Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has once again chosen to measure his success by comparing it to some of the darkest periods in the country’s modern history. During his visit to the construction site of the “Irški Venac” tunnel, part of the Novi Sad–Ruma corridor, Vučić stated that by June 28 – Vidovdan, he would celebrate the fact that Serbia has built more kilometers of roads than during the eras of Tito, Milošević, or any post-2000 government.
“Even during Milošević’s time, roads were built – and we’ve surpassed that era as well,” Vučić declared proudly, as if comparing himself to an authoritarian leader associated with international isolation, wars, and economic collapse in the late 1990s were something to boast about.
During the same event, Vučić harshly criticized the protesters and students who have been opposing his policies for months.
“Those blocking roads are committing economic crimes. Structures are collapsing, and they are responsible,” he said, framing citizen-led protests as deliberate acts of sabotage.
When a president proudly praises the Milošević era as a benchmark for success, it’s not surprising that he sees civil protest not as a sign of a healthy democracy, but as a threat. Vučić’s remarks reveal more than political rhetoric — they confirm his reliance on a backward-facing vision.
Rather than listening to the voices of frustrated students and citizens, he chooses to label them criminals and denies any responsibility for the rising social tensions.
The more he glorifies the past, the more he proves he is trapped by it.
