The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service claims that the EU is allegedly planning a “Serbian Maidan” to bring a “controlled” leadership to power.

This claim was highlighted by analysts from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

The protests in Serbia are driven by internal political problems, not by any “external interference”. There is no evidence whatsoever that the European Union is organizing a “Maidan” in Serbia.

Russian propaganda traditionally explains any popular protests as the result of “Western influence”, portraying them as carefully planned special operations.

The goal of such manipulations is to discredit the EU and convince Serbian society that there is a “Western conspiracy”. In reality, people are protesting because of their own problems and dissatisfaction with the authorities, not because of “instructions from Brussels”.

Russia has used similar narratives before. For example, for more than ten years it has labeled Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity a “U.S.-organized coup” in order to distort its true nature.

Serbia has been experiencing mass anti-corruption protests since November 2024, after the collapse of a railway station roof in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. Students accuse President Vučić’s government of corruption and negligence in infrastructure management. By March 2025, the protests had spread to 400 cities, drawing hundreds of thousands of participants – the largest rally in Belgrade gathered up to 325,000 people.

The protesters’ demands include an investigation into the tragedy, early elections, and a fight against corruption and authoritarianism. The protests are largely peaceful, but in August 2025 they escalated into clashes with police and pro-government supporters, including arson attacks on offices of the SNS party, injuries, and arrests. Vučić has labeled the demonstrators “terrorists” and accused them of an “international conspiracy”. The movement continues, demanding justice.