As part of the program Regional Initiative for combating disinformation “Western Balkans Combatting disinformation Center: Exposing malicious influences through fact-checking and Analytical Journalism“, we present you a new analysis of fake news and disinformation narratives.
Serbia is the most important, so it must be: Protesters run for instructions from “Serbia-Hating” Picula (VIDEO)
https://informer.rs/politika/vesti/1017317/tonino-picula-blokaderi-studenti-srbija
Pro-government media in Serbia have been running an intense campaign against student protests and university blockades for over six months now — a movement that is part of a broader wave of civic resistance. Instead of providing objective reporting, these outlets use their platforms to discredit young activists, spreading disinformation about their motives, goals, and sources of funding. Students are portrayed as “foreign mercenaries,” “traitors,” or “tools of the opposition,” in an attempt to delegitimize their struggle and discourage wider public support.
The latest pretext for attack was a meeting between students who organized a symbolic “marathon to Brussels,” where they met with Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Serbia. Rather than recognizing the importance of young people peacefully and proactively engaging with European institutions to raise concerns about the state of democracy and the rule of law in Serbia, pro-government media framed the event as yet another “proof” that students are acting on behalf of foreign powers.
One such article, published by the Informer portal, claims that “the protesters and Picula jointly concluded that Serbia is the most important country in the region, and therefore must be crushed, while its president, Aleksandar Vučić, should be politically removed because he pursues an independent policy that does not suit them.” This assertion is a blatant manipulation of the public. There is no evidence whatsoever that such a conclusion was made during the meeting, nor is there anything in the publicly available reports from Brussels that would justify such a headline.
This style of reporting has a clear purpose: to delegitimize any form of civic engagement that is not under government control, to create an atmosphere of fear and distrust, and to discourage future generations of young people from becoming actively involved in political and social life.
Even more concerning is the growing presence of anti-European narratives that are activated whenever citizens — especially young people — attempt to establish dialogue with European institutions. The students traveled to Brussels to meet with the European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, in line with the country’s official commitment to EU accession. This raises a simple but important question: if it is considered acceptable for government officials to speak with EU representatives, why is it unacceptable for Serbian citizens to do the same? This selective logic reflects blatant double standards and a broader attempt to discredit the European framework whenever it challenges the ruling party’s narrative.
Most troubling of all is the targeted smear campaign against Tonino Picula himself, solely on the basis of his nationality. Because he is of Croatian descent, nearly all pro-government media consistently portray him as a “Serb-hater,” without any substantiated basis in his statements or actions. This kind of labeling says nothing about Picula’s actual views, but speaks volumes about the entrenched nationalism and hostility toward neighboring peoples that these outlets routinely promote. Rather than discussing the content of the meeting or the messages conveyed by the European Parliament, the focus is deliberately shifted to the ethnic identity of the interlocutor — fostering division instead of dialogue.
Author: Nataša Stanojević
