent aligned with Brussels’ policies or any other. Why do you even have a Ministry of Foreign Affairs at all?”
Pro-Russian media drew parallels with Turkey, which also expressed interest in BRICS membership in September. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke to RT about the alleged pressure Turkey faces from NATO and the EU, implying that Serbia would face similar challenges, although he did not specify the nature of this pressure, except noting that potential EU members are expected to align with the bloc’s foreign and security policy. In the same article, RT mentioned that the EU expects Serbia to recognize Kosovo for membership, which is unrelated to pressure over BRICS.
BRICS as a creator of a New World Order?
Turkey’s expressed interest in BRICS has been widely used in the media as “proof” that the West is in decline. Informer published an article titled “Erdogan Makes the Move of the Century! NATO Chains Are Breaking, a Revolutionary Event Is Unfolding in Turkey!” while Srbin.info quoted former U.S. intelligence officer Scott Ritter, who likened NATO and the EU to “sinking ships” like the Titanic, while BRICS is a cruise ship with a party on deck. In another article, Srbin.info linked Turkey’s BRICS bid to European integration, reporting that Turkey “officially abandoned EU integration” by applying for BRICS membership, which is untrue, as Turkey remains a candidate, though the process has been stalled since 2019 in an event unrelated to BRICS.
In addition to the Turkish case, pro-Russian media often portray BRICS as superior to the EU and NATO. After the leader of a pro-Russian ultra-nationalist party in Bulgaria proposed leaving the EU and joining BRICS, Srbin.info presented this as a breaking news story, claiming that Bulgaria is “considering” such a foreign policy shift. RT quoted Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, saying, “If the EU continues to remain closed off and unwelcoming to other countries, it risks losing weight in international politics,” adding that the EU should learn from BRICS.
Beyond direct comparisons between BRICS and the EU, the media also discusses the collapse of the liberal order and the dominance of BRICS countries, with speculation about the creation of a new common currency. Sputnik described BRICS as the most powerful integration bloc on the planet, noting that even its opponents are becoming interested in it. Srbin.info ran headlines like, “Nuclear Fire Looms Before the U.S. Elections, Serbia Awaits BRICS,” while Informer published several headlines predicting a complete transformation of the world, such as: “The World Will Never Be the Same Again,” noting that BRICS members seek a democratic order; “Historic! Western Gentlemen, Brace Yourselves! Putin Has Openly Said How He Will Crush Europe and America!” which emphasized the economic growth of BRICS nations; “BRICS is on fire! The world is shocked by Milei’s move! Does he realize what he’s done?! Argentina had a historic chance to solve everything, and he…” which portrays Argentine President Javier Milei’s decision to reject the invitation to join BRICS as a grave mistake. Another interesting article by Informer discusses the leaders attending the summit in Kazan, with the headline, “They come to him on their knees!” alluding to Vladimir Putin’s dominance.
Alo! reported on predictions by the director of a Russian institute about potential economic integration through a new currency, with the headline, “THE DOLLAR IS FORGOTTEN, A NEW MONETARY ORDER: BRICS’ New Currency Changes Everything!” Similar forecasts about the dollar’s decline in the face of a BRICS currency were widely shared, despite the project being far from reality. The creation of such a currency remains doubtful, as evidenced by different signals from member country representatives. For example, India’s foreign minister expressed skepticism, and the issue was not even discussed at the 2023 summit.
This narrative creates an atmosphere in which BRICS appears to be a better option for Serbia’s future than the European Union, but the question remains: what is BRICS, and what is it not? Comparisons with the EU and NATO, especially the idea that every “victory” for BRICS is a loss for the West, are frequent. However, BRICS is unlike the European Union or NATO. BRICS primarily serves as an international forum for member state leaders, based on shared financial and political interests. One of main goals of BRICS is trade between members using domestic currencies. This creates alternatives in bilateral trade, avoiding the risk of sanctions, which is especially important for Russia after its aggression in Ukraine. Besides using local currencies, BRICS also has the New Development Bank. However, beyond the bank, its institutional structure is underdeveloped. Comparisons with the EU are therefore unfounded, and comparisons with NATO are even more problematic since BRICS is not, nor does it plan to be, a defense organization.
In addition to the relatively underdeveloped institutional structure, human rights and poverty issues are also problematic. Members like Russia, Iran, China, and Ethiopia are authoritarian regimes, while South Africa has the highest inequality rate, according to the World Bank’s 2022 report. Despite this, Srbin.info claims that BRICS countries cooperate in the media sphere and represent the “free world” fighting against “Western censorship,” portraying the West as isolated. B92 quoted Putin, saying that BRICS contributes more to the global economy than the G7, with the headline that Putin “did not surprise with his statement.” While it’s true that BRICS members have a larger GDP based on purchasing power parity (BRICS represents approximately 35%, compared to 29% for the G7), the situation is entirely different when looking at GDP per capita, which is considerably higher for the G7 states.
The media often highlight BRICS’ advantages for Serbia in terms of diplomatic support on the Kosovo issue. RT listed several BRICS advantages over the European Union: BRICS represents a larger population, is not a command structure and instead has flexible decision-making, and respects different cultures and traditions. However, these characteristics do not offer real practical advantages over the European Union. While flexible decision-making is portrayed as a positive, in reality, it leads to problems due to the lack of a decision-making mechanism. This results in incoherent broader goals and strategies, creating a lack of unified vision. When it comes to cooperation, The New Development Bank, as the only institutionalized form of cooperation, is relatively limited in terms of financial resources and projects, and in 2023, even halted new projects in Russia due to market restrictions. The reach and significance of BRICS are currently overstated in the media, as common policies, such as foreign or security policies, simply do not exist. Considering that BRICS is a loose structure, membership would not bring significant benefits to Serbia due to the lack of strong integration and mechanisms in any area.
Author: Aleksandar Jakovljević
