Aleksandar Kavčić (b. 1968) is widely known as a Serbian-American electrical engineer and philanthropist, particularly for his advocacy of free textbooks for students. His plan is for the state-run Zavod za zaštitu udžbenika to become the main—or even the sole—textbook publisher, achieved through pressure by parents on schools and teachers to choose only those textbooks.
For this reason, he was even proclaimed Person of the Year in 2022 by the weekly magazine NIN, which at the time was owned by United Media group. Kavčić’s rhetoric is popular because it carries appealing socialist overtones: “Publishers are just companies profiting from this. A cartel is in charge, even though the market is limited only by the state’s will to approve or not approve certain textbooks. If we want more competition, we should first look to the state.”
There are also attractive nationalist notes in his discourse: “A German company is profiting off our children.” A mix of mild socialism and nationalism is a winning combination in an anti-Western disinformation driven society such as Serbia. His method involves undermining the reputation of teachers among students and parents, with sweeping accusations of corruption and criminal activity. His ultimate goal appears to be strengthening the state monopoly in education—a monopoly that has only recently begun to loosen (for instance, see the source).
Through frequent appearances in Serbian media—especially outlets under the United Media group such as TV N1, TV Nova S, Danas daily, and Radar weekly—Mr. Kavčić has gained significant popularity among the general public, especially after expressing public support for student and high school protests, including school blockades and teacher strikes across Serbia.
However, what is most notable is his anti-Western, pro-Russian, and Serbo-nationalist revisionist rhetoric. Below are just a few examples. Feel free to contact us for more information.
He appeared on a prime-time show on TV N1 Info on June 13, 2025, where he promoted anti-EU narratives regarding Kosovo and the Jadar boron-lithium project in Serbia:
Another example comes from February 5, 2023, during an interview with the Russian state-owned broadcaster Sputnik, where he spread anti-U.S. disinformation, claiming the United States was the “main culprit” behind the violent breakup of Yugoslavia. He also propagated pro-Russian narratives, portraying the aggression against Ukraine as merely a “competition” between global powers to sell energy to “wealthy Europeans.”
