Brnabic Writes European Parliament Over FDU Video on Vucic

National Assembly speaker and Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) deputy leader Ana Brnabic called an emergency press conference on Monday, September 21, over a video posted on their own account by students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) who are taking part in the blockade. The same day, she also addressed the European Parliament, its political groups, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, and the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, on the social network X, asking that the video be publicly assessed.

The black and white video, titled “Serbia Didn’t Want Him,” urges citizens to vote for the Student List in the October 25 parliamentary election. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is leading the rival list, called “Aleksandar Vucic, United Serbia,” which brings together the SNS and its coalition partners.

What Brnabic says the video shows

At the start of the conference, Brnabic asked for the video to be played for the reporters present, then described it in words she made no effort to soften.

“I have nothing else to say except monstrous. Nothing like this has ever been seen in Serbia, a campaign like this has never been seen anywhere in the world and never will be. Because things like this simply are not done. And this is the Student List’s program. Aleksandar Vucic is, above all, someone’s son, someone’s brother, a father. How does his mother Angelina feel watching this. How does his daughter Milica feel watching this? What are you doing to that family, why are you doing this to that family? This is not the first time, this is the millionth time. This is simply the most monstrous message yet.”

According to the description Danas carried from Brnabic’s own post, the video ends with a shot of a bar of soap in a prison cell, which she interpreted as a direct rape threat aimed primarily at Vucic. The newspaper Informer described the same scene as depicting the arrest of Serbia’s president and his removal to a space that, according to that outlet, resembles a Nazi camp. Neither source reported that this reading of the video had been independently confirmed beyond the statements of the conference participants themselves.

Brnabic then moved on to what she called revenge, not justice.

“They are not seeking justice, they are seeking revenge. That revenge now includes a promise that we will all be raped,” Brnabic said, adding that the day before the conference had marked a turning point in the campaign.

What Brnabic is asking of the European Parliament

In her post addressed to the European Parliament, Brnabic wrote that in the middle of Serbia’s election campaign, European partners have a duty to recognize “the uniqueness of what so many people in Serbia have to endure simply because they do not support the Student List.” She added that what Serbia needs is a clear vision for the future, not threats and hatred, and closed with a short line:

“This is not democracy. This is anti-democracy.”

At the conference, Brnabic said several messages had been recorded in a single day that she characterized as threats of sexual violence:

• the FDU students’ video, with the closing shot described above
• a post by former basketball player and Student List candidate Vladimir Stimac, in which, as Brnabic described it, he announced that families in Serbia would be “ridden” if the list won
• a statement by one of the blockade participants about what would happen to the so-called “cacike” if the students won

“Three rape threats in a single day,” Brnabic said, adding that she had not invented Vladimir Stimac’s message, that it was made up of his own words.

SNS reacts, the other side stays silent

SNS leader Milos Vucevic spoke out before Brnabic’s conference, calling the video posted by the blockade participants chilling. He said its goal was to dehumanize Aleksandar Vucic by erasing his emotions, denying his achievements, and vilifying his work.

As of publication, students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts and representatives of the Student List had not publicly responded to Ana Brnabic’s claims, nor explained what the soap scene actually depicted. None of the sources consulted carried their side of the story.

The exchange of accusations comes exactly one month before the parliamentary election scheduled for October 25, in which the Student List and the list built around Aleksandar Vucic will be direct rivals. It remains unclear whether, and how, European Union institutions will respond to Brnabic’s appeal, and whether the Student List will offer its own interpretation of the disputed video before voters head to the polls.