Aleksandar Vučić – Serbia – Fact and Bias

Factual Rating

RIGHT BIAS

These leaders are moderate to strongly biased toward conservative causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit reporting of information that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy.

Aleksandar Vučić is currently the President of Serbia. He was a prominent figure in the populist Serbian Progressive Party. President Vučić has been known for his pro-European stance but has also maintained close ties with Russia. Given his political maneuvers and affiliations, we assign Aleksandar Vučić a Right Bias and Mixed factual rating due to controversial policies/statements and failed fact checks.

About Aleksandar Vučić

Country: Serbia
Title: President Aleksandar Vučić (May 31, 2017)
Political Party: Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) (until May 27, 2023)
Political Alignment: RIGHT
Factual Rating: MIXED

Career

Re-elected as President of Serbia in 2022.
Served as Prime Minister of Serbia (2014-2017)
Minister of Information (1998-2000)
Founded the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) (2012)
Stepped down as leader of the SNS on May 27, 2023, to establish a new movement

Political Affiliation

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is a right-wing nationalist politician who has dominated politics for over a decade. Starting his journey as a prime minister, he served in this role twice before ascending to the position of head of state in 2017. Under his leadership, Serbia has witnessed significant political shifts. His leadership style is often criticized as autocratic, especially in a divided opposition and limited independent media environment.

Vučić was the head of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), a right-wing nationalist party promoting economic nationalism, populism, and social conservatism. In a surprising move, Vučić stepped down as the leader of the SNS in May 2023, hinting at his ambitions to establish a new political movement. Additionally, Vučić has expressed his readiness to hold early elections in September and is considering running for the role of prime minister.

The political stance of the SNS, while nationalistic, also leans pro-European. However, it’s worth noting the party’s inclination to maintain strong ties with traditional allies, especially Russia. This dual approach has been evident in Vučić’s leadership as well. On the one hand, Serbia has made commendable strides toward EU accession under his guidance. On the other, the nation has faced international criticism for perceived authoritarian tendencies and a concerning control over the media.

One of the significant challenges during Vučić’s tenure has been the dialogue with Kosovo. The aim has been the normalization of relations, a pivotal condition set by the EU for Serbia’s accession. Despite efforts, this process has been far from smooth and has faced numerous challenges and controversies. Additionally, critics have often pointed fingers at Vučić’s opposition to sanctions on Russia.