The emergence of offensive graffiti bearing the words “Milica Lаžljivica“ (Milica the Liar) and “Miloš Francuz” (Miloš the Frenchman), as well as posters aimed at discrediting the members of the so-called nation-wide coalition who oppose Serbia accepting the European proposal for the resolution of the Kosovo issue, are a well-known format of how the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) operates, as well as a product of the SNS’ generators of hatred.
The graffiti mention the names of the president of the Zavetnici movement, Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski and the president of the New Democratic Party of Serbia, Miloš Jovanović. The graffiti has been plastered all over Belgrade and Novi Sad, trying to discredit Miloš Jovanović who, days earlier, when he said that he had dual citizenship – that of Serbia and France. Soon after, the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, branded him a traitor for having a French passport. In response, Jovanović said that he would denounce French citizenship if Aleksandar Vučić refused to accept the French-German Plan for Kosovo.
Jovanović says that the hate campaign has not affected him and adds:” Honestly, it neither gets to me nor interests me much. I have no other comment. Personal attacks are otherwise pointless, especially in this situation when the country’s destiny is at stake.”
The president of the opposition’s Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), Dragan Đilas, was often the target of the regime’s campaigns. Some of the propaganda went so far that the pro-government tabloids tied this opposition leader to Veljko Belivuk’s criminal clan, at the moment when this clan was accused of planning the assassination of President Vučić.
“As a person who was also a target of such and even worse attacks, I strongly condemn that. It is absolutely irrelevant who has what political views. Each of us should fight for a country where such confrontations with political opponents would not be possible to happen”, says Đilas.
The part of the opposition that is targeted by the authorities is organizing a protest on March 17, the day before the announced departure of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for negotiations on Kosovo in Ohrid. Two days later, on March 19, on the same occasion and with almost identical demands, the civil association “Ljubav Vera Nada” and the People’s Freedom Movement Party, will protest too.
(Danas, 14.03.2023)
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