Serbian strongman leader Aleksandar Vucic has unleashed a media attack on foreign-financed groups that have long irritated him, in an attempt to crack down on student-led protests. What began as a familiar ritual of intimidation against groups documenting corruption, human rights abuses, and electoral fraud has taken an unusual and menacing turn. Serbian authorities have raided the offices of four nongovernmental organizations without warrants. While the government has justified the action by referring to the US dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. and its denunciation by Elon Musk as a “criminal organization,” analysts say that President Vucic is reading too much into the Trump administration’s approach to civil society organizations. They predict that Hungary and Slovakia, whose leaders are enthusiastic supporters of Trump, will also seize the opportunity to hit back at their domestic opponents.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/world/europe/serbia-usaid-vucic-trump.html