Serbian Prime Minister lashes out at broadcaster and social media in Olympics outburst

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić has made waves after verbally attacking social media users and public broadcaster RTS.

Mr Vučić‘s outburst came at a press conference yesterday, when he criticised social media users who published negative posts about Serbian Olympic athletes.

“I cannot accept the scum who hate all those who think differently, who are offending athletes who do not think as they do,” Mr Vučić said in a press statement, referring to the public debate provoked by gold medal-winning water polo player Andrija Prlainović, who publically claimed that the state could take little credit for the Serbian team’s achievements.

The prime minister also had harsh words for those who came out in support of Mr Prlainović and who criticised the state for not investing heavily enough in sport.

“I do not intend to justify myself to scum… to various pieces of scum from different spheres of social life,” he stated.

He then directed his scorn towards Serbian public broadcaster RTS, claiming that the organisation was spreading hatred towards the government and casting into doubt the broadcaster’s use of funds.

“Every citizen is paying them so they can incite hatred against individuals from the government just because they do not think like them. I have not been on RTS for four or five months, and I will continue not to go on,” the prime minister said, somewhat ironically given that the press conference was being broadcast live on RTS.

“Why you haven’t given up your large daily wages so that we could invest in pools? You stacked up the money for travel to Brazil in your pockets, and haven’t given it up for the pools which you claim are missing,” he added.

Source: Balkan Insight