Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he expects to meet twice with former U.S. President Donald Trump during his current visit to Florida, expressing hope for “important and positive meetings” with Republican leaders and U.S. officials.
Speaking in a video message on Instagram, Vucic did not provide specific dates, citing confusion with time zones, but said the meetings would occur “in the next three to four days.”
While in the United States, Vucic also commented on recent domestic controversies, including a violent incident involving a university dean. He voiced dismay that the attack on Professor Patrick Drid, dean of the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education in Novi Sad, may go unpunished.
“Unfortunately, we’ve shown the world a country that fails to punish lynching and horrifying attacks on people who think differently,” Vucic said.
The incident comes amid rising political tensions ahead of local elections in Serbia and following opposition calls for mass protests. Vucic dismissed recent talk of a new “October 5” – a reference to the 2000 democratic uprising that toppled Slobodan Milosevic – calling such speculation unrealistic.
“As I get older, I dream more—of going to Mars, going to the Moon. But those dreams don’t mean I’ll actually go,” he said, adding that political frustration is leading opposition forces to radicalize.
Vucic also commented on recent unrest in the southern city of Niš, where members of his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) were reportedly attacked. He claimed the incident had prompted an increase in support for his new political initiative, the “Movement for the People and the State,” particularly among intellectuals.
“What happened in Niš was an organized political assault. But it awakened a sense of defiance in honest people,” he said, blaming university staff, including the dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, for allegedly encouraging protest actions.
He criticized opposition protests for allegedly inciting violence, stating that Serbia must remain a country that respects those who hold different views. “We want a normal Serbia, a democratic Serbia,” he said.
