Far-right politics in Serbia emerged shortly before the
break-up of Yugoslavia
The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
and has been present ever since. Its manifestation mostly focuses on national and religious factors.
After the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the far-right in
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
received little amount of support, although politicians and groups alike had existed.
Milan Stojadinović
Milan Stojadinović ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Стојадиновић; 4 August 1888 – 26 October 1961) was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and economist who served as the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia from 1935 to 1939. He also served as Forei ...
, a Yugoslav Serb politician, served as
Prime Minister of Yugoslavia
The prime minister of Yugoslavia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Премијер Југославије, Premijer Jugoslavije) was the head of government of the Yugoslavia, Yugoslav state, from the Creation of Yugoslavia, creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croa ...
from 1935 to 1939 and saw
fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
as an ideological role model for his premiership. Additionally,
Dimitrije Ljotić
Dimitrije Ljotić ( sr-cyr, Димитрије Љотић; 12 August 1891 – 23 April 1945) was a Serbian and Yugoslav fascist politician and ideologue who established the Yugoslav National Movement (Zbor) in 1935 and collaborated with Ge ...
headed
Zbor
The Yugoslav National Movement ( sh, Jugoslavenski narodni pokret / Југословенски народни покрет), also known as the United Militant Labour Organization (''Združena borbena organizacija rada'' / ''Здружена бор ...
, a party that was inspired by
Italian fascism,
anti-communism
Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and the ...
, and
antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
. Ljotić also cooperated with Bishop
Nikolaj Velimirović
Nikolaj Velimirović (Serbian Cyrillic: Николај Велимировић; – ) was bishop of the eparchies of Ohrid and Žiča (1920–1956) in the Serbian Orthodox Church. An influential theological writer and a highly gifted orato ...
, an antisemite who also promoted anti-Western ideas.
Milan Nedić
Milan Nedić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Недић; 2 September 1878 – 4 February 1946) was a Yugoslav and Serbian army general and politician who served as the chief of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army and minister of war in the R ...
, who was appointed prime minister of the puppet government in 1941, was a supporter of fascist ideas, and promoted conspiracy theories about Jews.
Chetniks
The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
under
Draža Mihailović
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...
, supported royalism, nationalism, and the creation of
Greater Serbia
The term Greater Serbia or Great Serbia ( sr, Велика Србија, Velika Srbija) describes the Serbian nationalist and irredentist ideology of the creation of a Serb state which would incorporate all regions of traditional significance to S ...
within Yugoslavia. Mihailović collaborated with the
Axis powers
The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...
as early as in 1941, while Chetniks remained as an inspiration for modern far-right groups. After the death of
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
in 1980, the
early 1980s recession
The early 1980s recession was a severe economic recession that affected much of the world between approximately the start of 1980 and 1983. It is widely considered to have been the most severe recession since World War II. A key event leading to ...
crisis in Yugoslavia began while the
League of Communists of Serbia
, logo =
, colorcode =
, leader = President of the League of Communists of Serbia
, predecessor = Provincial Committee for Serbia of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia
, merged =
, successor = SPS
, ...
(SKS) also began promoting
ethnic nationalist
Ethnic nationalism, also known as ethnonationalism, is a form of nationalism wherein the nation and nationality are defined in terms of ethnicity, with emphasis on an ethnocentrism , ethnocentric (and in some cases an ethnocracy, ethnocratic) ...
views.
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević (, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the president of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1997 (originally the Socialist Republic of Serbia, a constituent republic of ...
, who also later formed direct connections with the far-right, exploited the crisis and organised the
anti-bureaucratic revolution which helped him to come to power.
At the same period, the far-right re-emerged, this time in
Republic of Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...
, and it garnered broader acceptance due to the
Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...
.
Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj ( sr-Cyrl, Војислав Шешељ, ; born 11 October 1954) is a Serbian politician, founder and president of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS); he was convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Tribuna ...
and his
Serbian Radical Party
The Serbian Radical Party ( sr-cyrl, Српска радикална странка, Srpska radikalna stranka, ''SRS'') is an ultranationalist political party in Serbia. It was founded in 1991, and its founder and current leader is Vojislav Še ...
(SRS) gained support from the public after they used sanctions, increased inflation, and high unemployed rate in their advantage to boost their support. SRS closely cooperated with Milošević during the 1990s, although it also briefly served in opposition. Far-right organisations acted as
paramilitaries
A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
and they committed violence during the
Bosnian and
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
wars. The
White Eagles, which were operated by Šešelj, were also referred as "chetniks". Far-right groups became registered movements and organisations after the
Overthrow of Slobodan Milošević
The overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, began after the presidential election on 24 September and culminated in the downfall of Slobodan Milošević's government on 5 October 2000. It is sometimes referred to as the 5 Oct ...
, and attacks orchestrated by the far-right had also risen. Due to the allegations that the government was involved in corrupt privatisations, SRS campaigned on an anti-corruption platform and topped first in the
2003 parliamentary election; it also placed first in the
2007 election. Věra Stojarová, a
Masaryk University
Masaryk University (MU) ( cs, Masarykova univerzita; la, Universitas Masarykiana Brunensis) is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the seco ...
professor, said that these results showed the "high frustration of Serbs". The far-right also received further support after the series of events in 2008; they also organised protests which turned out violent. The
Belgrade anti-gay riot
The Belgrade anti-gay riot was an incident of violence against LGBT people that occurred on 10 October 2010 during a pride parade, organized to promote LGBT rights in Serbia. The gay pride parade has been the first in Belgrade since 2001; a plann ...
, which occurred in October 2010, was organised by the far-right, including groups such as
Obraz. The Constitutional Court later concluded a ban on
Nacionalni stroj
Nacionalni stroj (Serbian Cyrillic: ''Национални строј'', National Alignment) was a neo-Nazi organization in Serbia, based on the Vojvodina Region. It had orchestrated several incidents since 2005. In late 2005, charges were presse ...
and Obraz, in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Since then, some far-right groups
pacificated their actions. The far-right embraced
opposition to immigration
Opposition to immigration, also known as anti-immigration, has become a significant political ideology in many countries. In the modern sense, immigration refers to the entry of people from one state or territory into another state or territory ...
in the mid-to-late 2010s, with parties and organisations such as
Dveri
The Serbian Movement "Dveri" ( sr-Cyr, Српски покрет Двери, Srpski pokret Dveri), commonly just known as Dveri (), is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Serbia. It its currently led by Boško Obradović, wh ...
,
Leviathan
Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...
, and People's Patrol embracing the sentiment. Additionally, the far-right had seen a rise in popularity in 2020; attacks and protests by the far-right also occurred, while after the beginning of the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, far-right groups had been vocally opposed to imposing sanctions on Russia. The invasion helped pro-Russian and far-right parties to cross the
threshold
Threshold may refer to:
Architecture
* Threshold (door), the sill of a door
Media
* ''Threshold'' (1981 film)
* ''Threshold'' (TV series), an American science fiction drama series produced during 2005-2006
* "Threshold" (''Stargate SG-1''), ...
in the
2022 general election
The following elections are scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world.
* 2022 United Nations Security Council election
* 2022 national electoral calendar
* 2022 local ...
.
The far-right in Serbia could be divided into the
Christian right
The Christian right, or the religious right, are Christian political factions characterized by their strong support of socially conservative and traditionalist policies. Christian conservatives seek to influence politics and public policy with t ...
and
neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
variants. In general, far-right groups can also be antisemitic and
Islamophobic
Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism.
The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...
, while they also often promote
conspiracy theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
. Far-right groups and individuals often glorify convicted war criminals like
Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžić ( sr-cyr, Радован Караџић, ; born 19 June 1945) is a Bosnian Serb politician, psychiatrist and poet. He was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the International Criminal Tr ...
and
Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić ( sr-Cyrl, Ратко Младић, ; born 12 March 1942) is a Bosnian Serb convicted war criminal and colonel-general who led the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) during the Yugoslav Wars. In 2017, he was found guilty of committing ...
, while some groups also called for
rehabilitation
Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to:
Health
* Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished
* Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...
of collaborationists
Milan Nedić
Milan Nedić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Недић; 2 September 1878 – 4 February 1946) was a Yugoslav and Serbian army general and politician who served as the chief of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army and minister of war in the R ...
and Dimitrije Ljotić. Violent protests or attacks against ethnic minorities and the
LGBT community
The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...
had been conducted by far-right groups. The far-right promotes
anti-Western sentiment
Anti-Western sentiment, also known as Anti-Atlanticism or Westernophobia, refers to broad opposition, bias, or hostility towards the people, culture, or policies of the Western world.
Definition and usage
In many modern cases, anti-Western s ...
and
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies, and seek reform ...
, while they support closer ties with Russia. They orchestrated attacks against activists and non-governmental organisations, and they frequently label them as "foreign mercenaries". Additionally, the far-right promotes anti-communism,
militarism
Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...
and
religious fanaticism
Religious fanaticism, or religious extremism, is a pejorative designation used to indicate uncritical zeal or obsessive enthusiasm which is related to one's own, or one's group's, devotion to a religion – a form of human fanaticism which cou ...
. Far-right groups have ties with the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
(SPC), they also promote
patriarchal
Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of Dominance hierarchy, dominance and Social privilege, privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical Anthropology, anthropological term for families or clans controll ...
values, and support the return of
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
's sovereignty under Serbia. They also use the
Serbian eagle and variants of crosses as their symbols. Numerous far-right groups emerged in Serbia, such as I live for Serbia, Nacionalni stroj, Obraz, People's Patrol, and SNP 1389, while some had also turned into political parties like Dveri, Leviathan, and
Serbian Party Oathkeepers
The Serbian Party Oathkeepers ( sr-cyrl, Српска странка Заветници, Srpska stranka Zavetnici, SSZ) is a far-right political party in Serbia.
The party's previous name was Serbian Movement Oathkeepers ( sr-cyrl, Српск ...
(SSZ). The unemployed working-class youth is often recruited by far-right groups; the far-right tends to present themselves as "patriotic" groups or as
humanitarian organisation
An aid agency, also known as development charity, is an organization dedicated to distributing aid. Many professional aid organisations exist, both within government, between governments as multilateral donors and as private voluntary organization ...
s. Far-right groups stayed small in number and have been institutionally marginal, although Internet pages and groups that promote far-right content had received large amounts of following. According to 2010 and 2011 reports, newspapers such as ''
Glas javnosti
''Glas javnosti'' (Глас јавности, meaning "Voice of the Public") was a daily newspaper published in Belgrade. After publishing a newspaper from April 1998 until January 2010, the people behind the project have since then run an online ...
'', ''
Večernje novosti'', and
''Pravda'' were mainly associated with far-right politics. The Serbian far-right made impacts on the ideological views of
domestic terrorists such as
Anders Behring Breivik
Fjotolf Hansen (born 13 February 1979), better known by his birth name Anders Behring Breivik () and by his pseudonym Andrew Berwick, is a Norwegian far-right domestic terrorist, known for committing the 2011 Norway attacks on 22 July 2011. On ...
and
Brenton Tarrant
On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings occurred in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks, carried out by a lone gunman who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, began at the Al Noor Mosque ...
.
Overview
Definition
According to contemporary historian Barbara N. Wiesinger, the far-right could be divided into two groups; the first group is influenced by the
Christian right
The Christian right, or the religious right, are Christian political factions characterized by their strong support of socially conservative and traditionalist policies. Christian conservatives seek to influence politics and public policy with t ...
,
clerical
Clerical may refer to:
* Pertaining to the clergy
* Pertaining to a clerical worker
* Clerical script, a style of Chinese calligraphy
* Clerical People's Party
See also
* Cleric (disambiguation)
Cleric is a member of the clergy.
Cleric may a ...
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
, conservatism,
xenophobia
Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
, and it generally has ties with the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
(SPC). The other group is well-connected with international
neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
and
white supremacist
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other Race (human classification), races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any Power (social and polit ...
groups who also promote xenophobia and authoritarian views; the difference between the two groups is that the latter's views are rather centered on
race
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:
* Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species
* Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
.
Jovo Bakić
Jovo Bakić ( sr-cyr, Јово Бакић; born 23 March 1970) is a Serbian sociologist, political activist, and an associate professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. He is primarily interested in political sociology.
Biogra ...
, a sociologist, noted that far-right groups also tend to be
antisemitic
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
and
Islamophobic
Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism.
The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...
. Far-right individuals also often glorify convicted war criminals such as
Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj ( sr-Cyrl, Војислав Шешељ, ; born 11 October 1954) is a Serbian politician, founder and president of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS); he was convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Tribuna ...
,
Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžić ( sr-cyr, Радован Караџић, ; born 19 June 1945) is a Bosnian Serb politician, psychiatrist and poet. He was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the International Criminal Tr ...
, and
Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić ( sr-Cyrl, Ратко Младић, ; born 12 March 1942) is a Bosnian Serb convicted war criminal and colonel-general who led the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) during the Yugoslav Wars. In 2017, he was found guilty of committing ...
, while some groups are also supportive of
collaborationists Milan Nedić
Milan Nedić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Недић; 2 September 1878 – 4 February 1946) was a Yugoslav and Serbian army general and politician who served as the chief of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army and minister of war in the R ...
and
Dimitrije Ljotić
Dimitrije Ljotić ( sr-cyr, Димитрије Љотић; 12 August 1891 – 23 April 1945) was a Serbian and Yugoslav fascist politician and ideologue who established the Yugoslav National Movement (Zbor) in 1935 and collaborated with Ge ...
, and called for their
rehabilitation
Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to:
Health
* Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished
* Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...
.' Far-right groups also promote
historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of a historical account. It usually involves challenging the orthodox (established, accepted or traditional) views held by professional scholars about a historical event or times ...
about these figures. Promotion of conspiracy theories is common amongst the far-right.
Bakić also noted that far-right groups also promote a culture of "youth violence", since they regularly organise clashes with the police, or against minorities such as the
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
,
LGBT population, and
leftists
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
. He also stated that far-right groups form a perception of enemies, which commonly tend to be the West, traditional political parties, or minorities, while they regard Russia as a friend or a "brother". Far-right groups focus their ideological aims towards minorities to gain public support; besides the Romani popularity,
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
are also a common target. This resulted into the formation of "
welfare chauvinism
Welfare chauvinism or welfare state nationalism is the political notion that welfare benefits should be restricted to certain groups, particularly to the natives of a country as opposed to immigrants. It is used as an argumentation strategy by r ...
", which portrays the minorities as "undeserving". The development of welfare chauvinism in Serbia has been similar to that in other parts of Europe; they portray minorities as "undeserving" and they argue that minorities do not deserve to benefit from Serbian welfare programs. Initially, the far-right focused on other ethnic groups in former Yugoslavia due to the
Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...
, although they turned towards "internal enemies" after the
overthrow of Slobodan Milošević
The overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, began after the presidential election on 24 September and culminated in the downfall of Slobodan Milošević's government on 5 October 2000. It is sometimes referred to as the 5 Oct ...
. At least since the late 2010s, far-right groups also began promoting several narratives regarding migrants due to the
European migrant crisis
The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis, was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the continent to reques ...
, such as referring them as an enemy, and claiming that migrants are criminals or terrorists. Far-right groups regularly organise protests that are known for generating violence; they often participate in football match fights, and organised attacks against participators at
pride parade
A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
s. Neo-Nazi groups are connected with
hooligan
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a d ...
groups, while far-right groups and football fan organisations generally have conjoint membership.
Far-right groups are also known by their
anti-Western sentiment
Anti-Western sentiment, also known as Anti-Atlanticism or Westernophobia, refers to broad opposition, bias, or hostility towards the people, culture, or policies of the Western world.
Definition and usage
In many modern cases, anti-Western s ...
and
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies, and seek reform ...
, which they manifest through attacks towards non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and activists; far-right groups usually describe them as "anti-state", "anti-Serb" or "foreign mercenaries". They are also known for assaulting human rights and
pro-democracy
Democratization, or democratisation, is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be a hybrid regime in transition from an authoritarian regime to a full ...
activists and NGO headquarters. Studies had shown that far-right groups tend to feel less close to other European nations. Far-right groups also promote the notion that Western powers advocated
secessionist nationalism in the
republics of SFR Yugoslavia; this was due to the positions of Western politicians that advocated for the internal borders of republics to remain unchanged. Alongside perceiving the West as an enemy, the far-right also outlined the
socialist government of Yugoslavia as an enemy; they refer it as a dictatorship and as "anti-patriots" due to the narratives that the government allegedly attempted to destroy "Serbian national and religious identity and tradition".
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and the ...
is also a key element of far-right groups; they tend to downplay the success of
Yugoslav Partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
by promoting historical revisionism, and attempt to discredit the progress that was achieved during the existence of SFR Yugoslavia.' Far-right groups had also openly taken part in
Victory Day
Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...
commemorations due to their pro-Russian views; their participation is in stark contrast to the anti-communist sentiment that is present in Serbia and other post-socialist countries. Most far-right groups espouse
militarism
Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...
,
religious fanaticism
Religious fanaticism, or religious extremism, is a pejorative designation used to indicate uncritical zeal or obsessive enthusiasm which is related to one's own, or one's group's, devotion to a religion – a form of human fanaticism which cou ...
,
chauvinism
Chauvinism is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. It can be described as a form of extreme patriotis ...
, and they support the return of
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
's sovereignty under Serbia, as well as preserving traditional and
patriarchal
Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of Dominance hierarchy, dominance and Social privilege, privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical Anthropology, anthropological term for families or clans controll ...
values, and opposing abortion. Regarding economics, far-right groups in Serbia tend to advocate economics that are more
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
than in other countries. In regards to religion, far-right groups formed connections with the SPC in the 1990s.
Symbolism
National symbols
A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...
, such as the
Serbian cross
The Serbian Cross ( sr, Cрпски крст / Srpski krst) is a national symbol of Serbia, part of the coat of arms and flag of Serbia, and of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is based on the tetragrammic cross emblem/flag of the Byzantine Palaio ...
and
Serbian eagle, had been adopted by far-right groups. In case of the cross, far-right groups often use two different variants; the first one is silver-colored while the other one is red-coloured.' Other groups also use the
Russian cross
The Russian Cross is the name of a demographic trend that occurred in Russia and many other countries of the former Warsaw Pact. In Russia, starting in 1988, birth rates among native Russians (as well as most other ethnic groups of the Europea ...
as their symbol, while
Obraz and
Serbian Action
Serbian Action () is an ultranationalist and clerical fascistDijana Jelača, Maša Kolanović, Danijela Lugarić ''The Cultural Life of Capitalism in Yugoslavia: (Post)Socialism and Its Other''/ref> movement, active in Serbia since 2010.
Ideolog ...
use the
Christogram
A Christogram ( la, Monogramma Christi) is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a Christian symbolism, religious symbol within the Christian Church.
One of the oldes ...
as a "Christian Orthodox-patriotic" symbol.' The
Serbian tricolor is widely used by far-right organisations.' Far-right groups also frequently use chants such as "Serbia to the Serbs" (). They also use pejorative terms for minority groups in Serbia.
During the Yugoslav Wars,
turbo-folk
Turbo-folk (sometimes referred as pop-folk or popular folk) is subgenre of contemporary pop music with its origins in Serbia, that initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in Bulgaria (chalga), Romania (manele ...
music was used to promote nationalist and revisionist viewpoints. Notably
Serbia Strong, a song that lauded the actions of Serb military personnel such as war criminal Radovan Karadžić, and boasted about ethnic cleansing against Croats and Bosniaks, later became an
internet meme
An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
where it was alternatively titled "Remove Kebab", and attracted further attention when it was played by Brenton Tarrant before instigating the
Christchurch mosque shootings
On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings occurred in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks, carried out by a lone gunman who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, began at the Al Noor Mosque ...
.
Beogradski Sindikat (BS), a
hip-hop collective, promoted conservative and far-right views through music.
Škabo
Boško Ćirković (Serbian Cyrillic:Бошко Ћирковић) (born 4 December 1976) better known as Škabo (Serbian Cyrillic: Шкабо) is a rapper, beatmaker and producer from Belgrade, Serbia. He has released three albums as a member of B ...
, a prominent member of BS, used to associate himself with
Dveri
The Serbian Movement "Dveri" ( sr-Cyr, Српски покрет Двери, Srpski pokret Dveri), commonly just known as Dveri (), is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Serbia. It its currently led by Boško Obradović, wh ...
, while Aleksandar Protić headed the
Third Serbia
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* Hig ...
political party, which was formed out of Dveri. A clothing brand name ''Otadžbina'' depicts neo-Nazi imagery and is used by some football fans in Serbia.
Influence
Far-right groups recruit working-class youth who are usually unemployed and generally uneducated. The youth developed strong public political opinions against the West,
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
, and Western democracy due to the Yugoslav Wars and
sanctions. According to authors Denoeux and Carter, in 2009 they stated that socio-economic, political, and cultural issues tend to radicalise the population. Far-right groups present themselves as "patriotic" groups or
humanitarian organisation
An aid agency, also known as development charity, is an organization dedicated to distributing aid. Many professional aid organisations exist, both within government, between governments as multilateral donors and as private voluntary organization ...
s, while neo-Nazi groups tend to present themselves as "radical nationalists" by making covert or overt use of
Nazi symbolism
The 20th-century German Nazi Party made extensive use of graphic symbols, especially the ''swastika'', notably in the form of the swastika flag, which became the co-national flag of Nazi Germany in 1933, and the sole national flag in 1935. A ...
.' Far-right groups stayed small in number; according to Džombić, about 30 far-right groups were active with about 5,000 members in 2011. As of 2018, far-right groups remain institutionally marginal, although their public influence is at a higher rate. According to Bojan Klačar, the executive director of
CeSID
The Centre for Free Elections and Democracy ( sr-cyr, Центар за слободне изборе и демократију, Centar za slobodne izbore i demokratiju), or CeSID, is a non-governmental and non-profit organization in Serbia. Fou ...
, contemporary far-right groups do not pose a threat unless if the groups receive a large amount of support, while the political articulation of the groups are too weak to make an impact on the institutions.
Clerical-fascist groups had been considered to be more politically influential and organised than neo-Nazi groups.
Far-right groups are centered on using the Internet, while many individuals have also published magazines and books.
Stormfront, a neo-Nazi Internet forum, was established in the early 2000s in Serbia. Some groups are also centered on using social networks such as Facebook,
Telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
and
Signal
In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...
, and
alt-tech
Alt-tech are social media platforms and Internet service providers that have become popular among the alt-right, far-right, and others who espouse extreme or fringe opinions, in the belief that these alternatives moderate content less stringe ...
such as
Parler
Parler () is an American alt-tech social networking service associated with conservatives. Journalists have described Parler as an alt-tech alternative to Twitter, and users include those banned from mainstream social networks or who oppose ...
. Far-right Facebook pages and groups in Serbia had received large amounts of following. Anti-immigrant activists had also formed a number of pages; this includes the Generation Identity, which also has branches in other countries. Followers of the far-right European Solidarity Front for Syria (ESFS) page had attended the first major anti-immigrant protest in Serbia in 2016. Regarding the media, they had stayed neutral regarding the migrant issue; they had reported incidents in which they participated, as well as the problems which they experienced. Publications such as ''
Glas javnosti
''Glas javnosti'' (Глас јавности, meaning "Voice of the Public") was a daily newspaper published in Belgrade. After publishing a newspaper from April 1998 until January 2010, the people behind the project have since then run an online ...
'', ''
Večernje novosti'', ''
Kurir
''Kurir'' is daily tabloid newspaper published in Belgrade, Serbia.
History
''Kurir'' first issue appeared at the news stands on 6 May 2003. While Kurir's history is relatively short, it is also a checkered one. It goes back to the state of emer ...
'', ''
Alo!
''Alo!'' is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Belgrade, Serbia.
Launched by Ringier AG (owners of another Serbian daily '' Blic'') on October 15, 2007, ''Alo!'' attempts to establish itself on the saturated Serbian daily tabloid market thr ...
'', and
''Pravda'' were associated with the far-right according to 2010 and 2011 reports. Far-right groups had also attacked publications that were viewed as more liberal.' Local media in Serbia also tend to promote "Russian-friendly" news stories or anti-Western narratives; many websites were found to be spreading the idea of
ethnic purification
Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic, racial, and religious groups from a given area, with the intent of making a region ethnically homogeneous. Along with direct removal, extermination, deportation or population transfer ...
or neo-Nazism. It was also found out that website owners also tend to have connections with Russian state-controlled agencies such as
RT and
Sputnik
Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for t ...
.
Jim Dowson
James Dowson is a far-right political activist from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. He has been active across the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States and has been described by ''The Times'' as "the invisible man of Britain's far ri ...
, a British far-right activist, and his
Knights Templar International
James Dowson is a far-right political activist from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. He has been active across the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States and has been described by ''The Times'' as "the invisible man of Britain's far r ...
organisation had supplied bullet-proof vests and radios to Serbian groups in Kosovo. Dowson had regularly accompanied with
Aleksandr Dugin
Aleksandr Gelyevich Dugin ( rus, Александр Гельевич Дугин; born 7 January 1962) is a Russian political philosopher, analyst, and strategist, who has been widely characterized as a fascist.
Born into a military intelligen ...
and former
British National Party
The British National Party (BNP) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and its leader is Adam Walker. A minor party, it has no elected representatives at any level of UK gover ...
leader
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John Griffin (born 1 March 1959) is a British politician and white supremacist who represented North West England as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2009 to 2014. He served as chairman and then president of the far-righ ...
in Serbia. In late 2017, far-right groups threatened to murder
Marinika Tepić
Marinika Tepić (; sr-Cyrl, Мариника Тепић, ; born 8 August 1974) is a Serbian politician. She is a vice-president of the Party of Freedom and Justice (''Stranka slobode i pravde'', SSP) and a prominent figure in the opposition to S ...
, an opposition politician, after criticising Jim Dowson's visits to Serbia. Robert Rundo, the co-founder of the white supremacist
Rise Above Movement
The Rise Above Movement (RAM) is a militant alt-right Southern California-based street-fighting group variously described as "a loose collective of violent neo-Nazis and fascists", white nationalist, white supremacist, and far-right.Jarvie, Jenny ...
(RAM), had appeared and recorded videos in Serbia through out of 2020. Russia had also solidified its presence in Serbian politics through connections with far-right parties; it had also asserted itself as a "protector of
traditional values
Traditionalist conservatism, often known as classical conservatism, is a political and social philosophy that emphasizes the importance of transcendent moral principles, manifested through certain natural laws to which society should adhere ...
" and an alternative to the West. Sources claim that between 100 and 300 Serb "foreign fighters" joined the
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...
on the side of Russia;'
Aleksandar Vučić
Aleksandar Vučić ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Вучић, ; born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as the president of Serbia since 2017, and as the president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012.
Vučić served ...
, the
president of Serbia
The president of Serbia ( sr, Председник Србије, Predsednik Srbije), officially styled as the President of the Republic ( sr, Председник Републике, Predsednik Republike) is the head of state of Serbia.
The curr ...
, claimed that the foreign fighters were mercenaries, while others had stated that they were motivated by the sense of "nationalist solidarity". Some had received media attention, such as
Dejan Berić
Dejan Berić (, ; born 25 September 1974), simply known as Deki (Деки) is a Serbian volunteer in the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic with the rank of Major, who is fighting as a sniper in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.
Biography ...
.' Some Serb foreign fighters had even joined pro-Russian paramilitary groups in
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
.'
The Serbian far-right made a major impact on
domestic terrorists such as
Anders Behring Breivik
Fjotolf Hansen (born 13 February 1979), better known by his birth name Anders Behring Breivik () and by his pseudonym Andrew Berwick, is a Norwegian far-right domestic terrorist, known for committing the 2011 Norway attacks on 22 July 2011. On ...
and Brenton Tarrant. Far-right groups in Serbia had also followed the trend of the global far-right such as showing
populist
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
tendencies and representing themselves as the protectors of the "people" and "free speech". The growth of global far-right views, such as anti-immigrant views, had also spread in Serbia. Although the socio-economic situation of individuals, insufficient trust in institutions, and the inconsistent attitude of the state towards the far-right had also influenced the rise of anti-immigration.
History
Yugoslavia
Following
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
was established. The state was composed of multiple ethnic groups, with the
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
being the most populous group. It was initially a liberal
Parliamentary Democracy
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
, although in 1929,
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
imposed a
dictatorship
A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship are ...
which lasted until 1934, and renamed the state to Yugoslavia. Alexander I's regime was described as "conservative authoritarian". During the
interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
, fascists and advocates of other far-right political movements in Yugoslavia received little support and some of them were even repressed by Alexander I's regime. The display of antisemitism in Yugoslavia was also rare.
The post-World War I
Chetniks
The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
were ideologically divided; some of them believed that Yugoslavia should be governed in accordance with Serbian traditions and they also believed that the other two major ethnic groups,
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...
and
Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their n ...
, should be
assimilated, while others had believed that a new
Yugoslav national identity should be developed. Its members were also divided between the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
(DS), which favoured an all-Yugoslav identity, and the
People's Radical Party
The People's Radical Party ( sr, Народна радикална странка, Narodna radikalna stranka, abbr. НРС or NRS) was the dominant ruling party of Kingdom of Serbia and later Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from the la ...
(NRS) which favoured a Greater Serbian identity. Chetniks later developed into "
parafascists" and adopted anti-liberal and anti-democratic views, while maintaining nationalist traditions. Members of the
National Defence
National security, or national defence, is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as p ...
(), a militaristic association, usually sided with Chetniks in
conflicts
Conflict may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton
* ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne
* ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...
. National Defence adopted fascism in the mid-1920s and became sceptical about the parliamentary system. It had also opposed
internationalism
Internationalism may refer to:
* Cosmopolitanism, the view that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality as opposed to communitarianism, patriotism and nationalism
* International Style, a major architectur ...
and promoted the cultural unity of South Slavs.
Velibor Jonić
Velibor Jonić ( sr-Cyrl, Велибор Јонић; 12 February 1892 – 17 July 1946) was a Serbian fascist politician and government minister in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia during World War II. He taught at the Military A ...
, a Serbian fascist politician, was a member of the National Defence. Following the
assassination of Alexander I,
Milan Stojadinović
Milan Stojadinović ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Стојадиновић; 4 August 1888 – 26 October 1961) was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and economist who served as the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia from 1935 to 1939. He also served as Forei ...
and his
Yugoslav Radical Union
The Yugoslav Radical Union (Serbian language, Serbian: ''Jugoslovenska radikalna zajednica'', Југословенска радикална заједница; sl, Jugoslovanska radikalna skupnost, Croatian language, Croatian: ''Jugoslavenska rad ...
(JRZ) came to power. JRZ acted as an all-Yugoslav party, and its members consisted of all three major ethnic groups. Stojadinović ruled as an authoritarian and imposed anti-democratic acts, while he had also saw fascism as an ideological role model, and adopted centralism during his premiership. Stojadinović was dismissed in 1939 and was replaced by
Dragiša Cvetković
Dragiša Cvetković ( sr-cyr, Драгиша Цветковић; 15 January 1893 – 18 February 1969) was a Yugoslav politician active in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1939 to 1941. ...
. Dimitrije Ljotić, a Yugoslav Serb politician, who formed the
Yugoslav National Movement
The Yugoslav National Movement ( sh, Jugoslavenski narodni pokret / Југословенски народни покрет), also known as the United Militant Labour Organization (''Združena borbena organizacija rada'' / ''Здружена бор ...
(JNP Zbor), sought to introduce radical right and fascist policies. Zbor supported the creation of a corporative authoritarian regime, while it was also inspired by
Italian fascism, anti-communism, and antisemitism. Ljotić cooperated with Bishop
Nikolaj Velimirović
Nikolaj Velimirović (Serbian Cyrillic: Николај Велимировић; – ) was bishop of the eparchies of Ohrid and Žiča (1920–1956) in the Serbian Orthodox Church. An influential theological writer and a highly gifted orato ...
, who was an antisemite and promoted anti-Western views; he had made an impact on Ljotić during the late interwar period.' A chunk of its members had also left the party to join JRZ during Stojadinović's premiership. Zbor mainly received support from Serbs, and it remained a minor party after it received 1% of popular vote in 1935 and 1938 elections. After the beginning of World War II, the government of Yugoslavia adopted anti-Jewish laws.
Milan Nedić
Milan Nedić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Недић; 2 September 1878 – 4 February 1946) was a Yugoslav and Serbian army general and politician who served as the chief of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army and minister of war in the R ...
was appointed prime minister of the puppet government in 1941; he was a supporter of fascist and ultranationalist policies. During his premiership, Nedić also promoted
conspiracy theories about Jews.
Kosta Pećanac
Konstantin "Kosta" Milovanović Pećanac ( sr-cyrl, Константин Коста Миловановић Пећанац; 1879–1944) was a Serbian and Yugoslav Chetnik commander ('' vojvoda'') during the Balkan Wars, World War I and World ...
, who headed Chetnik units from the 1930s, embraced chauvinism and led
his group of Chetniks into allegiance with Nedić's government. Chetniks under
Draža Mihailović
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...
began collaborating with the
Axis Forces
The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were Na ...
as early as in 1941. Mihailović denied that he collaborated with the Axis forces, although in 1943 he admitted it in a conversation with a British liaison officer. After 1943, Mihailović collaborated with the
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
on an informal basis. Chetniks during World War II were royalist and nationalist, while their main objective was the creation of a Greater Serb state within Yugoslavia. Chetniks also favoured
population transfer
Population transfer or resettlement is a type of mass migration, often imposed by state policy or international authority and most frequently on the basis of ethnicity or religion but also due to economic development. Banishment or exile is a ...
.
After World War II, the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia
The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...
(KPJ), later known as League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ), came to power and reformed the state as
Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yugo ...
.
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
led Yugoslavia until
his death in 1980, and shortly after his death, local branches of the SKJ began promoting ethno-nationalist rhetoric, including the
League of Communists of Serbia
, logo =
, colorcode =
, leader = President of the League of Communists of Serbia
, predecessor = Provincial Committee for Serbia of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia
, merged =
, successor = SPS
, ...
(SKS). The leadership of SKS was replaced by a more conservative one that argued for more nationalist views. The
early 1980s recession
The early 1980s recession was a severe economic recession that affected much of the world between approximately the start of 1980 and 1983. It is widely considered to have been the most severe recession since World War II. A key event leading to ...
had an impact on Yugoslavia, the crisis was exploited by
ethnic nationalists to capture power. Also, in the 1980s, a number of
paramilitaries
A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
began forming in Kosovo. The
SANU Memorandum
The Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, known simply as the SANU Memorandum ( sr-cyr, Меморандум САНУ), was a draft document produced by a 16-member committee of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) from ...
, which was leaked in 1986, made an impact on the far-right politics in Serbia; the document combined xenophobic nationalist views with
conservative socialism
Bourgeois socialism or conservative socialism was a term used by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in various pieces, including in ''The Communist Manifesto''. ''Conservative socialism'' was used as a rebuke by Marx for certain strains of socialism, ...
, and it argued for the establishment of Greater Serbia.
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević (, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the president of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1997 (originally the Socialist Republic of Serbia, a constituent republic of ...
, who held conservative, communist, and anti-liberal views, supported the memorandum and used it to rise to power. Milošević staged a party coup against
Ivan Stambolić
Ivan Stambolić ( sr, Иван Стамболић; 5 November 1936 – 25 August 2000) was a Serbian politician. He was a prominent member of the League of Communists of Serbia who served as the President of the Presidency of Serbia in the 19 ...
, who opposed the memorandum, and later organised a campaign of street protests, named the
anti-bureaucratic revolution. This served as a resurgence of the far-right.
1990s–2000s
Following the
revolutions of 1989
The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Natio ...
, the far-right emerged again to the mainstream. Far-right groups brought
extreme nationalism
Ultranationalism or extreme nationalism is an extreme form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains detrimental hegemony, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion) to pursue its sp ...
as well as the support for establishment of the
Greater Serbia
The term Greater Serbia or Great Serbia ( sr, Велика Србија, Velika Srbija) describes the Serbian nationalist and irredentist ideology of the creation of a Serb state which would incorporate all regions of traditional significance to S ...
, while at the same time, they also gained broader acceptance due to Serbia's position in the Yugoslav Wars. After being sanctioned and following the increased inflation and high unemployment rate, xenophobia saw an increase during Serbia's period of
isolationism
Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entang ...
. Nationalists, such as the
Serbian Radical Party
The Serbian Radical Party ( sr-cyrl, Српска радикална странка, Srpska radikalna stranka, ''SRS'') is an ultranationalist political party in Serbia. It was founded in 1991, and its founder and current leader is Vojislav Še ...
(SRS), exploited this to garner broader support amongst the public. They promoted historical revisionism, which had been already on the rise since the 1970s, and portrayed other Yugoslav ethnic groups as "betrayers" which formed the narrative of
victimhood. SRS closely cooperated with Milošević's
Socialist Party of Serbia
The Socialist Party of Serbia ( sr, Социјалистичка партија Србије, Socijalistička partija Srbije, SPS) is a political party in Serbia. It is led by Ivica Dačić.
It was founded in 1990 as the direct successor to t ...
(SPS) during the 1990s, although it also briefly served in opposition. The
Serbian Renewal Movement
The Serbian Renewal Movement ( sr-cyrl, Српски покрет обнове, Srpski pokret obnove, SPO) is a liberal and monarchist political party in Serbia.
History
The Serbian Renewal Movement party was founded in 1990 through the merger ...
(SPO), a major opposition party during the 1990s, had also promoted extremist nationalism, although it abandoned the ideology following the beginning of the
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
. Milošević, although declaratively a leftist, had connections with the far-right and promoted extreme-nationalist and anti-Western sentiment; he also promoted antisemitic and racist conspiracy theories.
Many far-right organisations acted as
paramilitary organisations and openly supported and committed violence during the Bosnian and
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
wars. The
White Eagles, a paramilitary unit operated by SRS and its leader Vojislav Šešelj, committed
war crimes in
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
and
Bosnia and Hezegovina. Its members were also referred as "chetniks". According to a United Nations report from 1994, 55 out of 82 paramilitaries in former Yugoslavia were led by Serbs. According to the
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white su ...
, far-right groups criticised the United States during the Kosovo War, including foreign individuals such as white nationalist
Louis Beam
Louis Ray Beam, Jr. (born 1946) is an American white supremacy, white supremacist, conspiracy theorist and neo-fascism, neo-fascist. After Secondary school, high school, he joined the United States Army and served as a helicopter door-gunner in ...
, while neo-Nazis had done it because "they saw Muslims as a threat to Europe". After the
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
in 1999 and up to the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in October 2000, far-right conspiracy theories were spread, while critics of the government were assassinated. Journalist
Slavko Ćuruvija
Slavko Ćuruvija ( sr-Cyrl, Славко Ћурувија, ; 9 August 1949 – 11 April 1999) was a Serbian journalist and newspaper publisher. His murder on 11 April 1999 in Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia provoked international outrage and wide condemna ...
was assassinated in 1999, while former president of Serbia, Ivan Stambolić, was assassinated in August 2000; an
assassination attempt
This is a list of survivors of assassination attempts, listed chronologically. It does ''not'' include those who were heads of state or government at the time of the assassination attempt. See List of heads of state and government who survived as ...
on
Vuk Drašković
Vuk Drašković ( sr-cyrl, Вук Драшковић, ; born 29 November 1946) is a Serbian writer and politician. He is the leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, and served as the war-time Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugos ...
, the leader of SPO, also occurred in October 1999.
Far-right groups in Serbia gained a considerable amount of public attention in the early 2000s, although after the election of
Zoran Đinđić
Zoran Đinđić ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран Ђинђић, ; 1 August 1952 – 12 March 2003) was a Serbian politician who served as the prime minister of Serbia from 2001 until his assassination in 2003. He was the mayor of Belgrade in 1997. Đinđić ...
as
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
it was seen that the development of far-right ideas would become less conducive. Far-right groups had also turned into registered movements and organisations. During June 2001, far-right groups had orchestrated violent attacks at the participators of the first pride parade in Serbia; the parade was cancelled half-way through. After
Đinđić's assassination in 2003, far-right groups emerged again. According to Jovo Bakić, this rise occurred due to the promised social development and
European Union accession which were not feasible, including the wave of privatisation that left vast numbers of people unemployed. These organisations were also often in opposition to each other, although they had common ideological motives. Since the 2000s, attacks orchestrated by far-right groups had risen. These attacks had often received media attention, although far-right groups did not attract much attention to the public. Due to the allegations that the government was involved in corrupt privatisation, SRS ran on an anti-corruption platform and placed first in the
2003 parliamentary election. SRS did not take part in forming a government. Věra Stojarová, a
Masaryk University
Masaryk University (MU) ( cs, Masarykova univerzita; la, Universitas Masarykiana Brunensis) is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the seco ...
professor, pointed out that the high amount of votes for SRS showed the "high frustration of Serbs". In 2004, a law that defined the Chetniks as "anti-fascist" was welcomed by parties on the right. A year later, Chetniks were de facto equalised with the Yugoslav Partisans following the implementation of the law on soldiers' pensions. SRS placed first again in the
2007 parliamentary election. Aleksandar Gavrilović, an editor for ''Istinomer'', stated that following the formation of the
Serbian Progressive Party
The Serbian Progressive Party ( sr-cyrl, Српска напредна странка, Srpska napredna stranka, SNS) has been the ruling political party of Serbia since 2012.
Founded by Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić in 2008 as a s ...
(SNS) in 2008, the far-right saw its support drop to bare minimums. The far-right received further expansion following the
declaration of independence of Kosovo
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, which proclaimed the Republic of Kosovo to be a state independent from Serbia, was adopted at a meeting held on 17 February 2008 by 109 out of the 120 members of the Assembly of Kosovo, including the P ...
in 2008. Later in July 2008, far-right groups had organised protests in support of Radovan Karadžić, which turned out violent. In 2009, a
Belgrade Pride
Belgrade Pride () is an annual pride parade held in Belgrade, Serbia to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies.
After the first attempt in 2001, which was faced with hooligans violence, authorities p ...
event was cancelled due to the announcement that far-right groups would prevent the holding of the event. The Public Prosecutor's Office had stated that
Obraz and
SNP 1389 should be banned due to their threats that led to the cancellation of the Belgrade Pride event.
Contemporary period
In October 2010, the
Belgrade anti-gay riot
The Belgrade anti-gay riot was an incident of violence against LGBT people that occurred on 10 October 2010 during a pride parade, organized to promote LGBT rights in Serbia. The gay pride parade has been the first in Belgrade since 2001; a plann ...
occurred; it was marked with violence orchestrated by the far-right, which led to clashes with the police. Obraz was a notable participant in the riot. The Public Prosecutor's Office responded by submitting multiple proposals to the Constitutional Court in 2011. The Constitutional Court rejected the ban of 14 far-right groups in March, while in June, it deemed that actions of
Nacionalni stroj
Nacionalni stroj (Serbian Cyrillic: ''Национални строј'', National Alignment) was a neo-Nazi organization in Serbia, based on the Vojvodina Region. It had orchestrated several incidents since 2005. In late 2005, charges were presse ...
were unconstitutional and the Court banned it; the 2011 pride event was cancelled due to threats from far-right groups. The Constitutional Court also rejected the proposal to ban SNP 1389 and SNP Naši. Obraz was banned a year later due to "violation of human and minority rights and causing national and religious hatred", although it continued to operate under a similar name. Since then, some far-right groups had
pacificated their actions. Far-right groups had also organised protests in support of Ratko Mladić in May 2011. In the
2012 parliamentary election, for the first time since its establishment, SRS had not managed to cross the then-5 per cent
electoral threshold
The electoral threshold, or election threshold, is the minimum share of the primary vote that a candidate or political party requires to achieve before they become entitled to representation or additional seats in a legislature. This limit can ...
and lost all of its seats in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
. According to Izabela Kisić, the executive director of
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia ( sr-Latn, Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji) is a volunteer, non-profit organization concerned with human rights issues in Serbia. It was formed in September 1994 as one of many national ...
, the newly-elected government had since then practically tolerated the far-right. A year later, anti-Romani attacks in
Zemun Polje
Zemun Polje ( sr, Земун поље) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Zemun.
Location
Zemun Polje is located on both railway and highway Belgrade-Novi Sad, halfway between the ...
were concluded by far-right groups.' Draža Mihailović, the leader of Chetniks during World War II, was rehabilitated in 2015 by the Supreme Court of Cassation, claiming that he was politically and ideologically trialed; far-right groups had organised protests during the process of rehabilitation of Milan Nedić, although in the end, Nedić was not rehabilitated. Far-right groups had returned to the National Assembly following the
2016 parliamentary election.
A far-right group belonging to the white nationalist
Identitarian movement
The Identitarian movement or Identitarianism is a pan-European nationalism, nationalist, far-right political ideology asserting the right of Ethnic groups in Europe, European ethnic groups and white peoples to Western culture and territories c ...
had organised protests in 2017. Although a year later, the Identitarian branch in Serbia was dissolved due to unknown reasons; the branch was also linked with the promotion of discrimination. Kisić noted that
Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic unde ...
had saw a significant decline, while the far-right had been on the rise in the late 2010s. The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) noted that the far-right had begun showing
anti-immigrant views, which did not exist before. This initially began during the 2015 migrant crisis, although political parties such as Dveri and
Enough is Enough (DJB) began advocating anti-immigrant views in 2018. The two parties explicitly promoted the
Eurabia conspiracy theory, and claimed that Serbian citizens would become a minority in their own country. Some organisations, such as
Leviathan
Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...
and People's Patrol orchestrated attacks against migrants. Its members had also begun "patrolling the streets" to intercept, threaten, warn, arrest, or expel migrants from public transport. Both groups also video-record their actions and share them across social media, while they also targeted citizens who had
rented apartments to migrants. Opinion polls had also showed that the public shared similar anti-immigrant views with far-right organisations. According to a BCSP survey from 2020, the public viewed migrants as the greatest external threat to Serbia's security and as one of the three main threats to internal security, while three-quarters of respondents were concerned about free movement of migrants in towns and villages. In comparison with the research from 2017, in which the migrants were listed lower, the far-right made an impact on increasing anti-immigrant views among the public. In the same research, voters were also interested to know positions of political parties regarding migrants.
Following the beginning of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
The COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia is a current outbreak of the disease COVID-19 in Serbia caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. Its first case in Serbia was reported on 6 March 2020, and confirmed by Minister of Health Zlatibor Lončar. The case was a ...
in 2020, conspiracy theories regarding the virus had begun to spread; the far-right had also spread conspiracy theories. In the same year, the far-right had also seen a sudden rise in popularity. Following the
2020 parliamentary election, a
series of protests took place in July. The government had portrayed the protests as led by the far-right; a small group of far-right activists did participate in the protests, including former MP
Srđan Nogo
Srđan Nogo ( sr-Cyrl, Срђан Ного; born 1981) is a Serbian politician. He was a prominent member of the right-wing Dveri party for several years until his expulsion in February 2019. In August 2020, he was arrested in Belgrade and char ...
. In October 2021,
Facebook Inc
Meta Platforms, Inc., (file no. 3835815) doing business as Meta and formerly named Facebook, Inc., and TheFacebook, Inc., is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. The company owns Facebook, Instagra ...
. had published a series of documents that had included far-right groups in Serbia that were connected with terrorism, violence, and hate. A month later, a far-right group harassed and attacked several
peace activist
A peace movement is a social movement which seeks to achieve ideals, such as the ending of a particular war (or wars) or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or situation. They are often linked to the goal of achieving world peac ...
groups, including ''
Women in Black
Women in Black ( he, נשים בשחור, ''Nashim BeShahor'') is a women's anti-war movement with an estimated 10,000 activists around the world. The first group was formed by Israeli women in Jerusalem in 1988, following the outbreak of the Fi ...
'', due to their opposition to denying the notion that
Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Masakr u Srebrenici, Масакр у Сребреници), also known as the Srebrenica genocide ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Genocid u Srebrenici, Геноцид у Сребрен ...
was a genocide. During the same period, a conflict emerged in Belgrade, after a far-right group had made a
mural
A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...
dedicated to Ratko Mladić; peace activists had threw eggs and paint at the mural to destroy it, although the groups would occasionally re-paint the mural. The conflict received national media attention, although the mural did not end up getting removed. Following the beginning of
Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
in February 2022, far-right groups had protested in support of Russia. The invasion had helped the far-right to cross the electoral threshold in the
2022 general election
The following elections are scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world.
* 2022 United Nations Security Council election
* 2022 national electoral calendar
* 2022 local ...
due to their pro-Russian views. Far-right groups had also stated their opposition to
imposing sanctions on Russia. Dveri,
Democratic Party of Serbia
The New Democratic Party of Serbia ( sr, Нова демократска странка Србије, Nova demokratska stranka Srbije, , NDSS or New DSS) is a national-conservative political party in Serbia.
Initially known and formed as Democ ...
(DSS), and
Serbian Party Oathkeepers
The Serbian Party Oathkeepers ( sr-cyrl, Српска странка Заветници, Srpska stranka Zavetnici, SSZ) is a far-right political party in Serbia.
The party's previous name was Serbian Movement Oathkeepers ( sr-cyrl, Српск ...
(SSZ), all whom are pro-Russian, had entered the National Assembly. At the time of the campaign period, SSZ, SRS, and
Serbian Right
The Serbian Right ( sr-cyrl, Српска десница, Srpska desnica, SD) is a far-right political party in Serbia. The party was founded in 2018 by Miša Vacić. The party has been accused of being a satellite of the ruling Serbian Progre ...
(SD) were viewed to be under the control of the government. During the
2022 EuroPride event in Belgrade, far-right groups clashed with the police.
Political groups
According to the Anti-Discrimination Act, it is illegal for neo-Nazi or fascist groups to organise or to display fascist symbols. Organisations that were banned due to their far-right views had usually re-organised under a different name, while organisations that had received legal measures have either moved underground or transformed their ideological image. The
government of Serbia
The Government of Serbia ( sr, Влада Србије, Vlada Srbije), formally the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr, Влада Републике Србије, Vlada Republike Srbije), commonly abbreviated to Serbian Government ( sr, ...
had declared Obraz as a clerical-fascist organisation, while Nacionalni stroj, skinheads, Blood and Honour, and Rasonalisti were labelled as neo-Nazi.
Organisations
Blood and Honour
Blood & Honour () was formed in Serbia in 1995. It cooperates with its
UK-based counterpart. Ideologically orientated towards
neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
, Blood & Honour has been operating as an unregistered and
secret organisation in Serbia.'
Combat 18
Combat 18 (C18 or 318) is a neo-Nazi terrorist organisation that was founded in 1992. It originated in the United Kingdom, with ties to movements in Canada and the United States. Since then it has spread to other countries, including Germany. ...
is its self-described "activist branch", while Blood & Honour also has chapters in Belgrade,
Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...
, and
Niš
Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
. The organisation has been regularly organising
music concerts, it also takes part in neo-Nazi meetings abroad. Its members had meetings with the
National Socialist Movement of Denmark
The National Socialist Movement of Denmark ( da, Danmarks Nationalsocialistiske Bevægelse, DNSB) is a neo-Nazi political party in Denmark. The movement traces its origins back to National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark (DNSAP, Danmarks Natio ...
. The organisation is opposed to abortions, capitalism, and communism.' It also claimed that Jews are enemies of the "white race", and that they were responsible for the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, a view that they also share with Obraz.
I live for Serbia
I live for Serbia () is a far-right organisation that has spread
anti-vax
Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...
and nationalist views. Its views had been also described as militaristic, while it is also opposed to LGBT rights. I live for Serbia wants to repeal the law that made vaccination mandatory and declared its support to make all non-governmental organisations illegal. Jovana Stojković, a former member of Dveri, has headed the organisation since its foundation.' Stojković is a prominent anti-vaccination activist, she had claimed that
vaccine
A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifie ...
s cause
autism
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
, while she had also spread
misinformation regarding COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, Stojković and her organisation had opposed wearing
protective mask
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practica ...
s. Due to her views, Stojković was detained several times, while the Court of the Regional Medical Chamber of Belgrade had initiated a procedure to revoke her medical doctor licence in 2018.
I live for Serbia previously cooperated with the neo-fascist Leviathan Movement. They organised protests together and participated in a joint list in the 2020 parliamentary election. During the electoral campaign in 2020, I live for Serbia had promoted
antifeminist
Antifeminism, also spelled anti-feminism, is opposition to some or all forms of feminism. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, antifeminists opposed particular policy proposals for women's rights, such as the right to vote, educat ...
content. Their electoral list did not pass the 3-percent threshold. I live for Serbia was later a part of the
Sovereignists coalition, together with Enough is Enough (DJB) and
Healthy Serbia
Healthy Serbia ( sr-cyrl, Здрава Србија, Zdrava Srbija, ZS) is a right-wing political party founded in 2017 by Milan Stamatović, Mayor of Čajetina.
History
After leaving the Democratic Party of Serbia and further disagreements w ...
(ZS). It participated in the 2022 general election but failed to win any seats.
Leviathan
Leviathan is a self-described animal rights group. Observers had described it as a "mix of
National Front and
PETA
Peta or PETA may refer to:
Acronym
* Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization
* People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...
". Formed in 2015, it initially got its reputation from posting confessional videos on social media, in which individuals would apologise on camera for being cruel to animals.' Individuals would continue by saying their personal information, while Leviathan would sometimes confiscate pets from certain individuals. It had later built a large following and garnered a large amount of fans. Members of Leviathan had previously been a part of neo-Nazi organisations.' It has been described as a
vigilantist group, a group of its members were sentenced in prison for four months, and additional 11 months under
house arrest
In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...
in 2020.
Pavle Bihali
Pavle Bihali Gavrin (, born 29 January 1982) is a Serbian animal rights activist, far-right politician and the leader of the Leviathan Movement.
Early life
He was born in 1982 in Belgrade, and is a member of an influential Serbian-Jewish f ...
, leader of Leviathan, had claimed that they do not use violence. A member of the group had drove into a migrant reception center in
Obrenovac
Obrenovac ( sr-cyr, Обреновац, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2011 census results, the municipality has a population of 71,419 inhabitants, while the urban area has 24,568 inhabitants.
The largest Serbian th ...
in May 2020; the driver was later sentenced to eight months in prison. While driving, the driver had chanted that "he does not want Serbia to become an
Islamic country
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
". Leviathan had later organised an operation against the largest animal shelter in Serbia in 2021, claiming that its owner had let its dogs die. Dejan Gačić, the owner of the animal shelter, had claimed that his animal shelter was attacked because Leviathan wanted to force him out due to the amount of foreign donations that he had received before the raid. Leviathan had also conducted personal attacks on the Internet.'
Observers had described Leviathan as neo-fascist, neo-Nazi, and
alt-right
The alt-right, an abbreviation of alternative right, is a far-right, white nationalist movement. A largely online phenomenon, the alt-right originated in the United States during the late 2000s before increasing in popularity during the mid-2 ...
. Bihali identifies himself as a far-right nationalist and has expressed sympathy for Nazism; observers had also assessed him as a neo-Nazi. Bihali is a supporter of the Greek neo-fascist
Golden Dawn
Golden Dawn or The Golden Dawn may refer to:
Organizations
* Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a nineteenth century magical order based in Britain
** The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Inc., a modern revival founded in 1977
** Open Source ...
organisation, and had considered the group as a model for Leviathan. An anti-migrant group, members of Leviathan had taken part in "street patrols" with the People's Patrol, while they had also portrayed migrants as "rapists". Bihali had had published misinformation regarding migrants. Its members had publicly expressed racist, anti-immigrant, and anti-ziganist views.' Leviathan had promoted the
Great Replacement conspiracy theory
The Great Replacement (french: links=no, Grand Remplacement), also known as replacement theory or great replacement theory, is a white nationalist far-right conspiracy theoryPT71 disseminated by French author Renaud Camus. The original theory ...
, while during the COVID-19 pandemic, Leviathan had spread
misinformation about the virus.
Leviathan registered as an organisation in 2020, and participated in a joint list with I live for Serbia in the 2020 parliamentary election, although it failed to cross the threshold. Jovo Bakić had claimed that the organisation is in control of Aleksandar Vučić, while it has been also alleged that Leviathan had cooperated with SNS.
Nacionalni stroj
Nacionalni stroj () was a secret neo-Nazi organisation.' It was affiliated with Blood & Honour and the neo-Nazi Internet forum
Stormfront, and was considered to be a part of the "racist international". It was alleged that Nacionalni stroj and Blood & Honour concluded the destruction of Belgrade and Niš mosques in March 2004, attacks on the ''Women in Black'' movement in July 2005, and an assault on peace activists in Niš in May 2007. Nacionalni stroj also organised several far-right marches in 2007. These acts were celebrated by the organisations as "patriotic acts". During the anti-fascist walk in October 2007, members of the organisation had attacked participators and threw rocks at them. The
gendarmery responded by detaining the attackers, while some of them were sentenced to be trialed at the Court.' The Public Prosecutor's Office submitted a request in 2008 to ban Nacionalni stroj, which was concluded by the Constitutional Court in 2011. Its leader, Goran Davidović, nicknamed ''
Führer
( ; , spelled or ''Fuhrer'' when the Umlaut (diacritic), umlaut is not available) is a German word meaning "leader" or "guide". As a political title, it is strongly associated with the Nazi Germany, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
Nazi Germany ...
'', participated in the attack and was put on trial for the violent attacks. He did not appear in court, and instead moved to
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
, where had lived until 2020, when he moved back to Serbia. The trial was suspended and charges were dropped in 2019. After moving back to Serbia, Davidović met with leaders of Obraz and Leviathan.
The organisation supported the establishment of a strong
centralised
Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences
Despite the various English dialects spoken from country to country and within different regions of the same country, there are only slight regional variations in English orthogr ...
nation-state that would be headed by an authoritarian head of state, who would enjoy the support of the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and Serbian Orthodox Church. Nacionalni stroj was antisemitic, and had stated that only
white people
White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view.
Description of populations as ...
would be entitled to full citizenship, while homosexuality, pornography, abortion, and other religious groups should be outlawed.
National Serb Front
Formed in 2011, National Serb Front () came to the far-right scene after the ban of Nacionalni stroj 2011. Stefan Dolić, a former member of Nacionalni stroj, has headed the organisation since its inception.' National Serb Front had organised meetings with several neo-Nazi parties, including the
National Democratic Party of Germany
The National Democratic Party of Germany (german: Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands or NPD) is a far-right Neo-Nazi and ultranationalist political party in Germany.
The party was founded in 1964 as successor to the German Reich Party ...
and
People's Party Our Slovakia
People's Party Our Slovakia ( sk, Ľudová strana naše Slovensko, ĽSNS) is a far-right neo-Nazi political party in Slovakia. The party claims to derive its origin from the legacy of Ľudovít Štúr, Andrej Hlinka and Jozef Tiso.
Positioned ...
. Its logo had drawn comparisons with the
New Force of Italy and
Noua Dreaptă
''Noua Dreaptă'' ( en, The New Right) is an ultranationalist, far-right organization in Romania and Moldova, founded in 2000. The party claims to be the successor to the far-right Iron Guard, with its aesthetics and ideology being directly i ...
of Romania.' Members of the National Serb Front had regularly participated in far-right protests and
street fights
Street fighting is hand-to-hand combat in public places, between individuals or groups of people. The venue is usually a public place (e.g. a street) and the fight sometimes results in serious injury or occasionally even death. Some street fig ...
.' The organisation had published content dedicated to the leader of Nacionalni stroj.' In 2017, the liberal
New Party had called for the ban of National Serb Front. National Serb Front is ideologically opposed to
neoliberalism
Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...
and advocates for a "Europe of Nations".'
Obraz
Obraz was founded in the mid-1990s by a group of students that had published a magazine under an eponymous name.
Nebojša M. Krstić led the organisation until his death in 2001, after which Mladen Obradović succeeded him in 2003. Under Obradović's leadership, Obraz formed connections with far-right groups from
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
, France, Italy, and Spain. Since its inception, Obraz organised violent attacks.' It played a central role in the
Belgrade anti-gay riot
The Belgrade anti-gay riot was an incident of violence against LGBT people that occurred on 10 October 2010 during a pride parade, organized to promote LGBT rights in Serbia. The gay pride parade has been the first in Belgrade since 2001; a plann ...
that took place in 2010; its leader and other members were arrested a day before to stop the riot. After the parade, additional 250 individuals were arrested.' The government of Serbia had previously submitted an initiative in regards to its operations, while in 2012, the Constitutional Court banned Obraz.' Obradović later re-registered the organisation under the name "Svetosavski savez Obraz".' Throughout its existence, Obraz had only participated in the
2014 parliamentary election, when it was a part of a joint list together with the
Serbian Radical Party
The Serbian Radical Party ( sr-cyrl, Српска радикална странка, Srpska radikalna stranka, ''SRS'') is an ultranationalist political party in Serbia. It was founded in 1991, and its founder and current leader is Vojislav Še ...
(SRS) and SNP Naši.' Obradović was a controller during the
2022 constitutional referendum.
The government of Serbia listed Obraz as a clerical-fascist organisation in 2005; observers also described Obraz as clerical-fascist.' Obraz has been defined as hardline nationalist, it is also openly
antisemitic
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
and it opposes minority rights. The organisation had also declared that Jews, Croats,
Albanians
The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
, and other minority groups in Serbia are their enemies. Throughout the 2000s, Obraz had concluded a series of attacks against minority groups and homosexuals; major attacks on homosexuals occurred in 2001 and 2010. They had also called for punishment of homosexuals and non-Orthodox religious believers. Obraz called for rehabilitation of Dimitrije Ljotić, while it had also celebrated convicted war criminals Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić as war heroes. Obraz supports the dismantling of
liberal democracy
Liberal democracy is the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government. It is characterized by elections between multiple distinct political parties, a separation of powers into diff ...
, which it called a "
judeo-masonic tool of oppression", it argued that a
corporative
Corporatism is a collectivist political ideology which advocates the organization of society by corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, on the basis of their common interests. The ...
state must be established instead, and it promoted
theocracy
Theocracy is a form of government in which one or more deity, deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries who manage the government's daily affairs.
Etymology
The word theocracy origina ...
.' The organisation is opposed to Serbia joining the European Union, and called instead for the establishment of Greater Serbia.'
People's Patrol
The People's Patrol () is a far-right anti-immigrant organisation which began their actions in 2020. It is centered in Belgrade, although it also has branches in border towns such as
Sombor
Sombor ( sr-Cyrl, Сомбор, ; hu, Zombor; rue, Зомбор, Zombor) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the West Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The city has a total popula ...
,
Bačka Palanka
Bačka Palanka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка Паланка, ; hu, Palánka) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank of the Danube. In 2011 the tow ...
, and
Šid
Šid ( sr-cyr, Шид, ) is a town and municipality located in the Srem District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It has a population of 14,893, while the municipality has 34,188 inhabitants. A border crossing between Serbia and C ...
. Its members occasionally stop migrants from entering into Serbia in border towns. They had also disturbed journalists at their protests. Their members had been involved in several incidents; in fall of 2020, one of them threatened and blocked paths of taxi drivers who were transporting migrants, while in 2021, a People's Patrol member kicked out a group of migrants out of a bus, and threatened them with violence. Later in October 2021, People's Patrol concluded attacks against a Sombor native after letting migrants sleep in his hostel. The person who operated the hostel received death threats from People's Patrol members and supporters. Multiple anti-immigrant protests were also organised by the People's Patrol, starting in March 2020. The participants had also showed nationalist and
anti-vaccination
Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...
sentiment.
People's Patrol has been also described as ultranationalist. Alongside Leviathan, the organisation had portrayed migrants as "rapists" and called for people that helped migrants to be
lynched
Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
. The People's Patrol had used the lack of trust in institutions as a reason and justification to patrol and arrest migrants, and it had also publicly criticised the
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
. Its leader, Damnjan Knežević, was summoned several times by the police for inciting hatred and intolerance. Knežević was a member of the SSZ, and had served as its vice-president at one point. Besides their anti-immigrant activity, its members had also launched an initiative regarding Kosovo, which was viewed as ethno-nationalist. The organisation had also promoted antifeminism and
misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, People's Patrol had staged several pro-Russian protests in March and April 2022. People's Patrol has connections with far-right groups in Russia that took part in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In January 2023, lawyer Čedomir Stojković accused Knežević of being a member of the
Wagner Group
The Wagner Group (russian: Группа Вагнера, Gruppa Vagnera), also known as PMC Wagner ( «Вагнер», ChVK «Vagner»; ), is a Russian paramilitary organization. It is variously described as a private military company (PMC), a ...
and recruiting Serbian citizens to fight in Ukraine.
According to a research, supporters of the People's Patrol tend to be younger and middle-aged men with a secondary education and manual jobs. Srđan Nogo, Jovana Stojković and Goran Davidović had stated their support for the organisation.
SNP 1389
SNP 1389 was formed in 2004.' The organisation was initially called "1389", but it later changed its name to "1389 Movement" and then into SNP 1389. Radojko Ljubičić served as the first leader, although he was dismissed by Miša Vacić in 2008, after which Vacić proclaimed himself as the leader of the organisation.' During his leadership, Vacić had participated in far-right protests across Europe and orchestrated anti-LGBT protests in Serbia.' Due to his discriminatory actions against the LGBT population, Vacić was detained several times. The main belligerents of the movement are far-right hooligan groups that have been linked with organised crime. In 2008, a group of its members had attacked the participants of the
Queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
festival; Vacić and others were arrested due to the attack.' SNP 1389 had also organised protests in support of Ratko Mladić.' For a brief period between 2010 and 2011, SNP 1389 was merged with SNP Naši.' SNP 1389 participated in the
2014 Belgrade City Assembly election
The local election for the City Assembly of Belgrade, City Assembly of Belgrade, capital of Serbia, was held on 16 March 2014, alongside 2014 Serbian parliamentary election, parliamentary election. The election was scheduled in late 2013, after t ...
, in which it won 0.08% of the popular vote.
The organisation has been classified as far-right, staunchly nationalist and ultraconservative.' SNP 1389 has been also described as neo-Nazi. It denies the notion that Srebrenica massacre was a genocide and promotes irredentism; they have also claimed
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
and parts of
Northern Albania
Northern Albania ( sq, Shqipëria Veriore) is one of the three NUTS-2 Regions of Albania. This ethnographical territory is sometimes referred to as ''Ghegeria'' ( sq, Gegëria) which also includes parts of the Albanian-inhabited territories of ...
as part of Greater Serbia.' They had listed
drug addicts
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...
, homosexuals, and the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
as its enemies. SNP 1389 also advocates for
nationalisation
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...
of foreign-acquired Serbian companies.'
SNP Naši
The organisation was founded in 2006 by former members of Obraz.' A far-right organisation led by Ivan M. Ivanović, it has used similar rhetoric to SNP 1389.' Ivanović appeared on court multiple times, proceedings against him were held due to provoking racial discrimination. Charges against him were dropped in 2018.' SNP Naši had later changed its name to Conservative Movement Naši. Observers had described it as a clerical-fascist organisation, it supports the creation of Greater Serbia and has opposed LGBT rights.' As a staunch
pro-Russian
Russophilia (literally love of Russia or Russians) is admiration and fondness of Russia (including the era of the Soviet Union and/or the Russian Empire), Russian history and Russian culture. The antonym is Russophobia. In the 19th Century, ...
organisation, SNP Naši had called for
Eurasian integration; it had also organised antisemitic acts.' SNP Naši is staunchly critical of Josip Broz Tito. The organisation had also called to ban
George Soros
George Soros ( name written in eastern order), (born György Schwartz, August 12, 1930) is a Hungarian-American businessman and philanthropist. , he had a net worth of US$8.6 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated mo ...
-funded NGOs in Serbia.'
Serbian Action
Serbian Action was formed in 2010. The organisation had tried to stop the "Propaganda Poster in Nedić's Serbia" forum from being held in 2015, although it had failed. Serbian Action had also attended multiple far-right protests; in 2018, it had organised a meeting in support of rehabilitation of Milan Nedić. The organisation has been described as clerical-fascist, and also as neo-fascist with clerical elements. It is staunchly
socially conservative
Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institution ...
, and it opposes
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
; it had accused the LGBT community of spreading "
gay propaganda
"Gay agenda" or "homosexual agenda" is a term used by sectors of the Christian religious right as a disparaging way to describe the advocacy of cultural acceptance and normalization of non-heterosexual sexual orientations and relationships. The ...
". Serbian Action had previously published several
anti-ziganist articles. One of its members was arrested in 2014 after calling to
lynch
Lynch may refer to:
Places Australia
* Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica
* Lynch Point, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica
* Lynch's Crater, Queensland, Australia
England
* River Lynch, Hertfordshire
* The Lynch, an island in the River ...
Romanis. It had also stated its support for monarchism and opposition to capitalism.'
Serbian Honour
A self-described
humanitarian organisation
An aid agency, also known as development charity, is an organization dedicated to distributing aid. Many professional aid organisations exist, both within government, between governments as multilateral donors and as private voluntary organization ...
, Serbian Honour was formed in 2014. It has been led by Bojan Stojković since its formation.' The organisation also has a branch in
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...
; the branch was previously headed by Igor Bilbija, who was arrested for prostitution and
racketeering
Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit.
Originally and of ...
.' Serbian Honour garnered public attention in 2014 after participating in attacks during a
football game between Albania and Serbia. Three years later, Stojković had organised a protest to stop the projection of a documentary movie that had showed positive relations between Serbs and Albanians during the Yugoslav Wars.' In 2019, members of the Serbian Honour organisation stole a horse from a Romani boy. They subsequently video-taped his "re-education" and posted it across social media. Serbian Honour had returned the horse to its owners later that year.
According to the Business Register Agency (APR), the organisation has been listed as a
youth organisation
The following is a list of youth organizations. A youth organization is a type of organization with a focus upon providing activities and socialization for minors. In this list, most organizations are international unless noted otherwise.
0 ...
that promotes youth activism, human rights, and
conservationism
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental, and social movement that seeks to manage and protect natural resources, including animal, fungus, and plant species as well as their habitat for the f ...
.' In practice, it has been described as an extremist paramilitary organisation, while the organisation had also promoted militarism and praised convicted war criminals. Its members had also promoted
homophobia
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...
and opposed minority rights.' Serbian Honour has been also described as a Russian-trained paramilitary organisation.
Political parties
Dveri
Initially a
political organisation
A political organization is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including political parties, non-governmental organizations, and special interest advocacy groups. Political organizations are those engaged in politica ...
, Dveri was formed in 1999 by a group of students that had published a magazine named ''Dveri Srpske''.'
Boško Obradović
Boško Obradović (; ; born 23 August 1976) is a Serbian politician who is the founder and leader of the right-wing political party Dveri. He was the party's nominee for the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections.
Early life
Obradović was born o ...
, one of the co-founders of the organisation, has led Dveri since 2015. Dveri had already taken the characteristics of a political party in the late 2000s, although it registered as a political party in 2015.' The party began participating in electoral politics in 2012, and has continued to participate in them since then, although it boycotted the 2020 parliamentary election. The party entered the National Assembly in 2016 after winning 7 seats in the parliamentary election. It was later a part of the catch-all opposition
Alliance for Serbia
The Alliance for Serbia ( sr, Савез за Србију, Savez za Srbiju) was a major extra-parliamentary catch-all opposition alliance of political parties in Serbia that was founded in September 2018. The alliance boycotted the 2020 parlia ...
. Dveri returned to the National Assembly following the 2022 election. It had also proved to have a relatively stable electorate at the national level.' Dveri had previously cooperated with
United Russia
United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Conservatism in Russia, Russian conservative List of political parties in Russia, political party. As the largest party in Russia, it hold ...
and
Alternative for Germany
Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist
*
*
*
*
*
*
* political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. I ...
.
Throughout the 2000s, Dveri promoted a combination of clericalism and extreme nationalism named ''svetosavlje'', an ideology linked to Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović. Dveri promotes closer ties of state and church, and has been accused of homophobia due to their Christian right stances. Máté-Tóth described Dveri as "religious fundamentalist". Dveri has regularly organised "family walks" in 2009, as a counter-parade that promotes conservative values.' It also has close ties with the Serbian Orthodox Church. Dveri had also campaigned against abortion and gay rights. A populist party, Dveri had shifted their views from Jews to homosexuals, and later campaigned for the "traditional family".' It had also campaigned on anti-immigration. Regarding economics, Dveri is supportive of
economic nationalism
Economic nationalism, also called economic patriotism and economic populism, is an ideology that favors state interventionism over other market mechanisms, with policies such as domestic control of the economy, labor, and capital formation, incl ...
and
protectionism
Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...
. A party that advocates for
monarchism
Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...
, it supports a
hierarchical society that would be governed by a king and pseudo-democratic institutions, which would eventually replace liberal democracy. Dveri is opposed to Serbia joining the European Union, and has showed its opposition to the West and its support for Russia.'
Vladan Glišić
Vladan Glišić (, August 26, 1970) is a Serbian politician and lawyer who was a member of the presidency of the Serbian Patriotic Alliance from 2018 to 2020. He is a former leader of Dveri and an independent candidate at the 2012 Serbian presiden ...
, a former high-ranking member, had accused the European Union of being "fascist".' It opposes sanctioning Russia in regards to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Scholars had described Dveri as far-right and
right-wing extremist
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
, while Rada Drezgić described it as a conservative movement.' Bakić rejected to describe Dveri as fascist and instead he had described it as extremely conservative, nationalist and
anti-globalist
The anti-globalization movement or counter-globalization movement, is a social movement critical of economic globalization. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-globalist m ...
. It has been also ideologically identified as ultranationalist. Dinić had commented on their political program, describing it as a fusion of ultranationalism with elements of fascism. Political scientists
Florian Bieber
Florian Bieber (born 4 October 1973) is a Luxembourgian political scientist, historian and professor working on inter-ethnic relations, ethnic conflict and nationalism, focusing primarily on Balkans.
Education
In 1991–1992, he studied Hist ...
and Filip Milačić have also described Dveri as far-right. Obradović had self-described Dveri as an
anti-fascist
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...
party.
Serbian Party Oathkeepers
Formed in 2012, Serbian Party Oathkeepers (SSZ) has been described as a far-right political party.'
Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski
Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski (; born 21 July 1990) is a Serbian politician and political scientist. She co-founded the Far-right politics, far-right Serbian Party Oathkeepers in 2012 and is currently serving as its spokesperson.
Early life ...
has been the main spokesperson of the party since its formation. SSZ had attacked non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and labelled them as "foreign mercenaries".' SSZ has also been aided by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). It had cooperated with the Italian
Lega Nord
Lega Nord (; acronym: LN), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing, federalist, populist and conservative political party in Italy. In the run-up of the 2018 general election, the party was rebranded as (), without changing its official n ...
party and had meetings with United Russia. In 2016, its representatives had met with
Sergey Lavrov
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov (russian: Сергей Викторович Лавров, ; born 21 March 1950) is a Russian diplomat and politician who has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Russia), Foreign Minister of Russia since 2004.
...
during his visit to
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
.
An ultranationalist party, SSZ promotes socially conservative views and opposes immigration. SSZ has been a vocal supporter of historical revisionism; it had claimed that "Serbians have been victims of the West", and had supported revision of history textbooks. It opposes Serbia joining the European Union and wants to establish closer ties with Russia. It had regularly participated in parliamentary elections, although it only managed to cross the threshold after the 2022 election.
Serbian Radical Party
Often described as the most important far-right party in Serbia, Serbian Radical Party (SRS) was founded in 1991, and has been led by Vojislav Šešelj since then. SRS supported Milošević and his SPS in the first half of the 1990s, since Milošević had contributed to the mass support that SRS received due to media control. It also briefly served in opposition, but it again cooperated with SPS during the "war government". Members of SRS were involved in paramilitary activities during the Yugoslav Wars. Šešelj was convicted of war crimes by the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribunal ...
(ICTY) in 2003, and later that year, after campaigning on an anti-corruption platform, it placed first in the 2003 parliamentary election, but it did not join the government.
Tomislav Nikolić
Tomislav Nikolić ( sr-Cyrl, Томислав Николић, ; born 15 February 1952) is a Serbian retired politician who served as the president of Serbia from 2012 to 2017. A former member of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS), he d ...
and Aleksandar Vučić gradually moderate the image of the party, although in 2008 they had split from SRS to form the SNS. In comparison with SRS, SNS has been supportive of accession of Serbia to the European Union. SRS dropped out of the parliament in 2012, although it returned in 2016 after Šešelj was permitted to come back to Serbia. In the 2020 election and afterwards, it did not receive enough votes to cross the electoral threshold.
An ultranationalist party, it was described as also described as neo-fascist during the 1990s and early 2000s. Observers had also described it as quasi-fascist. SRS is a major proponent of Greater Serbia, an irredentist concept that would include parts of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
, Croatia,
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
, and Kosovo. A populist party, it opposes Serbia joining the European Union and promotes closer ties with Russia. It is socially conservative and is in favour of
welfare chauvinism
Welfare chauvinism or welfare state nationalism is the political notion that welfare benefits should be restricted to certain groups, particularly to the natives of a country as opposed to immigrants. It is used as an argumentation strategy by r ...
. SRS was previously supported by
far-right skinheads
White power skinheads, also known as racist skinheads and neo-Nazi skinheads, are members of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and antisemitic offshoot of the skinhead subculture. Many of them are affiliated with white nationalist organizations and ...
, although they terminated their support following Šešelj's refusal to support them after the murder of a Romani child in 1999.
Serbian Radical Party has local branches in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.' It was also the guest of
Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, ''né'' Eidelshtein (russian: link=false, Эйдельштейн) (25 April 1946 – 6 April 2022) was a Russian right-wing populist politician and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) f ...
, leader of the
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
)
, abbreviation = LDPR (English)ЛДПР (Russian)
, native_name =
, newspaper = ''For the Russian People''
, youth_wing =
, seats1_title = Seats in the Federation Council
, seats1 =
, seats2_title ...
.
Serbian Right
Serbian Right (SD) is a far-right political party led by Miša Vacić. Vacić previously headed SNP 1389.' The party was formed out of fifteen movements that had similar ideological beliefs, while it also received support from Jim Dowson, a British far-right activist, and local political leaders. Observers had claimed that the party is in control of Aleksandar Vučić. During one of its early assembly conferences in Šabac, Vacić threatened opposition politicians Marinika Tepić and
Nebojša Zelenović
Nebojša Zelenović ( sr-cyr, Небојша Зеленовић; born 15 July 1975) is a Serbian politician who served as mayor of Šabac from 2014 to 2020. A former member of the Democratic Party, he presided over the Together for Serbia party ...
with violence.' Government associates such as
Milenko Jovanov
Milenko Jovanov ( sr-cyr, Миленко Јованов; born 13 September 1980) is a Serbian politician. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Serbia, National Assembly since 2020 and he previously served in the Assembly of Vojvodina f ...
and
Zoran Đorđević participated in the conference.' Vacić had also organised attacks against opposition figures in 2017 and 2019. Later in June 2021, Vacić attended a meeting that was organised by the neo-fascist
Alliance for Peace and Freedom
The Alliance for Peace and Freedom (APF) is a Far-right politics, far-right European political party founded on 4 February 2015. The main member parties had been involved in the now defunct European National Front.
The party wishes to establ ...
. Vacić was a presidential candidate in the 2022 election; he won 0.9 per cent of the popular vote.
An ultranationalist party, it has promoted traditionalism, and had stated its support for Serbia joining the
Euroasian Union.' Vacić had stated his support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to its program, the party supports the formation of a patriarchal and hierarchal society, monarchy, authority, and Serbian Orthodoxy. Its rhetoric has been considered to be racist and anti-migrant.
Others
Far-right organisations such as Sveti Justin Filozof and Nomokanon, had also received media attention. Sveti Justin Filozof was a nationalist organisation, which was led by Milan Bates. It had later moderated their stances, although it was dissolved by 2008. Nomokanon was aided by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). Rasonalisti, a neo-Nazi organisation, was active throughout the 2000s. They had rejected the
left–right political spectrum
The left–right political spectrum is a system of classifying political positions characteristic of left-right politics, ideologies and parties with emphasis placed upon issues of social equality and social hierarchy. In addition to positions o ...
, and instead supported "
racial nationalism
Racial nationalism is an ideology that advocates a racial definition of national identity. Racial nationalism seeks to preserve "racial purity" of a nation through policies such as banning race mixing and the immigration of other races. In orde ...
". Rasonalisti also operated an Internet forum, which acted similar to Stormfront. Solidarité Kosovo, a far-right organisation, is led by
Arnaud Gouillon
Arnaud Gouillon ( sr, Арно Гујон, Arno Gujon; born 27 November 1985) is a French humanitarian worker and the founder of '' Solidarité Kosovo'', a French non-governmental humanitarian organization devoted to helping Serbs living in enclav ...
and it promotes historical revisionism. Gouillion took part in the
2012 French presidential election
Presidential elections in France, Presidential elections were held in France on 22 April 2012 (or 21 April in some overseas departments and territories), with a second round Two-round system, run-off held on 6 May (or 5 May for those same territ ...
, in which he was a candidate for the white supremacist
Generation Identity
A generation refers to all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. It can also be described as, "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–30 years, during which children are born and gr ...
movement. In 2020, he was appointed to the position of director of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and the Serbs in the Region.
Party of Serbian Unity
The Party of Serbian Unity ( sr, Странка српског јединства, Stranka srpskog jedinstva; abbr. ССЈ, SSJ) was a nationalist political party in Serbia, founded by Željko Ražnatović "Arkan".
It is today known as the Co ...
was a far-right political party led by
Željko Ražnatović "Arkan". An ultranationalist party, it was represented in the National Assembly during the 2000–2003 convocation. The far-right
Sixty-Four Counties Youth Movement
The Sixty-Four Counties Youth Movement ( hu, Hatvannégy Vármegye Ifjúsági Mozgalom, HVIM) is a far-right movement originating in Hungary and also present in Romania, Slovakia and Serbia, advocating the unification of all ethnic Hungarians tha ...
, which was led by
László Toroczkai
László Toroczkai (born László Tóth, 10 March 1978) is a Hungarian politician, journalist, leader of the Our Homeland Movement political party, and former mayor of Ásotthalom. He is also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Counci ...
, was formed in Serbia in 2004. It advocated for separatism and the re-creation of
Greater Hungary. Toroczkai was banned from entering Serbia by the government in 2008. Before forming the Sixty-Four Counties Youth Movement, Toroczkai was associated with the far-right
Hungarian Justice and Life Party
The Hungarian Justice and Life Party ( hu, Magyar Igazság és Élet Pártja, MIÉP) was a nationalist political party in Hungary that was founded by István Csurka in 1993.
In the 1998 legislative elections, the party won 5.5% of the votes and ...
(MIÉP), and later served as vice-president of neo-Nazi
Jobbik
The Movement for a Better Hungary ( hu, Jobbik Magyarországért Mozgalom), commonly known as Jobbik (), is a conservative political party in Hungary.
Originating with radical and nationalist roots, at its beginnings, the party described itself ...
. Toroczkai was expelled from Jobbik, who had shifted ideologically to the centre-right, and then formed the
Our Homeland Movement
Our Homeland Movement (Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Mi Hazánk Mozgalom,'' MHM) is a Hungarian Far-right politics, far-right political party founded by Ásotthalom mayor and former Jobbik Vice-President László Toroczkai and other Jobbik dis ...
in 2018.
Individuals
Vojislav Šešelj, the president of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), has been noted to be the most famous far-right individual in Serbia. Alongside him,
Tomislav Nikolić
Tomislav Nikolić ( sr-Cyrl, Томислав Николић, ; born 15 February 1952) is a Serbian retired politician who served as the president of Serbia from 2012 to 2017. A former member of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS), he d ...
and Aleksandar Vučić, who were high-ranking members of SRS, were also noted as notable far-right individuals. Nikolić and Vučić abandoned the far-right after forming the populist
Serbian Progressive Party
The Serbian Progressive Party ( sr-cyrl, Српска напредна странка, Srpska napredna stranka, SNS) has been the ruling political party of Serbia since 2012.
Founded by Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić in 2008 as a s ...
(SNS) in 2008. SNS came to power in 2012, after which Serbia has suffered from
democratic backsliding
Democratic backsliding, also called autocratization, is the decline in the democratic characteristics of a political system, and is the opposite of democratization. Democracy is the most popular form of government, with more than half of the nat ...
into authoritarianism. Šešеlj had supported Vučić in the 2022 election.
Individuals such as Boško Obradović, Miša Vacić, and Mladen Obradović had been also described as notable far-right individuals. Vacić has been a prominent far-right individual since the 2000s, mainly due to regularly attending and organising far-right protests, and due to his arrests.' Vacić was arrested several times for spreading hatred. Alongside him, Mladen Obradović, leader of Obraz, had received public attraction due to his views.
Srđan Nogo
Srđan Nogo ( sr-Cyrl, Срђан Ного; born 1981) is a Serbian politician. He was a prominent member of the right-wing Dveri party for several years until his expulsion in February 2019. In August 2020, he was arrested in Belgrade and char ...
, who previously served as member of the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
from 2016 to 2020, had promoted multiple far-right
conspiracy theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
.
Žejko Ražnatović "Arkan" was a prominent
mobster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
who was associated with far-right criminal and paramilitary groups. He led a group of Belgrade criminals and was the leader of the far-right Party of Serbian Unity.
See also
*
Neo-fascism
Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration sen ...
*
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
*
Radical right (Europe)
In political science, the terms radical right and populist right have been used to refer to the range of European nationalist, far-right parties that have grown in support since the late 1970s. Populist right groups have shared a number of ca ...
*
Serbian nationalism
Serbian nationalism asserts that Serbs are a nation and promotes the cultural and political unity of Serbs. It is an ethnic nationalism, originally arising in the context of the general rise of nationalism in the Balkans under Ottoman rule, und ...
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Footnotes
External links
{{Commons category, Far-right politics in Serbia
Why won't Serbia condemn Putin's war? , Focus on Europe on YouTube
Riots Erupt at Serbia Gay Pride Parade on YouTube
Far-right disrupt Serbia gay pride parade on YouTube
Further reading
* Vučić, Marija (21 September 2021)
"Hate, Lies and Vigilantes: Serbian 'Anti-Vaxxer' Brigade Plays With Fire"(in Serbian). ''
Balkan Insight
Balkan Insight is a website of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) that focuses on news, analysis, commentary and investigative reporting from southeast Europe. It is run by journalists in southeast Europe. BIRN was founded in 2004 ...
''.
Far-right politics in Serbia
Political history of Serbia
Political movements in Serbia
Far-right politics in Europe
Neo-Nazism in Serbia
Serbian nationalism
Serbian irredentism
Anti-immigration politics in Europe
Antisemitism in Serbia
Fascist movements
Anti-Islam sentiment in Europe