While many European governments cautiously waited for the first moves of the new administration Donald Trump, his return to the White House was widely celebrated in Serbia. Some were delighted because of the ideological closeness to the global wave of right-wing populism, while others hoped that the Trump administration would have more understanding for Belgrade in international disputes, especially over Kosovo. There were also those who hoped that Washington would be less interested in the issues of the rule of law and corruption in Serbia.
A poll conducted by Gallup on the eve US presidential election In 2024, it showed that 59 percent of citizens "support" Trump in Serbia. Which puts us in first place in Europe, which mostly hoped to win Kamale Harris.
Like rejoices with like.
As soon as Trump announced the election victory based on Fox News projections, Aleksandar Vučić took to social media. The second person in all of Europe, right after Orban, sent congratulations - the media reported.
Ana Brnabić, Miloš Vučević and Aleksandar Vulin were also full of enthusiasm. In his congratulatory letter, Vulin emphasized that Trump has already won the "sympathy of the Serbs" and that he wants to earn our trust.
Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski predicted Trump's victory, ever since the assassination attempt on him in Pennsylvania. She said on that occasion that the world is divided into globalists and sovereignists, and that the globalists shot at Trump. The Serbs chose the right side, she said then, and did not succumb to globalist tendencies.
Serbian officials across the Drina were also happy. The then president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, waved a red MAGA cap in front of the Palace of the Republic in Banja Luka, where he organized a cocktail party in honor of Trump's victory - "since the American embassy in Sarajevo did not organize the celebration, then I did."
Congratulations! Trump, Serb!
Tabloids and pro-government media had particularly interesting reactions. The return of Donald Trump was welcomed as an incredible triumph, with signs and columns praising him, portraying him as a leader who understands the interests of Serbia and the region.
"Congratulations! Trump, Serbs!" it was written on billboards all over Belgrade, along with his photo after the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. The editors of Informer boasted that they congratulated him on his victory in this way.
TV Pink presenter Jovana Jeremić traveled to the USA at that time, where she reported on the elections. She regularly appeared on Pink's program and posed with MAGA promotional material. She proudly pointed out the similarities between her and Trump - both of which came from reality shows.
Prominent journalist Ljilja Smajlović was also one of Trump's faithful cheerleaders. After the victory of the Republicans, she called Kamala Harris a "dishonest liar" on the show "Jutro na Blitz".
Why Serbs love Trump
The legacy of the American Democratic Party in Serbia is not great. People still remember the misery and fear they experienced during the bombing in 1999. And Trump was the main opponent of the Democratic Party, the opponent of the establishment and a kind of outsider. Somehow, we managed to believe that the man was fighting against the system that made him a billionaire.
And he promised, and many Serbs and Americans believed him, that American military interventions abroad, also known as "the spread of democracy with bombs", would be avoided. He deceived them.
Serbs especially liked Trump's attitude towards Vladimir Putin, who shows admiration and understanding, only that, it will turn out at the latest after the American sanctions on the NIS, it did not make life any easier for Aleksandar Vučić and his regime.
Photo: AP Photo/Julia Demaree NikhinsonDonald Trump and Vladimir Putin
For right-wing and populist movements around the world, Trump represents a political rebel who does not fit the rules of the "liberal elite", but openly criticizes the bureaucracy, the media and international institutions. Right-wing ideologies are certainly closer to Serbs than the ideas on which Kamala Harris based her campaign - social policy, labor rights, equality, the right to abortion, global connectivity, etc.
Vučić once said that "change in America brings hope for Serbs", he saw Trump's victory as an opportunity for Serbia to achieve better relations with the USA, without jeopardizing historical ties with Russia. The question remains whether these optimistic attitudes stem from mere wishful thinking or from real knowledge of international politics.
After the American army kidnapped the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, the Serbian tramp lovers fell silent. The silence became even deeper when, on February 28, the Americans together with Israel began a joint bombing of Iran. None of the fans of Trump's anti-European and anti-liberal policy commented on his statements that the "crazy" Iranian "criminals" will destroy the energy infrastructure and bridges, or that they will wipe out their entire civilization. The latter was a threat of genocide.
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