From 'hero' Mladić to birthday wishes for an assassin: Why Serbia's government no longer hides its glorification of criminals

A disturbing trend is emerging in Serbia where representatives of the authorities are openly denying past crimes and glorifying convicted war criminals, a shift that has become increasingly brazen. This pattern has been observed in various public statements and actions, raising concerns among historians and political scientists.

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This means that these people are hiding less and less.

The issue gained significant attention following the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, when the mayor of Belgrade posted a message calling Ratko Mladić, a convicted war criminal, a "Serbian hero." This was compounded by a birthday greeting sent to Zvezdan Jovanović, the assassin of former Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić, by the head of a public utility company. These actions have largely gone unaddressed by the government, leading to accusations of tacit approval.

Historian Dragan Popović notes that such behavior was once considered scandalous but is now commonplace, suggesting a societal shift where individuals feel emboldened to express such views without consequence. He points to other instances, like a minister's remarks about ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, which generated little backlash within the ruling circles. This, Popović argues, indicates that fewer regime supporters are willing to hide their true beliefs, sensing a societal climate that permits such open promotion of negative legacies.

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I fear that this only tells us that fewer people serving this regime are willing to hide their true feelings, their true beliefs, so to speak, and that they have felt that such a moment in society has arrived where they can come out freely and promote all the worst that has been left to this society as a legacy, without any consequences for themselves.

Political scientist Filip Balunović adds that this glorification of war criminals contributes to societal division and hatred, hindering Serbia's progress. He acknowledges that while some may advocate for controversial ideas like ethnic cleansing or the creation of a "Greater Serbia," the current Serbian government lacks the capacity to implement such policies. However, their rhetoric can still incite conflict and intimidate those who wish to confront the country's dark past.

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Someone can say that Kosovo should have been ethnically cleansed of Albanians, someone can talk about the borders of Greater Serbia, Serbian world, someone can talk about the fact that some people are less valuable than Serbs just because they are not Serbs. However, fortunately, both for Serbia and for the surrounding area, Serbia is currently unable to implement anything of what is being said.

An alarming report by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights highlighted that Serbian officials glorified convicted war criminals or denied war crimes at least 110 times last year, marking a record high in recent years. This persistent denial and glorification, experts warn, prevent Serbian society from moving forward and perpetuate a cycle of unresolved historical trauma.

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By glorifying war crimes and war criminals, they contribute to Serbian society not moving forward.