Marko Vidojkovic had to flee his native Serbia because he criticized the government led by Aleksandar Vučić. Now he goes through Styria, where the “crown” hit him.
Why did you have to leave Serbia?
Since President Aleksandar Vučić took office in 2012, I have repeatedly criticized him and his political system in my columns, books and a podcast. I suspected early on that he was not a Democrat, but leaned toward autocracy. Unfortunately I was right. Because I expressed my criticism so openly, I became the hated object of the media that Vučić controls. I kept this up for a long time, but from 2021 it became unbearable. I received up to 30 death threats a day and my wife and I were attacked in front of the house. I barely left the apartment for two years. The writers’ association PEN made it possible for us to leave the country this spring.
You travel through Graz alone, your whereabouts are secret – why?
Because the threat has not stopped abroad either. We have moved four times since March and fear is our constant companion. They want to make an example of me. I am a frightening example to all dissenters in Serbia that they should keep their mouths shut.
However, you have never been charged in Serbia, have you?
I’m not doing anything illegal, so there’s no reason for arrest or charges. But I am the target of the media. At the same time, the Vučić-controlled media promotes a willingness to use violence. At the beginning of May, there were two disasters in Serbia that killed 17 people, which is also a sad consequence of this glorification of violence. That scared me too, because it means that just about anyone on the street could be my executioner.
You keep writing your column from exile, keep doing the podcast – why are you doing this to yourself?
There is no other option for me – it’s a matter of decency. There are maybe 50 people in Serbia who dare to openly criticize and say what they think. If we too are silent, it will be dark.
Isn’t there resistance in the population that would make change possible?
The protests, which are rare but do occur, are encouraging, but will not change anything. The opposition is also weak and divided. In addition, many Serbs who criticize the Vučić system have long since left the country. Real change can only come from within the system. It takes people within the ruling party to see that things cannot go on like this.
How can the West, the EU, help in this?
The example of Russia shows that sanctions do not really do much good and rather lead to defiant resistance. But I do think it would be very important for politicians from EU countries to continue to criticize the government in Belgrade. After all, Serbia is a candidate for EU membership. But mostly they only tackle the problem in North Macedonia and the rights of LGBT people – both important issues, but we have a general democracy problem in Serbia.
So your battle continues, what is your best weapon?
The humour. Humor is the greatest enemy of autocrats. When was the last time you saw Vučić or Putin smile?
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
