Intellectuals and nations in transition: a critical discourse analysis of Serbian intellectuals as spokespersons for the nation Early notions of post-socialist transformation in Eastern and Southeastern Europe as a unidirectional, progressive advancement towards Western standards have gradually been relinquished. Nowadays scholars generally agree that post-socialist transition and Europeanisation are best characterised as a relatively steady condition marked by great social, economic and political uncertainty (cf. Fraser, 1997; Burawoy & Verdery, 1999). This volatility is particularly sharp in the societies that emerged from the disintegration of Yugoslavia, due to the post-conflict situation and the ongoing nation-building processes. In such a context, public intellectuals and commentators may play a key role, insofar as they undertake the task of making sense of the uncertainty by articulating widespread concerns, shared social representations, as well as a common vision for the future. Post-Yugoslav intellectuals have done so mainly by promoting the nation as framework for social identity and political practice (Malešević, 2001). This clearly resonates with the notion that the modern intellectual emerged primarily as ‘nation-maker’ following the historical formation of nation-states (Suny & Kennedy, 1999). The purpose of this paper is to explore the discursive strategies that intellectuals employ in order to come forward and act as ‘spokespersons for the nation’ in the post-Yugoslav context. To this end, I elaborate an interdisciplinary and context-specific discourse-based approach, drawing on analyses of the discursive construction of national identities (Wodak et al., 2009) and Pels’ insightful study of intellectual marginality (Pels, 2000). Then, I use this framework to examine a set of 12 opinion pieces written by Serbian intellectuals in the aftermath of Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia (February 2008) which were circulated in the national press. The analysis focuses on the discursive construction both of the intellectual standpoint as a ‘vantage point’ and of the nation as a project intended to bring prosperity to its members. The case study on Serbia is part of a wider research project that includes two more cases, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. This project seeks to shed light on the complex interplay between transition, nation and intellectual life across the post-Yugoslav landscape. Furthermore, it aims to provide critical discourse analysts with new tools to inquire into how intellectuals may use their ‘discursive power’ to promote specific values and ideologies.