ZDF reveals how mood is created on Serbian TV against Germany and for Kremlin boss Putin.
Apparently, German companies also pay for the advertising between the debates.
Munich/Belgrade - The ties between Belgrade and Moscow have been very close for over 100 years.
In the early 20th century, Serbia turned to the Russian Tsars when Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908.
When Vienna finally declared war on the Serbs in 1914, Moscow immediately declared war on the Austrian Habsburgs.
Happy TV and Pink in Serbia: Broadcasters rail against the West and for Vladimir Putin
Another example of solidarity: when the western military alliance NATO bombed Belgrade in March 1999 during the Kosovo war, the Kremlin protested resolutely.
To this day, Russia does not recognize Kosovo's independence, while Serbian nationalists are calling for the republic to be reintegrated into their country as a province.
Conversely, Belgrade has not yet condemned the Kremlin's illegal war in Ukraine.
The extent of this close relationship between Vladimir Putin's Moscow regime and Aleksander Vucic's Serbian government can be seen on Serbian TV, where pro-Russian sentiment is encouraged and the West is denigrated on talk shows.
This is the result of research by ZDF.
Perhaps the most blatant example: Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) was recently described as a former prostitute on the high-performing “Happy TV”.
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ZDF journalist Britta Hilpert and a team from the "Auslandsjournal" investigated the matter.
In addition to "Happy TV", the broadcaster "RTV Pink" also conducts Moscow-related propaganda - with advertising from German companies in between, according to a report for the March 22 broadcast.
For example, the supermarket giant Lidl, headquartered in Neckarsulm in Swabia, the drugstore chain dm based in Karlsruhe in Baden, the Nivea care brand from Hamburg-based Beiersdorf AG and the Düsseldorf-based Henkel group placed advertisements on Serbian television during the said political talks.
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Political talk on Serbian TV: Annalena Baerbock is referred to as a prostitute
Also before and after the sentences, according to which Germany's Foreign Minister Baerbock used to be a professional prostitute, as a female studio guest on "Happy TV" claimed on March 13, 2023.
The lady is not named, but in its contribution – which can be accessed in the media center – ZDF does show the sequence in which the statement described is made.
What does the Prime Minister from Belgrade say about this?
In the ZDF report, Hilpert confronts the Serbian President at a press conference with the statement from the TV show.
“Lies and fake news are not good, I agree with you.
It's good to look at things from all angles.
This is often not the case in the large democracies,” says Vucic.
Another dig at Berlin?
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The lady on the right described Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) as a professional prostitute.
© Screenshot ZDF@Auslandsjournal
There seem to be a number of examples of Western denigration.
For example, on November 15, 2022, analyst Sasa Borojevic put forward the confused thesis on “Happy TV” that Ukraine had stolen the book burning record from Hitler.
Serbian TV: propaganda for Vladimir Putin and against Germany
Director Dragoslav Bokan, in turn, claimed on January 25, 2023 on “RTV Pink” that the West was leading a crusade against the Russians like Hitler did in World War II.
Striking: In an analysis from autumn 1997, the well-known political magazine
Osteuropa
, which is published by the Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag, wrote that Bokan belonged to the "Beli Orlovi" during the Yugoslav wars.
The ultra-nationalist paramilitary unit "White Eagles", which is said to have committed a number of war crimes against the non-Serbian population.
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According to the "Auslandsjournal", the non-governmental organization CRTA alleges that German companies would support pro-Russian propaganda on Serbian TV with millions of euros for advertising.
According to the ZDF research, Lidl is the company that invests the most in advertising during political talks.
The group from Swabia, however, said on request on which channel to advertise, one decides only on the basis of marketing key figures.
Serbia: Aleksandar Vucic praises the commitment of German companies in his country - but does not criticize TV stations
And Vucic?
Confirmed in an interview that was displayed: "German companies are the engine of Serbian success." German companies in Serbia would employ 78,000 people.
But does he criticize the anti-German mood on Serbian TV?
Apparently he didn't say anything about that.
(pm)