Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić admitted on Thursday that he “exaggerated” when he called prosecutors from the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office (TOK) criminals and a corrupt gang. Speaking from Brussels during the EU Enlargement Summit, Vučić tried to frame his attacks as “truth-telling,” but the reality points to yet another blatant attempt to intimidate independent institutions.
“The prosecutors claimed I wanted to exert influence over them. That is not true,” Vučić said, despite mounting evidence that his administration consistently interferes in judicial processes. “I never intended to influence them, nor would any criminals or mobsters have influence over me. I may have exaggerated, but I spoke the truth,” he added, as if personal exaggeration excuses undermining the rule of law.
Earlier, TOK formally stated that the President’s remarks exceeded his legal and constitutional powers and represented an inappropriate attempt to influence ongoing investigations into serious crimes. Instead of acknowledging the seriousness of these accusations, Vučić minimized the matter, attempting to portray himself as a victim of the prosecutors’ claims.
Vučić also dodged questions about planned SNS rallies, claiming he only knew about a meeting in Novi Sad, while observers see this as another attempt to control the narrative and maintain political dominance.
This episode highlights a worrying pattern in Serbia: the President repeatedly attacks independent institutions, undermines trust in the judiciary, and shields political allies from accountability, all while projecting an image of innocence. The EU has repeatedly warned that such behavior erodes democratic norms, yet Vučić continues to ignore international criticism, leaving Serbia’s democracy at a perilous crossroads.
