Critics attribute the causes of the catastrophe to corruption in the government. Regular protests attract tens of thousands of people, consistently challenging President Vučić's control over the country, including oversight of the state television RTS and many other pro-government media. Recently, state television started broadcasting reports on the protests, which sparked criticism from Vučić and other officials.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić was called today, on Monday, for labeling a journalist working for state television as "stupid," after she made a report on the mass anti-government protests in the outskirts. University students in Serbia are organizing protests across the country, following those that took place in November, when a train derailed on a railway track, resulting in 15 deaths.
In a broader public statement today, President Vučić said that as president, he "is not obligated to describe anyone as an idiot and to respond to messages," but he put under scrutiny the professionalization and objectivity of RTS journalists, calling them "a disgrace to their profession" and emphasized that they are political activists.
State television criticizes President Vučić for offending their journalists, saying in a statement: "Not a single government official, regardless of their political views, has the right to make humiliating statements about our colleagues."
