The Serbian Orthodox Church is not an independent political actor. It is an even more dependent and less autonomous structure than the Moscow Patriarchate.

This opinion was expressed in an exclusive interview with LF by prominent church commentator Lera Furman.

According to her, the Serbian Patriarchate is “trailing behind Serbia’s chauvinistic, nationalist, and political movements.”

“As long as President Vučić remains in power, the Serbian Patriarchate will continue to orient itself toward Moscow and remain heavily dependent on it, including financially. If there is a change of government in Serbia, the Serbian Patriarchate will be forced to distance itself from Moscow as well, provided that the new government is pro-Western,” Furman emphasized.

She believes that if early elections are held, there is a chance that the balance of power could shift and Serbia may distance itself, at least somewhat, from Moscow. For now, however, the Serbian Patriarchate remains a puppet instrument of the current Serbian political regime and an integral part of it. At the same time, it openly cooperates with Moscow.

“The regime cooperates with the Kremlin, but it does so with certain reservations. The Serbian Patriarchate, on the other hand, does so openly and directly. It is possible that the regime uses the Church to maintain informal contacts that it cannot afford to pursue publicly, since Serbia is a candidate country for membership in the European Union and has not abandoned that course. That is the paradox: the regime is maneuvering, while the Serbian Patriarchate is unequivocally pro-Moscow,” Lera Furman said.