Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is attempting to create the conditions for conflict ahead of the March 15 protests in order to justify either a state of emergency or police intervention, Vesna Mališić, editor-in-chief of the weekly „Radar,“ told N1.
According to the publication’s journalists, a group of individuals involved in organizing the Banjska attack has arrived in Belgrade.
Speaking to N1 Studio Live, Mališić called it „tragic“ that on the anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić, members of the disbanded Special Operations Unit (JSO) appeared in Pioneer Park.
„Their presence and what they symbolize is ominous. They were a death squad, responsible for the murder of four people on the Ibar Highway, the assassination attempt on Vuk Drašković, the killing of Ivan Stambolić, and the murder of Prime Minister Đinđić—not to mention their actions in Bosnia. And now, within the police-protected zone around the Presidency, they appear as a human shield for the president. This is an outrage, a scandal of scandals, sending a deeply sinister message,“ Mališić stated.
A Deliberate Strategy
Mališić argued that the recent events, including the JSO’s reappearance, are not coincidental.
„Neither the timing, nor the presence of those young people, nor the fencing around the park, nor the reemergence of JSO’s successors—none of it is accidental. It’s all part of a carefully orchestrated message ahead of the anniversary of Đinđić’s assassination. Just look at what happened to his legacy—it has been shattered, even his monument has been stored away under the pretext of city reconstruction. Vučić initially sought to borrow from Đinđić’s image, trying to present himself as his successor. But today, he stands for everything opposite. That fenced-off section of Pioneer Park is a symbolic rupture from everything Đinđić represented: a modern, democratic state with strong institutions, oriented toward Europe with a clear vision of its future,“ she said.
The Significance of Pioneer Park
She also highlighted why the government specifically chose Pioneer Park for this display.
„The official excuse is that police are there to protect the children and the president. But there’s another reason. This park has always been a place where people dissatisfied with the government gathered—where true opposition voices could be heard. For the first time, it is now occupied by government loyalists, children playing concerned citizens, and the JSO—an embodiment of Serbia’s darkest chapters, including unresolved political assassinations,“ Mališić explained.
The President’s Isolation
According to Mališić, Vučić is the only Serbian president who has never been accepted by the country’s elite.
She added that at the start of his rule, Vučić may have enjoyed some minor support, but it was short-lived.
“Everything he does now feels like the revenge of a man who was never truly embraced. He quickly turned to a different demographic—those who could deliver votes—and has focused on them ever since. What’s happening now is a rebellion by the part of society he has spent 12 years trying to marginalize. That segment has now reached a breaking point and is telling him: ‘No more,'“ she said.
Fear Tactics and Potential Escalation
Commenting on Vučić’s warnings of potential violence on March 15, Mališić believes the president is deliberately trying to intimidate people.
„He wants to instill fear by suggesting there will be bloodshed. That’s why paving stones suddenly appeared in Nikola Pašić Square—it’s all an attempt to create a pretext for conflict, which could then justify a state of emergency or police intervention. He is carefully considering how the police should respond, which was evident in his reaction to Ivica Dačić’s statement that the police hadn’t reacted enough. Vučić wants them to act—he wants them to crack down, and he’s even willing to stage incidents, just as he fabricated claims that students had attacked a gendarme,“ she warned.
Criminal Elements in the Park
Mališić also revealed that „Radar“ journalists identified numerous figures from the criminal underworld in Pioneer Park and obtained information that “a group involved in the Banjska attack had arrived from Kosovo.”
„Vučić is preparing for various scenarios, all aimed at portraying the upcoming protests—which have been peaceful—as violent. Everything that happens will be orchestrated by those who want the protest to turn violent. This signals a deep insecurity within the government. The entire country is rising up, and the authorities are failing to acknowledge this growing discontent, which is resonating from even the most remote villages. The fact that they think they can manipulate the situation using criminals to fabricate a favorable atmosphere is disturbing. But history has shown that no one has ever built success on misfortune, and neither will this government,“ she asserted.
She warned that Vučić’s last resort could be deploying the police and resorting to violence, as seen in 2020 outside the National Assembly. At that time, the unrest was staged, she reminded, with provocateurs emerging from hiding spots to trigger a police crackdown.
Despite Vučić’s assertion that „everything will end on March 15,“ Mališić emphasized that students have countered with their own declaration: „It ends when we say it does.“
„I have a strong sense that both citizens and students will not give up on their mission to bring normalcy to Serbia—something that is impossible under this government,“ she concluded.
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