British newspaper The Guardian has mocked Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić by publishing his response to criticism not as an official opinion piece but as a regular reader letter.
Although Vučić had prepared a structured editorial defending his government, emphasizing Serbia’s ties with the EU, and denying allegations of authoritarianism, the newspaper chose to place it in the “Letters to the Editor” section, normally reserved for casual citizen reactions rather than statements from heads of state.
In his text, Vučić attempted to portray Serbia as a developing democracy, claiming:
“Serbia is deeply engaged with Europe… such a level of cooperation does not align with the idea of an authoritarian or malicious state.”
He also addressed domestic protests, arguing that:
“What Serbia cannot accept is violence disguised as activism, which undermines institutions built with dedication.”
By relegating the piece to a marginal section, The Guardian effectively undermined Vučić’s claim to legitimacy, exposing it to ironic reading and signaling that his narrative does not carry the weight he seeks in the international arena.
