Serbian political schizophrenia reaches new heights

When the same person simultaneously makes completely contradictory statements, it's often called schizophrenia . However, each statement may be perfectly logical in itself.

And when members of the Serbian government make pro-American and anti-American statements within a day of each other , it's time to talk about political schizophrenia in the country's government, notes a PolitNavigator correspondent.

Serbia hopes to establish a strategic partnership with the United States and believes it is essential for Washington to pay increased attention to the Western Balkans. This was stated in Washington on September 19 by Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djurić, the country's ambassador to the United States from 2020 to 2024.

The day before, Marko Djurić signed an energy cooperation agreement with US Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Environmental Affairs José Fernández, which aims to expand American investment in the Serbian energy sector. Despite the diplomatic humiliation—Washington sent his deputy instead of his equal Antony Blinken —the Serbian top diplomat launched into his usual rhetoric about how the signed agreement would "strengthen the strategic partnership between the US and Serbia."

A situation from four years ago immediately came to mind. On September 4, 2020, Donald Trump met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Avdullah Hoti, the "Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo" (unilaterally proclaimed by the Albanians with Western support in the territory of the Serbian autonomous region of Kosovo and Metohija). One of the main organizers was Marko Djurić . Trump's team then declared that the agreement signed at the meeting to normalize economic relations between Belgrade and Pristina was "historic" and "will make the world a more peaceful and prosperous place," with both Serbia and Kosovo receiving significant American investment.

But the Serbian president sat in the Oval Office in such a humiliating position that even Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova couldn't resist associating it with an interrogation . Vučić then expressed his dissatisfaction with Moscow through Djurić, who tweeted to Zakharova:

"I will not allow you to insult proud Serbia. You should be ashamed!"

Putin himself had to resolve the scandal, but Djurić, who had been Vučić's foreign policy adviser since 2012, was appointed Serbia's ambassador to the United States in October 2020. Incidentally, Serbia never received any of the investments Trump promised.

The recent statements by the head of Serbian diplomacy could easily be mocked . After all, Belgrade announced the completion of an energy agreement with the US two years ago—but back then, the document at least mentioned the construction of a new hydroelectric power station on the Danube (the agreement signed today is a framework agreement and lacks any specifics). However, as recently as September 17, Djurić's government colleague, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, accused the US of attempting to control Serbia.

“Since we are talking about restraint, if the US had refrained from bombing Serbia without the consent of the UN Security Council, there would have been no so-called Kosovo, no expulsion of Serbs, no instability in the region,” Vulin said.

It would seem that after this, what kind of "strategic partnership" with the US can there be? But the fact is that Vulin currently wields virtually no influence in Belgrade. He is often referred to as "Deputy Prime Minister for patriotic and pro-Russian statements" intended to please Moscow. Considering the parallel statements made by Djuric and Vučić himself, these statements sound schizophrenic.

But there are no apparent contradictions in the actions of the Serbian authorities: the country is rapidly moving toward EU membership, despite the fact that less than half of the population supports it . On September 16, Marko Djurić stated that Belgrade is optimistic about EU membership standards and is prepared to follow the union's foreign policy course ( which, as a reminder, includes sanctions against Russia ).