Kids, Foreign Agents, Criminals, and the Taliban: President Aleksandar Vučić’s Shifting Rhetoric on the Student-Led Protests in Serbia

Abstract

The student-led protests in Serbia that began in November 2024 constitute the most significant challenge to Aleksandar Vučić’s authoritarian regime since 2012. Unlike previous anti-regime protests (2016–2024), the student-led movement has proved resilient to the regime’s established strategy of combining orchestrated smear and disinformation campaigns with delegitimising narratives aimed at undermining the protesters’ credibility. While these tactics contributed to the substantial weakening of previous protest movements, they have failed to exert the same impact on the current movement. Instead, throughout the nearly two years of protests, President Vučić has repeatedly shifted his rhetoric in an effort to discredit the students. This article analyses these evolving narratives of delegitimisation. The author first outlines the narratives employed by the regime during earlier protests before examining the presidential speeches, media statements, and social media posts since November 2024, highlighting the changes in content, form, and intensity of the president’s rhetoric.