PUBLICATION: Study
MADE AT HOME: Political Elites and Media Narratives on the Ukraine War in Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
The war in Ukraine has reverberated across the Western Balkans in ways that reflect the region’s own political dynamics more than the influence of any external actor, including Russia. In Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, media coverage and public narratives surrounding the conflict have been shaped primarily by domestic political realities, local media structures, and long-standing identity divides.
Although such narratives often resemble or parallel themes associated with Russian state messaging, evidence shows that their origins and functions are fundamentally homemade. Rather than being targets of Russian influence or passive conduits for it, political and media elites across the region selectively draw on, adapt, and repurpose these narratives to serve their own pragmatic and opportunistic agendas.
This study draws on media-monitoring data provided by Pikasa Analytics (Skopje, North Macedonia), based on quantitative tracking of media outputs across three countries during the period January–June 2025. The data provided a structured basis for the report’s analysis, while the interpretation of findings, analytical conclusions, and narrative framing remain the authorship of BCSP.
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