In Serbia, tennis star Novak Djokovic and world-famous director Emir Kusturica are considered national heroes. The fact that they support the protests in the country is extremely inconvenient for the regime. It increases the pressure on the government and President Aleksandar Vucic, who are trying to present the protests as a "color revolution", directed by foreign forces that wanted to destroy Serbia, writes "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" (NCZ).
In fact, students, but also many other citizens of the country, have been protesting against nepotism and corruption for nine months now. The reason was the collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad train station on November 1, which killed 14 people. However, the protests have grown and today the demonstrators are demanding new elections.
Back in December, Djokovic, who has won 24 Grand Slam titles, wrote: "I firmly believe in the power of young people and their desire for a better future. I think it is important that their voice is heard."
How Kusturica Became Vucic's Enemy
Djokovic has expressed his support mainly for students and young people, but does not explicitly oppose Vucic or the Serbian government. With Kusturica, things are different - even before the tragedy in Novi Sad, the director had already clashed with Vucic over the government's plans for lithium mining in Serbia - a project with which Vucic would secure the favor of the EU, the NCC commented. In January, Kusturica complained that he had received death threats, which Vucic and the prosecutor's office ignored. At the same time, Kusturica also expressed his support for the student protests.
For Vucic, the solidarity of the two with the civil protest is a problem, since Djokovic and Kusturica are highly respected in Serbia. For example, a recent survey shows that the majority of Serbs would like Djokovic to run in the elections, we also read in the extensive material of the Swiss publication.
For a long time, Vucic courted the two celebrities, supported their projects with significant funds and presented himself to the public as their friend. Ultimately, their successes also work to increase the prestige of the president, since they embody a cosmopolitan and internationally successful, but at the same time religious and patriotic Serbia. This is exactly what Vučić himself presents himself as, points out the author of the article, Jašar Dugalić.
A bridge to nationalists in Serbia
Now all this is turning against Vučić - by supporting the students, Kusturica and Djokovic are giving the protest patriotic legitimacy. Vučić's conservative and nationalist voters can side with the students. They are closely related to Kusturica, who sided with Slobodan Milošević during the Yugoslav wars.
Many of them have already done so, which explains the fierce attacks by the pro-government media against Djokovic and Kusturica. The campaign is led by the tabloid "Informer", which is loyal to Vucic.
Vucic's media mouthpieces against the two
When it became public knowledge that Djokovic wanted to move to Athens with his family, "Informer" called him a false patriot who had been posing as a symbol of Serbia for years, only to flee to Greece now. A few days ago, a video emerged linking Djokovic's father to an alleged pedophile.
Kusturica was declared by "Informer" as an activist of the "color revolution", as he is a frequent guest in the studio of the Russian propaganda television "Sputnik", the NCC points out. "Informer" already identifies Russia as the puppeteer of the discontent in the country.
For the media mouthpieces of the Serbian president, the protest is supported from the outside and by various groups in society, but not by the majority in the center. Vučić himself presents himself as a reasonable father of the nation. After Djokovic did not reach the final of "Wimbledon", there was no malice. On the contrary: the man is a "Serbian legend", Vučić was quick to recall, and "Informer" -quoted him. "He can speak as much as he wants against me and support my opponents. But to say anything bad about him is stupid and unreasonable," said Vučić.