Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić strongly criticized Croatian media after they reported on statements by Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić and reactions from Croatian officials. Vučić defended Brnabić and accused what he called “supposedly liberal Croatian media” of being “the worst anti-Serbian media,” calling them “poor and miserable.” He particularly objected to the publication of old photographs of Brnabić on a boat from before she entered politics, saying this only showed how “small” those media were and, in his view, proved that Brnabić was doing a good job.
The dispute began after Brnabić claimed that Serbian anti-government protests receive the strongest foreign support from Croatia, saying that Zagreb has a “strategic interest” in bringing down Vučić’s government. She also said that celebrations over developments in Serbia were strongest in Zagreb and Pristina, comments that prompted sharp responses from Croatian officials.
Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković dismissed Brnabić’s remarks as completely meaningless and questioned the purpose of such statements. The Croatian side responded that Serbian officials should focus on democracy in Serbia instead of accusing Croatia, while Croatian officials framed the remarks as part of a long-running pattern of political tension between Belgrade and Zagreb.
The controversy also involved Croatian Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar, whom Brnabić accused in harsh terms connected to Croatian wartime labels. Šušnjar responded sarcastically, saying he assumed she had called him that because of his first name, Ante, and added that Serbian citizens continue coming to Croatia for better wages and opportunities.
The exchange has intensified political and media tensions between Serbia and Croatia. What began as Brnabić’s accusation that Croatia supports protests against Vučić’s government turned into a wider dispute involving Croatian officials, media reporting, personal attacks and Vučić’s direct defence of Brnabić.
