Aleksandar Vučić fabricates “Serbia’s toughest moment since 2008” whenever he needs drama and victimhood

Vučić as former Minister of Propaganda is a master of narrative manipulation

Aleksandar Vučić, former Minister of Propaganda and now Serbia’s autocratic president, is a master of narrative manipulation. In over a decade in power, he has crafted a political communication style that blends drama, victimhood, and nationalist mobilization. One of his most frequently repeated phrases during key moments of his presidency is that “Serbia has not been in such a difficult situation since 2008.” This phrase has become a propaganda cliché, used to mobilize voters, externalize blame, and justify an increasingly centralized and repressive regime. Every time he utters it, Vučić implies he is facing a crisis equivalent to Serbia’s loss of Kosova in 2008.

A chronological analysis of this phrase’s use shows it recurs during external crises involving Kosova or the West, but also during moments of internal political pressure, when Vučić’s regime is hit with scandals, protests, or diplomatic isolation. The earliest known instance dates back to November 2018, when Kosova’s special police forces intervened in North Mitrovica. Vučić reacted immediately, declaring that “Serbia has never been in a more difficult situation”, a phrase directed specifically at the ambassadors of Russia and China. He portrayed Kosova’s action as a military provocation and warned of possible armed conflict, positioning himself as a leader facing an existential threat.

One of the clearest and most politically motivated uses of this phrase came in July 2022, when the Government of Kosova implemented reciprocal measures on documents and vehicle license plates. Rather than framing it as part of a prior agreement on freedom of movement, Vučić reacted with political hysteria, claiming that “we are at the most difficult moment since Kosova’s declaration of independence.” Regime-controlled media amplified this narrative, suggesting a new conflict was imminent. In reality, Kosova was merely enforcing an agreement that had been signed by Belgrade itself. But for Vučić, it was a chance to stir a sense of imminent danger and paint himself as the protector of Serbs in the north.

Meanwhile, Belgrade’s regime orchestrated institutional sabotage in Kosova through parallel structures. Protests and roadblocks in the north were carefully coordinated, involving actors closely tied to the Serb List and criminal elements operating under Belgrade’s protection. Serbia called for “defending the Serbian people,” while in truth sponsoring a political operation aimed at undermining the constitutional order of a neighboring state. The situation escalated into a manufactured crisis that boosted Vučić’s image as a leader “surrounded” by threats.

The phrase made a comeback after the collective resignation of Serb representatives from Kosova’s institutions. This, too, was part of a staged scenario from Belgrade to delegitimize Pristina’s authority in the north. Vučić seized on the mass resignation to fabricate deliberate chaos, once again casting himself as the leader “trying to maintain peace” while simultaneously issuing threats and mobilizing the military near the border.

Then in October of that year, during a speech at the Serbian Security and Intelligence Agency (BIA), Vučić claimed that “Serbia hasn’t been in such a difficult situation in a long time.” He reinforced the statement by referencing international pressure to impose sanctions on Russia and tensions with Kosova. The same phrase had already been used a month earlier, again at a BIA event, this time with the wording: “In the last 24 years, Serbia has never been in a more difficult situation.” At this point, the phrase was no longer limited to specific crises, it was becoming part of the regime’s everyday discourse.

The phrase resurfaced again in May 2023, after violent clashes between Serbian criminal structures and KFOR troops in northern Kosova. Despite clear video evidence showing criminal involvement and violence against international forces, Vučić stuck to his usual narrative: Serbia was the victim, while others were conspiring to destabilize it. Instead of condemning the actions of figures like the terrorist Milan Radoičić, Vučić defended them both politically and in the media.

Most recently, on August 1, 2025, the Serbian president declared once again that “Serbia hasn’t been in a more difficult situation since 2008,” citing a mix of crises, from floods in the Toplica region to tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and international pressure to distance himself from Milorad Dodik. This time, the phrase fused natural disasters and political challenges into one overarching narrative of permanent siege. It was yet another attempt to create an atmosphere of fear in which any criticism of the regime is framed as “a threat to national stability.”

Vučić’s use of this phrase is neither spontaneous nor random, it’s a carefully crafted communication tool designed to generate a constant sense of crisis. Whenever pressure on his power increases, whether due to domestic protests, corruption scandals, diplomatic tensions, or economic stagnation, Vučić returns to his tested formula: Serbia has never been in a worse situation. Through this, he fuels fear, victimhood, and nationalist reflexes to maintain control and deflect accountability.

Vučić’s dramatic rhetoric has dangerous side effects: it normalizes crises and distorts reality. Instead of addressing real challenges like corruption, poverty, mass emigration, and diplomatic isolation, Vučić prefers to sound alarms and mobilize fear. When a leader uses the same phrase for every uncomfortable situation, the public begins to perceive crisis as the norm. And that’s precisely what benefits a regime based on control, fear, and manipulation.

What once may have had historical meaning has now become a propaganda tool used to dominate political discourse. It blurs the line between real and simulated crisis and casts Vučić as the sole figure who can save Serbia. The only consistent feature in this series of so-called crises is the protagonist who never leaves center stage.

Ultimately, Vučić’s dramatic phrases should not be taken as objective assessments of the country’s condition, but as deliberate instruments of political control. They reflect a model of governance that relies not on accountability, but on the continuous creation of fear and perceived threats. As long as this strategy continues to work with the Serbian public and goes unchallenged by domestic or international actors, that phrase will keep being repeated, perhaps even beyond Vučić’s own era. /The Balkan Report/