How Vulin is promoting the “Serb World” through a mandatory referendum in Serbia

Aleksandar Vulin, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Srbijagas and founder of the Socialist Movement, has published an article proposing a referendum in Serbia where citizens would choose between European Union integration or the so-called “Serb World” policy.

The article was released on the same day that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić declared his support for the simultaneous accession of all Western Balkan countries to the EU.

In his piece for Večernje Novosti, Vulin argued that European integration represents the biggest obstacle to Serbia’s unity and interests. He referenced the U.S. National Defense Strategy, claiming that the United States favors a world of nation-states and opposes supranational organizations.

Vulin proposed a revision of Serbia’s domestic and foreign policies through a mandatory referendum, framing it as a choice between EU membership and the “Serb World.”

He described the “Serb World” as a concept in which Serbs form a single political people, collectively making decisions on national matters while maintaining ties to Serbia regardless of their place of residence. However, President Vučić has consistently distanced himself from the “Serb World” idea, stating that official state policy does not interfere with the borders of other countries and that the concept has never been an official doctrine.

Political experts and critics have labeled Vulin’s idea as unrealistic and ethnocentric. Nenad Čanak, founder of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV), linked the idea of mandatory referendums to historical precedents, citing the 1998 referendum on the participation of foreign representatives in Kosovo, which served to legitimize unilateral policies of the Milošević regime.

Čanak also highlighted the similarities between Vulin’s rhetoric and Kremlin doctrine, arguing that it seeks to manipulate public opinion and transfer responsibility for strategic political decisions onto Serbian citizens.

Sociologist and political activist Vesna Pešić strongly criticized Vulin’s initiative, describing it as an aggressive and ethnocentric policy that could spark new regional conflicts. She recalled the history of Serbian politics in the 1990s and the use of nationalist rhetoric to manipulate public opinion.

Pešić emphasized that in the current context, Serbia no longer faces a simple choice between Russia and the EU, noting that Vučić’s engagement with Moscow has remained unchanged while EU relations have largely been economic rather than political. She concluded that the primary challenge is the fight for democracy and European integration, rather than repeating strategies based on ethnic identity and regional dominance.

Vulin’s proposal has sparked a broad debate in Serbia, highlighting tensions between the country’s pro-European orientation and the persistent nationalist rhetoric in its political landscape./TheGeopost.