Aleksandar Vucic: Is He Stepping Out of the West’s Shadow?

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic canceled his much-anticipated visits to Brussels and New York in a move seen as an act of defiance to the West after reports emerged that foreign meddling had triggered street protests in the country.

It would be an exaggeration to say that Serbia has been “rocked by protests”, but it’s unavoidable that the manifestations that have been cropping up more regularly could one day intensify and be used by the West to pressure the government into political concessions. After all, Serbia has expressed interest in concluding a free trade agreement with the Russian-led Eurasian Union and just hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the One Belt One Road initiative.

Amidst all of this, though, it can’t be forgotten that Serbia did agree to a controversial NATO transit agreement earlier this year and still officially wants to join the EU.

For trying to be a “New Tito” in the New Cold War and attempting to balance between the East and West Aleksandar Vucic is our MAN IN THE NEWS this week.

Vladimir Mikheev, RBTH weekly analytical “Troika report” commentator (studio guest); Stefan Karganovic, Director of the Srebrenica Historical Project and writer at the Serbian weekly "Pechat"; and Borislav Korkodelovich, Serbian independent political analyst, shared their thoughts with Sergei Strokan.