Serbian pop star Jelena Karleuša has sparked a fresh wave of online reactions after criticizing the student-backed movement’s victory in Serbia’s parliamentary elections and comparing its popularity to the rapid rise of Croatian singer Jakov Jozinović.
Karleuša, a vocal supporter of Aleksandar Vučić, published a series of posts on X questioning how a relatively unfamiliar group of candidates managed to defeat the political establishment.
Her comments attracted particular attention in Croatia after she brought Jozinović into the discussion, using his sold-out concerts as an example of the influence of social media popularity.
Karleuša Questions the Student List’s Victory
“Vučić lost? And who won? Does anyone know who they are?” Karleuša wrote in one of her initial reactions.
She then drew a comparison between the election results and Jozinović’s concert success.
“The Serbian people did not overwhelmingly choose the statesman who did the most for Serbia. Instead, they mostly voted for… some people they had never even heard of. How did that happen? The same way Jakov Jazunović filled 10 consecutive concerts without a song of his own. The magic of social media hype,” she wrote.
Karleuša appeared to deliberately alter the Croatian singer’s surname in her post.
Her remarks came after preliminary election results showed the Student List securing approximately 53% of the vote, ahead of the Vučić-backed United Serbia coalition.
Singer Continues Posting About Serbia’s Political Future
Karleuša continued expressing disappointment with the election outcome in several additional posts.
“Sad Serbia…” and “Serbia has fallen…” were among her reactions.
She also raised concerns about the country’s energy supplies ahead of winter, suggesting that the new political leadership might eventually turn to Vučić for assistance.
The singer commented on a separate video showing Ana Brnabić confronting citizens on a street in Belgrade, expressing support for the politician.
Karleuša has openly backed Vučić and previously made her political preferences visible through public appearances and social media posts.
Her latest comments brought together two seemingly unrelated subjects — Serbia’s political transition and the growing popularity of a young Croatian performer — generating another entertainment-focused controversy around the outspoken singer.
