Serbia to Review Foreign Agents Legislation, Says Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has stated that Serbia’s Movement of Socialists party will continue to advocate for a foreign agents law. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has reiterated his commitment to advocating for a law that would designate foreign-funded NGOs as ‘foreign agents.’ This push comes in the wake of claims from Belgrade that protests occurring in Serbia are being financed from outside the country.
Vulin’s Movement of Socialists party, part of the ruling coalition alongside the Serbian Progressive Party, first introduced the draft legislation in November. Coincidentally, that month witnesses a surge of protests, initiated by the tragic collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad, which resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals.
These demonstrations, largely led by students, have since expanded to the capital city of Belgrade. In response, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic suggested that the unrest is being incited by foreign influences.
“PS will not give up its intention to pass the law on foreign agents. Color revolutions cannot be carried out without a lot of money, and it is allocated and distributed through NGOs,” Deputy PM Vulin stated in an interview with Izvestia.
He cited examples from countries like Russia, China, and Belarus, which he claims have successfully resisted Western efforts to undermine their stability. Vulin expressed his determination to push the law forward, despite lacking support from within the ruling coalition. He also emphasized his opposition to George Soros and the activities of Western intelligence agencies that he believes are undermining Serbia.
Hungarian-American investor and billionaire George Soros is often associated with funding liberal movements and political candidates globally, including in Serbia. A January 2001 article in the Los Angeles Times noted that “his Soros Foundations Network helped finance several pro-democracy groups, including the student organization Otpor, which spearheaded grass-roots resistance to the authoritarian Yugoslav leader” Slobodan Milosevic.
The proposed law stipulates that NGOs receiving more than half of their funding from foreign sources and involved in political activities would be required to register as foreign agents.
In December 2024, President Vucic explicitly stated his opposition to the bill, saying, “My answer is no,” when asked about endorsing the draft. He mentioned, however, that some elements of the legislation, inspired by similar laws in the US, Europe, and Russia, might be acceptable.
Brussels has voiced significant concerns regarding the proposed legislation, emphasizing that as an EU candidate, Serbia is obligated to adhere to the bloc's core principles.
The European Economic and Social Committee has characterized such legislation as inconsistent with “the fundamental values of the European Union,” likening it to the controversial foreign agents law implemented in Georgia. In response to that law, Washington imposed sanctions on Georgian officials and withheld approximately $95 million in aid, while the EU halted Georgia’s membership application process. Tbilisi has contended that Western nations are meddling in its affairs and attempting to incite a color revolution.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
Vulin’s Movement of Socialists party, part of the ruling coalition alongside the Serbian Progressive Party, first introduced the draft legislation in November. Coincidentally, that month witnesses a surge of protests, initiated by the tragic collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad, which resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals.
These demonstrations, largely led by students, have since expanded to the capital city of Belgrade. In response, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic suggested that the unrest is being incited by foreign influences.
“PS will not give up its intention to pass the law on foreign agents. Color revolutions cannot be carried out without a lot of money, and it is allocated and distributed through NGOs,” Deputy PM Vulin stated in an interview with Izvestia.
He cited examples from countries like Russia, China, and Belarus, which he claims have successfully resisted Western efforts to undermine their stability. Vulin expressed his determination to push the law forward, despite lacking support from within the ruling coalition. He also emphasized his opposition to George Soros and the activities of Western intelligence agencies that he believes are undermining Serbia.
Hungarian-American investor and billionaire George Soros is often associated with funding liberal movements and political candidates globally, including in Serbia. A January 2001 article in the Los Angeles Times noted that “his Soros Foundations Network helped finance several pro-democracy groups, including the student organization Otpor, which spearheaded grass-roots resistance to the authoritarian Yugoslav leader” Slobodan Milosevic.
The proposed law stipulates that NGOs receiving more than half of their funding from foreign sources and involved in political activities would be required to register as foreign agents.
In December 2024, President Vucic explicitly stated his opposition to the bill, saying, “My answer is no,” when asked about endorsing the draft. He mentioned, however, that some elements of the legislation, inspired by similar laws in the US, Europe, and Russia, might be acceptable.
Brussels has voiced significant concerns regarding the proposed legislation, emphasizing that as an EU candidate, Serbia is obligated to adhere to the bloc's core principles.
The European Economic and Social Committee has characterized such legislation as inconsistent with “the fundamental values of the European Union,” likening it to the controversial foreign agents law implemented in Georgia. In response to that law, Washington imposed sanctions on Georgian officials and withheld approximately $95 million in aid, while the EU halted Georgia’s membership application process. Tbilisi has contended that Western nations are meddling in its affairs and attempting to incite a color revolution.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
