Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić condemned remarks by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who recently suggested that Serbia is “on the brink of civil war.” Vučić described the statement as “malicious and deliberate”, claiming it was intended to tarnish Serbia’s image internationally.
Speaking to journalists in Beijing after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vučić said:
“There will be no civil war in Serbia. Serbia will continue to grow at great speed. It is surprising that some of our citizens do not see this.”
He accused Croatia of trying, both officially and unofficially, to prevent Serbia’s progress and to push it back into the past. Still, Vučić stressed that Belgrade would continue to extend its hand towards Zagreb despite what he called Croatia’s hostile rhetoric.
“We will never wish them the same, regardless of their malicious comments,” he said.
Croatian PM’s Comments at Bled Forum
Plenković made his remarks on September 1 at the Bled Strategic Forum, where he warned that Serbia faced more than two years of serious unrest and protests, while Bosnia and Herzegovina remained under constant threat of separatism.
Later clarifying his comments, Plenković insisted his intention was not to endorse a civil war scenario but to illustrate the political tensions in Serbia for international audiences unfamiliar with the details.
Serbian Reactions
Serbian parliamentary speaker Ana Brnabić went further, accusing Croatia of having a “strategic goal” to trigger a civil war in Serbia.
“They have invested so much in this because their aim is for Vučić not to remain in power,” Brnabić wrote on X.
Croatian Response
Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ivan Anušić rejected those accusations, stressing that Zagreb has “absolutely no connection” with Serbia’s internal political disputes.
“Serbia clearly has major domestic political problems, but points the finger at Croatia for everything. We always extended our hand to Serbia in its EU integration path. It is up to them what course they choose,” Anušić told reporters in Zagreb.
He added that Croatia wishes Serbia success, including eventual membership in the EU and NATO, and emphasized the need for stability in the Balkans.
Background
For nearly ten months, Serbia has been shaken by massive student-led protests demanding accountability after the collapse of a concrete shelter at Novi Sad’s railway station on November 1, 2024, which killed 16 people. The government has denied responsibility and Vučić has refused to call early parliamentary elections, despite persistent demands from demonstrators since May.
