The launch of a new state-run platform designed to report the arrogance and corruption of public officials—provocatively named “Who the Hell Are You?” (Ko si, bre, ti?) and personally initiated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić—has taken an unexpected turn.
Zoran Gavrilović, the Executive Director of the Bureau for Social Research (BIRODI), has utilized the portal’s submission mechanism to file an official complaint against its very creator: President Vučić himself.
The bold move has escalated the public debate regarding the constitutionality, legal boundaries, and true political motives behind the newly established digital whistleblowing platform.
The BIRODI Complaints: Who is Breaking the Rules?
Sociologist Zoran Gavrilović used the portal to submit two distinct, highly detailed complaints targeting systemic failures at both the state and municipal levels:
1. The Case Against Aleksandar Vučić (Category: “Arrogance of Public Officials”)
In his submission, Gavrilović detailed suspected violations of three major legal and political frameworks by the President:
- Article 111 of the Constitution of Serbia: This article stipulates that the President of the Republic must express and represent the state unity of Serbia. By continually merging his state office with ruling party activities, BIRODI argues, Vučić directly undermines this constitutional mandate.
- Article 40 of the Law on the Prevention of Corruption: This law strictly forbids public officials from subordinating public interests to private or political party gains, prohibiting the use of state offices for partisan promotion.
- The Primary ODIHR Recommendation: A key international standard on democratic elections, which demands a strict, legally enforced separation between official state duties and political party campaigns.
2. The Case Against 110 Mayors and Municipal Presidents (Category: “Corruption”)
In a secondary, sweeping submission, Gavrilović targeted local government leadership across Serbia. He reported the heads of more than 110 cities and municipalities for failing to establish mandatory local anti-corruption bodies.
“A large number of mayors and municipal presidents who have failed to fulfill this obligation were appointed through the political consent and personnel filters of the ruling party. Due to this failure, Serbia has made no progress in the area of rule of law for years.” — Zoran Gavrilović, Executive Director of BIRODI
Constitutional Concerns: A “Para-Institutional” System
Legal experts and civil society organizations have raised alarm bells, warning that the “Who the Hell Are You?” portal sets a highly dangerous precedent.
By operating under the direct authority of the Presidency rather than independent judicial institutions, critics argue the platform functions as a para-institutional mechanism. Instead of strengthening existing state bodies—such as the state prosecution, the police, or the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption—this initiative bypasses them entirely, placing oversight under a single, highly politicized executive office.
[ The Whistleblowing Mechanism Clash ]
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[ Official State System ] [ Presidency Portal ]
• Public Prosecutors & Courts. • "Who the Hell Are You?" website.
• Agency for Prevention of Corruption. • Under direct control of the President.
• Tasked with legal, objective prosecution. • Lacks formal judicial authority.
Vučić Dismisses Constitutional Concerns with Humor
President Vučić has boasted about the immediate impact of the portal, claiming it received over 5.7 million clicks and 429 concrete reports within its first 24 hours alone. He noted that several local officials have already faced justified public scrutiny through the submissions.
However, when asked about the formal complaints filed against him regarding his overreach of constitutional powers, Vučić brushed aside the legal criticisms with a characteristic joke during a television appearance:
“There are also complaints against me, saying I violate the constitution, that I exceed my powers… I made a joke and replied that I can cross the street at a pedestrian crossing, or even outside of it, but as for crossing my official powers—that is something that simply does not exist.” — Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić
For legal scholars and sociologists, the reality remains stark. They argue that a system where citizens must appeal to an informal, presidential feedback portal rather than trusted courts of law is the ultimate proof of a deeply fractured institutional landscape.
