Plenty of unfounded claims were shared that the suspect in the assassination of the Slovak Prime minister was married to a Ukrainian woman, who convinced her spouse to execute the act. In addition, she supposedly participated in the Euromaidan Protests in Ukraine in 2014, which are described as a “coup d’etat” with no basis whatsoever. Some of the media are also saying that the woman was arrested for being involved in the assassination, although the Police only took her in for questioning, writes Truthmeter.
Under the content-sharing agreement between Truthmeter.mk and Meta.mk, we republish the text in full below:
The wife of the assassin of the Slovak Prime minister Robert Fico is Ukrainian who participated in the coup d’etat ten years ago.
Most of the listed media posted this news on Facebook twice, on the 16th and the 17th of May 2024, contributing to greater dissemination of this unsubstantiated fact. In actuality, more than twice, because these media seem to have opened more Facebook accounts with different names (compare, for example, Nedelnik Republika (Weekly Republic) and Prva Republika (First Republic) or Infomaks and Info 24). The news was published on the following sites: Vecer.mk, Vesti.mk, Vreme.mk, Vesnik.com, and Pressing.tv, with somewhat different words.
Some of the listed media express themselves more carefully using phrases such as: “Unofficially, it is claimed that…” or headlines put in interrogative form like: “Is the wife of the assassin a Ukrainian?” What all these media have in common, however, is that they spread the unsubstantiated claim not mentioning any source, justifying it with the excuse that “Slovak media were saying that”. But what media?
All that is based on disinformation circulates in Slovakia but originated from the Kremlin. Previously, some claimed that the assassin of the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was Ukrainian, but once it became clear that the suspect was a Slovak named Juraj Cintula, the false claim shifted to his wife who was, allegedly, Ukrainian and who influenced him to execute the assassination because Fico was pro-Russian. On top of that, the spouse, supposedly, came to Slovakia as a refugee from Ukraine, but that was denied by the Chief of the Slovak Police Lubomir Solak, which was also published on the Facebook page of the Slovak MIA in the fight against fake news. The denial was also broadcast on RTV Slovakia, adding that Cintula’s spouse did not influence him to execute such an act.
It should be noted that a Ukrainian citizen can move to Slovakia not only as a refugee but also on the grounds of marriage or employment. However, that is not the case with Cintula’s spouse. Little is known about the wife of Cintula apart from the fact that her name is Elena, that she was a high school teacher, and that she is retired. Her husband is 71 years old.
The articles fact-checked here claim without substance and logic that this elderly woman was “actively participating” in the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine in 2014 described incorrectly as a “coup d’etat”. Those protests were against the willful behavior of Ukraine’s pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was eventually dismissed, not with a coup d’etat but with a procedure (not an ideal one, but still a procedure), that led to the elections on the 22nd of February 2014 where elected Members of Parliament from the 2012 elections cast a legitimate vote, including 36 of his party-members.
That was not a coup d’etat and there is no evidence that Elena took part in that, nor that she is from Ukraine or even an ethnic Ukrainian. That is merely disinformation coming from Russian media such as EurAsia Daily, Sputnik, Царьград, Аргументы и факты, Московский комсомолец etc.
Some of them claim that Elena was arrested for being involved in the assassination. In fact, she was taken from home for questioning, accompanied by the Police for her protection from possible vengeance for the act of her spouse. Russian media even claimed that she was caught at the airport in an attempt to flee to Warsaw, however, there is no evidence to support this claim. Furthermore, given the coordinated nature of police forces within the EU, fleeing from one member state to another would be an ineffective strategy.
This Kremlin disinformation is maybe a counter-response to the claims made by some pro-Western sources about Cintula being a member of the pro-Russian movement Slovenci Branci. The Slovak MIA denied that claim but confirmed that he previously participated in their meetings, having probably changed his views later. Reluctant to be linked to the assassin, Russia is now claiming that Cintula was pro-Ukrainian, and a clip was released where a person – claimed to be Cintula – is expressing his support for Ukraine, along with the claim that he was a member of the pro-European and liberal party Progressive Slovakia. The leader of the party, however, denied that. A photograph also surfaced showing, supposedly, Cintula with the father of the party leader, but it was discovered that the person was someone else. And, of course, the claim that the spouse of Cintula was Ukrainian was also spread. To summarize, many unsubstantiated claims were circulated, and they were aggressively spreading in our country as well.
Cintula’s trial will bring to light new facts, but based on the ones that are known to us now (as of the 21st of May 2024), the fact-checked articles are assessed as untrue.
The citizens of North Macedonia regarding the war in Ukraine have significantly divided opinions about at least two issues – who is to blame for the war and which side of the military conflict they support. The latest IRI survey of the Western Balkan countries indicated this. With such percentages, it is obvious that the current state policy, ever since the Russian aggression in Ukraine in February 2022, can become subject to more significant public pressure to change the solid position in line with Ukraine and the Western allies, writes Truthmeter.
Under the content-sharing agreement between Truthmeter.mk and Meta.mk, we republish the text in full below:
The citizens of North Macedonia have dramatically divided opinions about at least two issues regarding the war in Ukraine – who is to blame for the war and should the country be helping the authorities in Kyiv. This was indicated by the last comprehensive survey of the International Republican Institute – IRI applied in the six Western Balkan countries, including Macedonia. The survey was performed before the elections, between the beginning of February and March 2024. In North Macedonia, 1220 adult respondents took part in the survey.
All parties are to blame for the war
On the question ”Who is most responsible for the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine”, 17 percent of the citizens responded by saying that the responsibility lies with Russia, as opposed to the 27 percent who deem that the West is most responsible. Ukraine is blamed by only 6 percent of the respondents, while 38 percent of them either or most of the answers blamed all parties involved. This indicates that the public in the country shows significant deviation from the current political position that, at least publicly, is shared by the winners of the elections – that Russia performed aggression in Ukraine and that the country should be condemned and sanctioned for that specific action.
Infographic about who is to blame for the war
Don’t know who will win – more than 50 percent of the respondents
On the question ”Who will win the military conflict”, 36 percent of the Macedonian citizens believe that Russia will be the victor, and Ukraine is given a chance by only 13 percent of the citizens. In comparison, a total of 51 percent of the respondents either did not know or refused to answer. That put the public opinion of the country closer to answers received from Serbia and Montenegro, where a total of 68 percent and 44 percent respectively are convinced of the final victory of Russia. In Kosovo and Albania, on the other hand, Ukraine is seen as the victor with 47 percent and 50 percent of the respondents respectively.
Infographic about the victor
54 percent do not support either side
On the question ”In the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which side do you support”, most of the respondents, up to 54 percent responded that they do not support neither Russia nor Ukraine. For those supporting either of the sides, the score is almost balanced, 19 percent supported Russia, while 18 percent Ukraine. Only 8 percent did not know or refused to answer. With this answer, North Macedonia is somewhere in the middle of the table among the other five Western Balkan countries, with the largest percentage of respondents supporting Russia coming from Serbia and Montenegro, while the largest percentage of respondents from Kosovo and Albania supporting Ukraine.
Infographic about country support
The initial conclusion is that the public in North Macedonia is deeply divided concerning several issues surrounding the conflict in Ukraine. For example, regarding the party to blame for the conflict, most of the respondents believe that all parties are to blame. Regarding the victor of the military conflict, most of the respondents said that they did not know, but more than one-third deemed that Russia will be the victor. In addition, it is not irrelevant that more than half of the respondents do not support either side of the conflict, which means that they want to be neutral and that is how they see the desired position of the country.
The only table indicating greater support for Ukraine might be the one answering the question ”Do you think that Russia’s actions in Ukraine are justifiable or not”, whereby 54 percent responded by saying that they were unjustifiable to a certain extent or entirely, although the number of 33 percent who trust that Russia’s actions were entirely or partially justifiable is not small at all (graph on page 82).
These findings indicate that stronger public pressure on the authorities of the state is possible leading to a change in policy of complete support of Ukraine and the position of the USA and the EU for complete condemnation and sanctions for Russia.
In April 2024, the Macedonian Medical Student Association (MMSA) announced on Facebook that the Faculty of Medicine of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University (UKIM) in Skopje will host a lecture titled “The Path of Transitioning.” According to the post, the lecture was supposed to cover various aspects of gender-affirming care and medical services. The two speakers at the lecture were set to be a plastic surgeon and an activist who would share her experiences with gender-affirming care in North Macedonia.
The lecture was cancelled after the group “Coalition for the Protection of Children” (KZD), whose relation to the Faculty of Medicine is unclear, publicly criticized the student organization MMSA. KZD claimed that Dean’s Office was notified of the lecture, but that the students said the lecture had a different name. KZD implied that student organization was trying to “sneak in” the lecture. After this post, MMSA cancelled the event and publicly apologized several times to the Dean’s Office.
Скриншот од извинувањето на ММСА. Скриншотот беше споделен од Коалиција за заштита на децата.
Coalition Margins, a local organization that, among other things, fights for LGBTQ people’s rights, responded by stressing the fact that the gender affirming medical procedures are supported by decades’ worth of research and are not merely “experimental.”
“The decision to cancel the lecture was the result of the panic, hatred, manipulation and hysteria spread by several anti-democratic and discriminatory persons, groups and coalitions, known as the anti-gender movement,” say Coalition Margins in their response.
The anti-gender movement is the key to understanding how this fiasco could have occurred. The “Coalition for the Protection of Children” (KZD) is one of few accounts with a significant online presence on Facebook which is part of the so-called anti-gender movement. Representatives of this movement oppose the “transgender” or “gender ideology”, as they believe that the normalization of LGBTQ people in society is part of a Western conspiracy to destroy the family unit. Their posts are full of hate speech and are frequently directed to specific members of the LGBTQ community.
A cursory browse through KZD or other similar pages like “From Us for Us” or “Take Responsibility” immediately reveals a few facts.
First, the pages sharing inflammatory content are not just a few isolated personal accounts that are merely expressing their opinions. Rather, there is a network of many Facebook profiles with thousands of followers.
Second, there is a staggeringly large volume of fairly well-written content posted every day, which does not look like the work of amateurs. The posts are even frequently accompanied by sources. All of which is to say that behind these profiles is not merely a “concerned group of parents,” as these pages often present themselves, but some larger structure.
In fact, the anti-gender movement is an international phenomenon backed by American organizations, supported by Russian and American Christian oligarchs, for the purpose of spreading traditional values worldwide, from Uganda to Hungary.
It is exactly this structure that enables associations like KZD to mobilize quickly and have influence beyond their online space. Their influence can be seen in the cancelation of MMSA’s lecture, as well as the protests organized by the Macedonian Orthodox Church against the draft laws on gender equality and civil registration (which would expedite bureaucratic process for transgender people), and most generally in political parties’ adoption of their rhetoric.
The anti-gender movement’s methods and rhetoric (in North Macedonia and beyond)
The rhetoric of the anti-gender movement, in North Macedonia or otherwise, is essentially the same.
“The anti-gender movement uses disinformation and fearmongering and promotes intolerance, especially through social media, but also through local action and mobilization”, says Sara Milenkovska, a feminist researcher, and co-founder of the Stella Network.
Not only do the anti-gender Facebook pages share “imported” disinformation narratives, but they also produce local ones – a perfect example of this is the controversy they stirred up around the novel The End of Eddy by the French author Édouard Louis. The novel was translated into Macedonian last and published by the publishing house “Polica.”
Крајот на Еди од Едуар, во издание на Полица. Фото: Полица
The novel portrays the experiences of a gay child whose life is full of sexual trauma. The anti-gender Facebook pages claimed that the publishing company “Polica” was marketing the book to children; their evidence for this claim was the fact that the book’s cover had a photo of a child. As a result, KZD claimed that “Polica” “promoted” such traumatic experience as being normal for children. “Polica” publicly refuted this claim, or that they intended to sell the book to children in any manner. But Polica’s statement did not stop an avalanche of negative messages and allegations that they intend to “corrupt our children.”
This example illustrated one of the anti-gender movement’s favorite strategies – fearmongering by using the idea of an innocent pure child “destroyed” by those who hate the family and Christian values.
Apart from fearmongering, Milenkovska emphasizes that the anti-gender movement often hides behind anonymity, save for a few public faces. One of those faces in North Macedonia is the famous anti-vaxxer Gordana Godjo. Through the group “From Us for Us”, she spread disinformation about comprehensive sexual education and advocated against vaccination during the pandemic, firmly planting the anti-gender movement on the side of disinformation.
“The ideology of anti-democratic movements, as demonstrated by anti-gender and anti-feminist actors, aims at creating resistance against progress, equality, human rights and dignity”, says feminist researcher Milenkovska.
The organizations behind the local anti-gender movement
A question then emerges: who exactly is funding and supporting these alleged protectors of children? If you look at KZD’s website, you will find a list of partner organizations. All of the aforementioned Facebook pages such as “Take Responsibility” and “From Us for Us” are all there, but so is Family Watch International, described as a “key partner.”
Family Watch International (FWI) is an American conservative lobbying organization established in 1999 which promotes pro-family, traditional, anti-LGBTQ values worldwide. It was founded by Sharon Slater, the daughter of Howard Raff, well-known businessman and author.
Family Watch International is known for advocating anti-LGBT policies in Africa. Slater has even had a meeting with one of Uganda’s presidents. Uganda was recently in the news because it had passed one of the most vicious anti-LGBTQ laws of the century. It included life sentences and capital punishment for homosexuals in certain cases.
It probably should not come as a surprise that FWI and their partner-organizations are funded by Christian fundamentalists.
FWI is linked to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More commonly known as the Mormon Church, it is known for its adherence to traditional values (including polygamy, a practice that anti-gender actors would probably otherwise criticize if seen as part of an LGBTQ “agenda”).
Although Family Watch International denies any connection with the Mormon Church, according to a research paper by the international organization Ipas, the link is obvious if one looks at the history of the “parent” organization of Family Watch International and the main donors, who are primarily Mormon organizations and wealthy members of the church.
Additionally, FWI is supported by a conservative advocacy umbrella organization, World Congress of Families, also known as the International Organization for the Family. It influenced the adoption of the comprehensive homophobic 2013 law in Russia, which bans public presentation of any LGBTQ-related content. Conservative Americans and Russians established the organization and receives donations from Russian oligarchs who also support initiatives of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Roots of the anti-gender movement
It is important to note that all the funding in the world could not support dissemination of “pro-family” propaganda if societal and material conditions were not such so that people are ready to internalize said propaganda. Namely, according to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, the anti-gender movement found fertile ground in people’s anxiety after the financial crisis in 2008.
“More recently, anti-genderism has been attributed to the rise of new illiberal populist right-wing movements that have emerged after the 2008 global economic recession. Feeding upon ‘anxieties produced by neoliberal reforms,’ anti-gender ideology demonizes gender equality, gender and sexuality diversity, and sexual rights movements as the cause of unwanted economic and social change, positioning a return to heteropatriarchy as a “common sense” solution that will restore order and certainty,” states the research paper led by Haley McEwen and Lata Narayanaswamy.
“The notion that economic and national crises can be ‘solved’ through a closing down of gender mainstreaming and LGBTIQ+ rights has become a platform for organizing and for recruiting massive support amongst right-wing activists from otherwise distant walks of life, including believers and nonbelievers, nationalists, and universalists, populists who demonize global capital and traditional Reagan/Thatcher-style conservatives with a neocon love for the market”, state McEwen and Narayanaswamy.
“The anti-gender movement is an opportunistic illness that capitalizes from the political and economic insecurity in vulnerable societies. Their policy aims to create resistance against progress, equality, human rights, and dignity”, says Sara Milenkovska.
The anti-gender movement almost always sees the West (acting as a kind of surrogate of all progressive ideas) as the ultimate enemy that aims at eroding traditions. North Macedonia, where a large proportion of the population is disillusioned by the European Union accession process and the seemingly endless obstacles on the path towards the Union, is especially susceptible to anti-Western rhetoric.
How anti-gender influences – and will influence – North Macedonia
North Macedonia has already witnessed how anti-gender rhetoric is emplyed by Eurosceptic and conservative political actors. In addition, such actors are often supporters of authoritarian regimes, such as for Putin’s Russia.
For example, the party “Rodina Makedonija” stands firmly “against sexist and transgender ideology.” Rodina, along with the parties Integra and MAAK can be found on the list of partners on the website of the Coalition for the Protection of Children.
Плакат на партијата Родина Македонија. Фото: Мета.мк
Anti-gender rhetoric is already present in mainstream parties, as can be seen by the statements of VMRO-DPMNE’s lead candidate in the fourth electoral unit Aleksandar Nikoloski. During the campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections, he stated that his party believes only in a “mother” and a “father”, not in “parent 1” and “parent 2” – a statement that seems to borrow directly from “Coalition for the Protection of Children” playbook. In fact, this is an old disinformation narrative, that the terms Parent 1 and Parent 2 will be used in the pilot-curriculum for sexual education.
The anti-gender movement has also successfully brought together all sorts of conservative spheres from the conservative world – even the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) came out with a public statement and a clear political position against the laws on gender equality and civil registration.
In the summer of 2023, MOC organized and promoted the protests against said laws, claiming that they were sent to the Parliament in a fast-track procedure. That turned out to be a complete lie – the Law on Gender Equality is still “stuck” in the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, while the amendments to the Law on Civil Registration were read in the Parliament in a regular procedure.
Од протестот кој го организираше МПЦ против измените на законите за родови прашања, 29 јуни 2024 г. | Фото: Бојан Блажевски, Мета.мк
Jakov Stobiski, the face of MOC’s political activism, regularly spreads disinformation on the topic, alongside other popular global conspiracy theories. For example, he has talked about the “incredible connection between the progression of gender ideology and the liberalization of pedophilia on a global level”. One should not be surprised that his article on the topic can be found on KZD’s website.
The danger and the future of the anti-gender movement
Anti-gender rhetoric and “activism” can only cause additional difficulties in the lives of transgender people; they will certainly not lead to the “protection of children.”
Research shows that there is a correlation between US states passing laws limiting transgender rights and increased violence towards trans children in those states. Most alarmingly, this correlation exists even when such laws are merely read in local councils.
The rollback of transgender rights is just one piece of the puzzle of the consequences of these movements. They allow the validity of the progress of the rights of women and sexual minorities to be brought back on the table again. For example, KZD regularly shares disinformation in relations to abortion.
This regression in values caused by the anti-gender movement can be easily seen in the case of a gymnasium in Strumica that introduced a restrictive dress code which banned shorts, leggings and long fingernails. This policy came only a few days after a similar policy was implemented in Prilep. It is no coincidence that such rules were enforced in Strumica, the city that became a hot spot of the anti-gender movement after the organization “Parents’ Front” organized a protest in the town against the implementation of “gender ideology” in schools.
According to Lila Milikj, the transgender activist who was supposed to talk about her experience with trans medical care in the lecture canceled at the Faculty Medicine, the anti-gender movement lead to less space for trans lives to be publicly discussed.
“What the ‘Coalition for the Protection of Children’ did, hurt me personally. The cancellation of the lecture affected me since my right to explain my transition process was taken away from me. It was direct interference in the students’ learning process – students who one day will be doctors. The students were deprived of dialogue and insight into the problems and needs of trans people going through gender affirming medical care. It seems that the dean, or the student organization under pressure, can cancel other events opposed by the anti-gender movement. The mere cancellation is a sign of high-level discrimination and stigma towards transgender people by institutions”, said Milikj.
Researcher Milenkovska agrees that dialogue remains the last resort for overcoming the damage and the pain caused by the anti-gender movement.
“I honestly believe that we should create space for dialogue, errors, but also for learning. That said however, it is still not clear how to initiate dialogue with a people who believe that queer and transgender people should not exist or that reproductive freedom should not be a right. How can one create a space for understanding if that person is not interested in your side of the story – especially the lives of marginalized groups. Nevertheless, we should address those who lack support and solidarity and create coalitions of care instead of coalitions of fear and violence”, concludes Milenkovska.
Two interns from the media outlets working under the auspices of Metamorphosis Foundation – Meta.mk and Portalb.mk – together with two representatives of the Foundation itself, were on a week-long study visit in Washington, USA. The study visit was organized by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), which has been Metamorphosis’s partner for several years.
Apart from the meetings with representatives of the International Center for Journalists, the participants also visited several newsrooms and educational institutions. Some of the media visited included the magazine “Foreign Policy”, the reputable “Washington Post” as well as the online medium “Axios”.
Фото: Фондација „Метаморфозис“
A series of lectures on the topic of the fight against disinformation and visits of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at Maryland University, and PEN America were also organized. There was also a meeting with representatives of US Department of State. The most relevant topis of the study visit were the artificial intelligence and its impact on disinformation and data-based journalism.
The visit was the final part of the program “Journalism for a New Generation: Media Training Program in North Macedonia” that Metamorphosis Foundation is implementing together with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), supported by the Embassy of the USA in the Republic of North Macedonia.
The program started with four training sessions for young journalists in the field of data journalism and disinformation that took place in February, March, April and May this year. The top seven participants of a total of 40 were selected for a monthly internship in the media outlets working under the auspices of Metamorphosis, more precisely, Meta News Agency, Portalb and Truthmeter. The best two of the seven interns were selected for the study visit to the USA.
Printscreen from the online campaign for positive promotion of the party bots in Serbia | Source: Instagram profile of Aleksandar Vučić
Someone is a proud political party bot, while another is praising the party leader and attacking his opponents, under the threat of losing his/her job. Yet, one thing is certain – the number of people recruited by political parties to spread propaganda on social networks is in the realm of tens of thousands. In the country of origin of most of the disinformation in the region – Serbia – a great debate is ongoing nowadays. It started when the names and the profiles of 14,000 persons believed to be bots of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SPP) were publicly revealed.
Meta News Agency contacted the person who published the list of names and profiles of some of the bots in Serbia, Dragan Vidaković – Mrki. The information shared in his statement cannot be verified by an independent source, but if the social network profiles are analyzed, one will indeed see that a large number of them are actually political party bots.
€15,000 for a list of 14,000 bots
He says that he paid €15,000 for the list – money collected from the Serbian diaspora. Allegedly, the list was purchased from one of the heads of the IT teams of the Serbian Progressive Party (SPP). According to Mrki, these IT teams orchestrate the entire bot operations through Viber groups once they receive instructions from the party headquarters.
Regarding the authenticity of the list, Vidaković claims that it can be verified and that he will soon publish a large number of evidence about the way in which this bot system operates in Serbia.
The published list divides the bots into three categories: ”super special”, “fans”, and “haters”. Vidaković explains that the “super specials” are the most active bots who attack the opponents of the party and publish false information about them, while the “fans” disseminate “support for the regime”.
The “haters” are those who attack every piece of news by the free media. Frequently, they can be recognized by comments such as “I am not a supporter of Vucic, but these…” or “They are all the same” and similar comments. Haters are in charge of killing the morale of the politically neutral,” Vidaković explains.
Vidaković has not expressed much mercy for the persons whose personal data he also published, although he suspects that many of them were forced to serve as SPP bots to keep their jobs. He says that the people from smaller settlements in Serbia are now put to shame. He also adds he hopes that criminal charges will be brought against them.
But contrary to his claims, botting is not a criminal act in itself, unless it involves threats to public security. What is criminal in such an operation is the abuse of funds from the state budget for bribing citizens to perform activities that are not legally defined at all. The President of the Association of Prosecutors of Serbia, Radovan Lazić, in “Newsnight” on Serbian TV N1 confirmed that elements of serious corruption were apparent in this case.
There are suspicions that the people on the list of bots, in actual fact, are employed in public enterprises and state institutions, without specified job positions and defined duties. They earn their salaries for writing posts that indicates the possibility of serious corruption, and that should be of interest to the prosecutors. I am not an optimist that it will happen, but the Prosecution should initiate an initial investigation for this case, although it is too early to talk about that, added Lazić.
After the list was published, the Serbian ruling party, led by country president Aleksandar Vučić, initiated an online campaign titled “Yes, I am a SPP-bot!” instead of answering the questions of the public.
“I love Serbia and the Serbian Progressive Party most of all in”, specifies the graphics of the campaign showing young people eating sandwiches.
Who is Dragan Vidaković – Mrki?
Vidaković presents himself as the president of the Serbian Movement – Guerilla, which, as he says, he formed after the blockades of the crossroads in Serbia as a response to the high fuel prices in 2018.
“I have secondary education, I did not complete higher education and I am not hiding that”, says Vidaković for Meta.mk. He added that he had been arrested and detained several times, among other things, also for putting at risk the security of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, with a tweet. As he says, he is in political asylum in Switzerland now.
At the same time, it is difficult to find more detailed information about his Serbian Movement – Guerilla”.
Concerning their values, in one of his tweets, Vidaković says that the Movement stands for “autonomy of Vojvodina, recognition of Kosovo, sanctions against Russia and EU-membership”. However, he also put winking emoticons in the commentaries, which could suggest that this explanation was sarcastic. On the YouTube channel of the movement there is a video titled “We will not surrender Kosovo” – but one cannot confirm for sure that the channel belongs to the movement.
In May 2019, the movement organized a protest with tents and a banner stating “Not one or the other”. The daily newspaper “Danas” reports that flyers were handed out during this protest demanding the fulfillment of 11 requests or else the Serbian people would demonstrate civic disobedience and general strike. But in that period neither civic disobedience nor general strike happened.
In June 2019, the Movement announced a protest in front of the US Embassy in Belgrade against – as they stated – “the American policies on Serbia and Kosovo”. The protest was aborted by the lack of a pyrotechnician who would operate the fireworks, such as smoke grenades and torches, reported Radio Free Europe at the time.
Fellow journalists from Serbia say that Mrki is not a “visible” person, therefore it is quite difficult to check his claims.
“He is a right-wing person who attracts many young people who believe that the change of government in Serbia (even through violence) is the only way to reconstruct the state and society”, says Nikola Petrović from the International and Security Affairs Centre – ISAC Fund in Belgrade.
In addition, one can notice that Vidaković has quite extreme positions on specific issues, for example, he frequently tweets that he wishes Vučić does not survive his next medical check-up.
The number of party bots is much bigger
For Meta.mk, Vidaković himself says that what he published was not the full list of SPP bots in Serbia and, most probably, their number is much higher. If one draws a parallel and compares the activities of some of the Macedonian political parties, it can be said that similar activities for alleged mass support on social networks also happen in our country. On several occasions, former ministers and Members of Parliament have spoken publicly that they had been targets of online attacks of party bots.
In 2018, the former Minister of Health and also former Minister of Education in the governments of VMRO-DPMNE, Nikola Todorov, in an interview revealed that the party is “rearing” party bots used for lynches on social networks, including spreading lies and hate speech.
The former Member of Parliament from VMRO-DPMNE, Daniela Rangelova, also gave a similar statement thereby confirming the existence of party bots publicly in 2019.
Apart from these public statements about the existence of party bots in North Macedonia, up to date we have not seen concrete evidence about the identities of these people – are they in the public administration or simply members of the youth branches of the parties?
