The influence of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on the attitudes of citizens of Serbia about the European Union

Hajzler, Petar (author), Udovič, Boštjan (mentor)

Vpliv Ruske federacije in Ljudske republike Kitajske na odnos državljanov Srbije do Evropske unije. Magistrsko delo raziskuje povezavo med naraščajočim vplivom Rusije in Kitajske v Srbiji od leta 2012 ter tekočim procesom približevanja Srbije Evropski uniji kot države kandidatke. Skozi prizmo koncepta mehke moči delo preučuje, kako dva akterja, ki nista članica EU, vplivata na odnos srbskega ljudstva do Evropske unije. Glavne sfere vpliva so razdeljene na politično, gospodarsko in kulturno sfero, v katerih je EU, kot bo prikazano, izgubila svoj superiorni položaj v srbski družbi in ki predstavljajo pomembno oviro za evropeizacijo Srbije. Rezultati teh vplivov so vidni v anketah javnega mnenja, razdeljenih v tri obdobja, s posebnim poudarkom na najnovejših rezultatih in večjih geopolitičnih dogodkih, kot sta vojna v Ukrajini in koronavirusna kriza, med katerimi so bili učinki protievropskih čustev najbolj vidni. Viri tega dela vključujejo akademska dela najvidnejših akademikov mehke moči, relevantne raziskave o prisotnosti Kitajske, Rusije in EU v Srbiji, ki jih dopolnjujejo vladne in nevladne ankete javnega mnenja, ki se uporabljajo za opis javnega razpoloženja ljudi v Srbiji. Namen te diplomske naloge je ponuditi dragocen vpogled v zelo razdeljeno srbsko družbo in razkriti dejavnike, ki vplivajo na stališča navadnih ljudi do glavnih političnih akterjev, da bi ponazorili veliko jasnejšo sliko stališča Evropske unije v njeni državi kandidatki.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: mehka moč, Srbija, Rusija, Kitajska, Evropska unija.
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2026
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182570
• Publication date in RUL: 17.05.2026

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: The influence of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on the attitudes of citizens of Serbia about the European Union

Abstract

Influence of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on attitudes of citizens of Serbia about the European Union. This master’s thesis investigates the correlation between the ongoing growing influence of Russia and China in Serbia since 2012, and Serbia’s ongoing European accession process as the candidate country. Through the prism of the soft-power concept, this work examines how the two non-EU actors influence the attitudes of the Serbian people towards the European Union. The main spheres of influence are divided into the political, economic, and cultural spheres, in which, as will be shown, the EU lost its superior position in the Serbian society, and which represent a significant obstacle towards Serbia’s Europeanisation. The results of these influences are visible in the public opinion polls divided into three periods, with special emphasis on the latest results and the major geopolitical events like the war in Ukraine and the Corona crisis, during which the effects of anti-EU sentiments were most visible. The sources of this work include academic works of the most prominent soft power academics, relevant research on China’s, Russia’s, as well as the EU’s presence in Serbia, which are supplemented by the governmental and non-governmental public opinion polls, used to describe the public sentiments of the people in Serbia. This thesis aims to provide valuable insights into the highly-divided Serbian society and to reveal factors which affect ordinary people’s stances toward the main political actors, in order to illustrate a much clearer picture of the European Union’s position in its candidate country.

• Keywords: soft power, Serbia, Russia, China, European Union.