Serbia`s Deputy Premier declares country will revisit foreign agents law

(MENAFN) Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has reiterated his commitment to advancing legislation that would label foreign-funded NGOs as “foreign agents.” This push comes in the wake of claims by Belgrade that foreign funding is behind the protests currently shaking the country. Vulin’s Movement of Socialists (PS), a junior partner in Serbia’s ruling coalition, introduced the proposed law in November. That same month, protests erupted in Serbia following the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 15 people.

The protests, mostly led by students, soon spread to Belgrade, prompting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to suggest that foreign agitators were fueling the unrest. Vulin stated that his party would persist in advocating for the law, claiming that “color revolutions” require significant funding that is often funneled through NGOs. Drawing parallels to Russia, China, and Belarus, he emphasized that these nations had successfully resisted similar attempts to destabilize them. He also vowed to continue opposing influential figures like George Soros and Western intelligence services, whom he believes are attempting to undermine Serbia.

The proposed law, which was first introduced in November 2024, would mandate that NGOs receiving over half of their funding from abroad and engaging in political activities register as foreign agents. While President Vucic has expressed reluctance to fully support the bill, he has indicated that some aspects of it could align with similar laws in the US, Europe, and Russia.

The European Union has raised concerns about the proposed legislation, citing its incompatibility with EU principles. The European Economic and Social Committee has warned that it mirrors the controversial foreign agents law in Georgia, which led to sanctions from Washington and the suspension of Georgia’s EU membership process. The move has also sparked accusations from Georgia that Western nations are interfering in its domestic affairs and attempting to instigate a “color revolution.”

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