The role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the regional political activity of the Republic of Serbia

Arnaudov Mitko (Institut za međunarodnu politiku i privredu, Beograd), mitko@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs
Manojlović Marija (Fakultet političkih nauka, Beograd), marijamanojlovic86@gmail.com
Hadžić Nikola (Fakultet političkih nauka, Beograd), nikolahadzic@yahoo.com

The paper analyses the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the current political activity of the Republic of Serbia. Through a case study, the authors examine the relations of the Serbian Patriarchate with the Bulgarian and Macedonian Orthodox Church—Ohrid Archdiocese. In this sense, they strive to shed light on the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in social trends through a historical-political sequence. In this sense, the paper seeks answers as to whether the Serbian Orthodox Church is a de facto determinant of political events in Serbia, i.e., whether it influences state decisions on foreign policy, including those related to political processes such as European integration. Through the analysis of current political events in relations with Bulgaria and North Macedonia, the authors emphasise the importance of the recently closed church dispute with the Macedonian Orthodox Church. At the same time, they express their concern regarding the open issues between Belgrade and Sofia, not only about the disagreement regarding the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church but also about other important political issues.

Keywords: Serbian Orthodox Church, Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Macedonian Orthodox Church—Ohrid Archdiocese, regional processes