Russia accused the West on Monday of seeking to “destabilize” the situation in Serbia, where demonstrators contesting the results of recent legislative elections attacked Belgrade town hall the day before.
“It is obvious that the collective West seeks to destabilize the situation in the country,” declared the spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, quoted by the public agency RIA Novosti, comparing the demonstrations in Serbia to those of the Maidan in Kiev, which led to the coming to power of pro-Westerners in Ukraine in early 2014.
Irregularities in the vote
Protesters contesting the results of recent legislative elections in Serbia attacked the capital’s town hall on Sunday, smashing windows with stones, before being pushed back by police.
Serbian nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic, whose party was declared the winner of the December 17 legislative elections, said two police officers were “seriously injured” during the demonstration, while more than 35 people were arrested.
The December 17 vote drew widespread criticism after a team of international observers – including representatives from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – denounced a series of “irregularities”, including “vote buying” and “ballot stuffing”.