Weaponizing Influence: How Russia's and China’s Soft Power Clashes Serbia's Civil Society using Lithium Controversies
Weaponizing Influence: How Russia's and China’s Soft Power Clashes Serbia's Civil Society using Lithium Controversies

Author(s): Maja Stojanović, Uroš Jovanović
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Media studies, Supranational / Global Economy, Civil Society, Communication studies, Environmental and Energy policy, Globalization, Geopolitics
Published by: Građanske inicijative
Keywords: anti-lithium protests; civil society repression; Russian and Chinese influence; media disinformation; environmental activism; democratic freedoms
Summary/Abstract: In August 2024, the Serbian government, with strategic backing from Russia and China, significantly intensified its efforts to shrink civic space, targeting activists involved in environmental protection, human rights, and anti-corruption work. Over the course of just ten days, these actions led to at least 41 arrests or detentions across 17 cities, alongside the launch of a massive media smear campaign against 39 organizations and 11 donors, including the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom. The government, while emphasizing the economic potential of lithium mining, has leveraged this agenda to suppress dissent, portraying opposition as anti-national and justifying its repressive actions through unlawful arrests, smear campaigns, and heightened surveillance. This surge in repression highlights a coordinated effort to stifle any challenge to the government's narrative, using sensitive financial data to fuel its crackdown. As Russia and China's influence in Serbia grows, this alignment threatens to further erode democratic freedoms, making it imperative for the international community to respond.

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