Serbia risks becoming a hostage to the political fate of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, says a leading Serbian academic, who warns that President Aleksandar Vučić is driving the country toward authoritarianism, regional isolation and internal unrest.
In an interview with Vijesti.ba, Dušan Teodorović, a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) and retired professor from the University of Belgrade, sharply criticized Serbia’s recent refusal to recognize the verdict of Bosnia’s state court against Dodik.
“The Serbian National Security Council, under Vučić’s direction, has decided to ignore a legal decision from a neighboring country,” Teodorović said. “Instead of revoking Dodik’s citizenship or probing the origin of his family’s wealth, Serbia has been turned into a hostage of his political destiny.”
Teodorović accused Vučić of destabilizing both Serbia and the wider region for personal political gain. “To survive politically, Vučić needs chaos. He is a rebranded radical, a student of [far-right leader] Vojislav Šešelj, who cannot accept a Serbia that is civic-minded and a good neighbor,” he said.
Escalating Ethnic Tensions
The academic pointed to a recent incident in Novi Pazar, where masked men reportedly stormed a university campus, as evidence of Vučić’s intent to disrupt multiethnic harmony. He also condemned a spate of media attacks targeting Bosniak political leaders.
“Vučić and his radicals fear a united opposition front — one that includes both Bosniaks and Serbs, all citizens who want Serbia to join the European Union,” Teodorović said. “The regime thrives on interethnic hatred. That was their strategy in the 1990s, and it remains their modus operandi.”
Asked about Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić’s remark referring to the phrase “Allahu Akbar” as “disgusting,” Teodorović responded sharply. “She is an uneducated person who has never properly proven her academic credentials. Her ignorance and prejudice are embarrassing. She simply parrots Vučić’s orders.”
Disillusionment and Protest
Teodorović noted that while the momentum of recent mass protests has slowed over the summer, the civic movement remains alive. “What we are witnessing is a new phase of public rebellion,” he said. “In several Belgrade municipalities, citizens are holding town-hall meetings and coordinating direct actions. The solidarity shown after the police raid on the State University in Novi Pazar was inspiring.”
He expressed concern, however, over the presence of nationalist figures such as professor Milo Lompar and filmmaker Emir Kusturica at student-led events. “Why would students want the endorsement of nationalists? Lompar even published poetry by Radovan Karadžić and claimed his conviction was politically motivated. That’s outrageous. Such people do not belong at democratic protests.”
Teodorović also raised the possibility of Russian influence infiltrating the protest movement. “I have no concrete evidence, but I suspect Russian intelligence, particularly the GRU, is active within the Serbian Orthodox Church, NGOs, media, and the so-called ‘humanitarian center’ in Niš,” he said. “Russia has every interest in keeping Serbia out of the EU.”
Nationalism, Historical Amnesia, and Media Control
The veteran professor drew a straight line from Slobodan Milošević’s 1989 speech in Kosovo to the rise of nationalist politics today. “Since then, Serbia has walked the wrong path. While Eastern Europe was reforming, Serbia clung to myths and authoritarianism. When Zoran Đinđić tried to modernize the country, he was assassinated.”
Teodorović criticized Serbia’s media and education systems, accusing Vučić of orchestrating a revisionist narrative that omits war crimes and glorifies nationalism. “Most students have never heard of the refrigerated trucks that transported the bodies of Albanian civilians to mass graves in Batajnica. The education minister is pushing for a unified historical curriculum that erases Srebrenica and the wars of the 1990s. This is cultural engineering.”
He invoked former German Chancellor Willy Brandt’s historic kneeling in Warsaw as an example of the kind of moral reckoning Serbia needs. “That moment was Germany’s ethical turning point. Serbia, too, must accept responsibility for its past. Denying the genocide in Srebrenica is not just immoral — it’s unsustainable.”
Civic Revolt and Vučić’s Future
The protests, while diminished during the summer break, are expected to regain strength in the fall. “This won’t go away,” Teodorović said. “Vučić surrounds himself with the lowest elements of society — criminals, former warlords, even sex workers — to shield the Presidency. But that kind of intimidation has an expiration date.”
He warned that unless Vučić voluntarily steps down while still in control of the security apparatus, he may face prosecution. “He will either flee the country or end up in prison. Once he loses control of the police and the party militia, the full weight of his constitutional violations and criminal behavior will catch up with him.”
Teodorović also questioned Vučić’s reluctance to call early elections despite previous promises. “He always claimed he’d go to elections at any time, yet now he hesitates. That tells us he’s aware of how vulnerable he is. Even in small towns like Zaječar and Kosjerić, his party barely eked out wins.”
A New Political Agenda
Asked about the future of pro-European parties in Serbia, Teodorović said the moment demands unity and clarity. “Just as Slovenia once embraced the slogan ‘Europe Now,’ Serbia’s pro-EU parties should adopt a unified platform that includes: sanctions on Russia, normalization with Kosovo, and an end to meddling in Bosnia and Montenegro.”
He stressed that this requires honesty with the public. “Opposition leaders must stop lying to citizens. Kosovo is independent. Serbia needs to build a functional relationship with it. That is the foundation of a European Serbia.”
Despite the nationalist atmosphere, Teodorović remains hopeful. “There is still a critical mass of people in Serbia who want a normal life, a European life. Too many years have been wasted on wars, lies, and myth-making.”