Jovo Bakić, a parliamentary candidate on Serbia’s student-backed Students’ List, has said that combating organized crime must be a top priority for the country’s next government, calling for all links between state institutions and criminal networks to be severed.
“We must cut all ties between the state and organized crime, and then suppress organized crime—which can never be completely eradicated—to the greatest extent possible,” Bakić told the Serbian newspaper Danas in an interview published Tuesday.
Bakić said he had a plan to address the problem but remained uncertain whether he would personally be in a position to implement it or whether someone else would take responsibility for carrying it out.
He emphasized that reforming the Ministry of Internal Affairs would be a central part of the effort.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs itself will have to be thoroughly cleansed of criminals and then strengthened with professionals,” he said.
Bakić added that retired police officers with established reputations for integrity could help train younger officers and transfer their professional knowledge and experience.
“We will also need some retirees whom we know to be honest police officers, who will pass on their knowledge to young police officers,” he said.
Although he acknowledged that the task would be difficult, Bakić argued that it could be accomplished with sufficient political will.
“It is a job that will not be easy, but with strong political will, it will be entirely achievable,” he said.
Bakić’s remarks come after the Students’ List won Serbia’s parliamentary elections, placing the movement under pressure to translate its campaign commitments into concrete institutional reforms.
His comments point to a proposed focus on strengthening professionalism within law enforcement and addressing alleged links between state institutions and organized crime. The extent and implementation of any reforms will depend on the priorities and decisions of the incoming government.
