The decision by Serbia’s ruling authorities to celebrate Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day) inside a fenced pro-government camp in Belgrade is a public admission that Aleksandar Vučić’s Kosovo policy has utterly failed, prominent Kosovo Serb politician Momčilo Trajković declared on Wednesday.
Speaking to the Beta news agency, Trajković targeted the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) for reducing one of the most sacred dates in Serbian history to a political rally inside “Ćacilend” (Ćaciland)—the colloquial name for the heavily fortified, pro-government encampment in Belgrade’s Pionirski Park, directly across from the National Assembly.
Trajković’s scathing remarks follow an official statement by SNS President Miloš Vučević, who raised eyebrows across the political spectrum by announcing that, for the current regime, “Pionirski Park represents Gazimestan in a way.”
1. The Rhetorical Clash: Gazimestan vs. “Ćacilend”
The controversy highlights a sharp geographic and symbolic retreat. Traditionally, Serbian nationalist parties and state officials travel to Gazimestan—the historic monument site of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo, located just outside Prishtina—to mark Vidovdan on June 28.
The Symbolic Shift of Serbian Commemoration
[ HISTORIC GAZIMESTAN ] ──► FOUNDATIONAL SYMBOL
• Located in Kosovo; represents the ultimate sacrifice of Prince Lazar and
has historically served as the epicenter of Serbian national identity.
[ THE REGIME'S REPLACEMENT ] ──► PIONIRSKI PARK (BELGRADE)
• Redefined by SNS leader Miloš Vučević as the regime's own "Gazimestan,"
where the ruling party claims it is "defending the state."
[ THE OPPOSITION LABEL ] ──► "ĆACILEND" (ĆACILAND)
• The colloquial, highly mocking term given to the fenced park camp,
which critics argue is the only space where the regime can safely gather.
“Celebrating Vidovdan in ‘Ćacilend’ is a desecration of one of the most significant dates in Serbian history and an open admission of the Belgrade government’s defeat regarding Kosovo. Vidovdan has been reduced to ‘Ćacilend’ for the Progressives… Such a political and national mindset belongs nowhere else.”
— Momčilo Trajković, Kosovo Serb Politician
2. What is “Ćacilend”? The Camp Behind the Fences
The location chosen for the state-backed Vidovdan gathering has been a flashpoint of internal Serbian political unrest for over a year.
Anatomy of Belgrade's Most Controversial Urban Encampment
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ [ ORIGINS IN STRIFE ] ────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ • Established in March 2025 by a pro-government group calling themselves│ │
│ "Students who want to study" to counter mass anti-corruption protests.│ │
│ │ │
│ [ THE MOCKING MONIKER ] ──────────────────────────────────────────┤ │
│ • Named "Ćacilend" by protesters after a pro-government vandal misspelled│ │
│ the word for students ("đaci") as "ćaci" on a local high school wall.│ │
│ │ │
│ [ SECURITY & CONTROVERSY ] ───────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ • The park remains strictly fenced off from the general public, guarded│
│ by anti-riot units and private security, and has faced accusations │
│ of hosting individuals with deep criminal records who target media. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
3. Political Isolation: Barred from Kosovo Ground
Trajković emphasized that the shift to a Belgrade park is a direct consequence of Vučić’s loss of actual authority and acceptance within Kosovo itself.
| Political Actor | Public Stance on Vidovdan | Underlying Geopolitical Reality |
| Aleksandar Vučić & SNS Leadership | Promoting Pionirski Park as a frontline of “state defense” and mobilizing student proxies to celebrate there. | Inability to Visit: The state leadership is highly unwelcome at the actual Gazimestan site in Kosovo, having alienated local factions and compromised state positions. |
| Miloš Vučević (SNS President) | Formally inviting party loyalists and state-backed students to merge their rallies in Belgrade. | Consolidating the Base: Using historical rhetoric to fortify a physical space in Belgrade amid ongoing domestic anti-corruption friction. |
| Kosovo Serb Opposition (Trajković) | Viewing the Belgrade park rally as absolute proof that the ruling party has betrayed national interests. | Exposing the Facade: Highlighting that praising historical Ottoman adversaries—such as Vučić’s controversial remarks comparing Sultan Murad to Prince Lazar—proves a fractured national policy. |
By opting to remain within the protected perimeter of a barricaded park in the heart of Belgrade, the ruling party has inadvertently handed its critics an enduring symbol of political retreat. For Trajković and the opposition, celebrating a foundational Kosovo milestone inside “Ćacilend” proves that the Serbian government’s actual influence over Kosovo has shrunk to the borders of a fenced city park.
