Experts Decode Serbian Parliament's 'Mafia-Like' Rhetoric: Fear, Frustration, and Vučić's Orders

The recent conduct within the Serbian National Assembly has drawn sharp criticism, with experts pointing to a disturbing display of aggression and vulgarity. Psychiatrist and former Member of Parliament, Sanda Rašković Ivić, offers a psychological perspective, suggesting that the behavior reflects the "darkest side of the human soul." She explains that the arrogance and sense of omnipotence associated with power can lead individuals to tap into these darker impulses, especially in an environment like that of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which she characterizes as "encouraging."

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Which law depends on the color and length of a female MP's skirt? With what courage does someone have the right to play with someone's suicide and use it in a parliamentary debate?

Rašković Ivić further elaborates that nervousness and stress can trigger insults and curses, linking these outbursts to the right hemisphere of the brain, which governs emotional responses. She observes a pattern of escalating insults during parliamentary sessions, interpreting it as a manifestation of growing frustration and fear among the ruling party members. This psychological analysis suggests that the aggressive rhetoric is not merely political posturing but a deep-seated emotional response.

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What protects the one who calls MPs to 'pull him by the General Staff'? Whose 'dens are outside the Assembly,' and who has turned the Assembly into a den?

Political analyst Dragomir Anđelković provides a more politically charged interpretation, alleging that the chaos in Parliament is not uncontrolled but deliberately orchestrated. He claims that President Aleksandar Vučić has instructed his party members to abandon all restraint and adopt a "mafia-like" aggressive stance. Anđelković likens their behavior to that of Al Capone, emphasizing that their actions are intended to project a sense of ruthless determination.

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What we could hear and see in the Assembly is a manifestation of the darkest side of the human soul, the revival of that dark side in a stimulating environment like the Serbian Progressive Party.

Both analysts connect the current political climate in Serbia to external pressures. Anđelković specifically mentions the impact of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat, which he believes has shaken Vučić's supporters, who saw their own power pyramid as stable. Additionally, a significant scandal involving "Super Ego Holding" in the United States, allegedly linked to Vučić, is cited as another source of anxiety. This combination of perceived external threats and internal anxieties, according to Anđelković, necessitates Vučić's demonstration of strength to quell unrest among his ranks, as a "mercenary army" tends to flee when its leader appears vulnerable.

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I see tremendous fear and frustration here. And this insulting and ugly language really comes from that right hemisphere and from that fear.