Civil Society and Social Networks in Serbia During the 2017 Presidential Campaign: An Analysis in the Context of the ”Global Village” Theory Marshall McLuhan

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze the possibilities of using social media by organized social groups, youth and broadly understood civil society as a tool to counteract populism and disinformation as phenomena occurring during the presidential campaign. An example is the protest movement in Serbia after the announcement of the results of the presidential elections in 2017, which according to indepen dent observers were held with numerous violations. The article shows the ambivalence of social media, which on the one hand have become an excellent tool that can quickly organize, activate and bring people to the streets, but on the other hand a platform through which one can spread disinformation and streng then its authoritarian system. In particular, the article analyzes the reasons for the failure of the “Serbian Maidan” and indicates that the events in Serbia in 2017 were a precedent when social media were first used not for democratic changes, but for the establishment of a populist authoritarian regime.