Panel from a cartoon by Miloš Dragojević (Stripom Protiv Diktature), depicting Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić, used with permission. Cartoonist Miloš Dragojević has been using the Facebook page Stripom protiv Diktature (Comics against Dictatorship) to make satirical commentaries on the political situation in Serbia. Several of his latest comics discuss the government’s lack of transparency about the source of vaccines against COVID-19 and the population’s reactions. In a statement to Global Voices, he explained why he started to produce the digital cartoons: Sa radom na kreiranju strip tabli na Stranici “Stripom protiv diktature” počeo sam tako što sam tražio način da izrazim bunt i iskažem neslagsnje sa stanjem u svojoj zemlji. Istovremeno želeo sam da što više ljudi vidi taj moj izraz. Tako sam našao efikasan način da kroz strip satiru ismejem, ali istovremeno i ukažem na loše pojave u društvu. Pre svega medju političirama. I started the work on the comics for the page Comics against Dictatorship because I wanted to express my rebellion and disagreement with the situation in my country. At the same time, I wanted as many people as possible to be able to see that expression. I found that satirical comics is an effective way to both ridicule and expose bad developments in society, in particular those perpetrated by politicians. While at first the Serbian government led by President Aleksandar Vučić downplayed the danger from the pandemic, after elections in June, there was a change in tone and the president took on the role of protector of the people from COVID-19. On July 15, Vučić announced that he is was in contact with a certain country that had already developed a vaccine and that it would be available in Serbia before the end of 2020. When journalists inquired about which country the vaccine would be imported from, Vučić refused to disclose that information. He would only say that “soon we'll be signing a protocol for cooperation, but I can't tell you the name of the country.” However, two weeks later the Serbian president announced that he had met with the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Chen Bo, and “reiterated his gratitude for the support that Serbia received from China and President Xi Jinping, especially for the help rendered during the coronavirus epidemic,” noting that getting a vaccine was one of the topics of the meeting. Since the clinical trials necessary for proper testing of vaccines take more than a few months, and can even take years, a large portion of the public was skeptical about the quality of such medical products. This skepticism was reflected in the following cartoon, featuring a caricature of supposed statements by Vučić and Xi. Comics about the supposed use of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines in Serbia by Miloš Dragojević (Stripom Protiv Diktature), used with permission. On August 11, Russia announced that it had produced a vaccine against COVID-19. Pro-Russian media, politicians and social media users in the Balkans started praising the controversial development, in particular, repeating the announcement that one of Putin's daughters had received the vaccine. The same day the Serbian president reacted to the news about the Russian vaccine with a statement that he is “ready to be the first to receive the Russian vaccine,” as reported by Russia Today via Twitter. The following comics from August 14 depict the change of position by elderly people, who are considered most susceptible to Russian influence and that of domestic populists who collude with Russia. Comics about two typical pensioners discussing COVID-19 vaccines by Miloš Dragojević (Stripom Protiv Diktature), used with permission. As Putin memes related to the vaccine flooded social media, one group from the Balkans remained uncharacteristically silent—the anti-vaxxers. Macedonian social media influencer Sloboda Jakoski commented on that aspect of the situation via Twitter. Со радост констатирам дека некои од моите познаници антиваксери цело ова време биле само антизападњаци. Спасибо Русија! — Slobodan Jakoski (@FlavrSavr) August 11, 2020 I acknowledge with gladness that some of my anti-vaxxer acquaintances were, in fact, just anti-Western all this time. Thank you, Russia! In May 2020, the Serbian government announced that all adult citizens were eligible to receive a government grant of 100 euros (about 120 U.S. dollars) in one-off financial assistance. Opposition politicians noted that this redistribution of taxpayers’ money coincided with the continuation of the campaign for snap elections, rescheduled for June 21.