During the election campaign period, public officials heading city municipalities across Serbia violated the provisions of the Law on the Prevention of Corruption by either using public resources to attend party activities during working hours or by supporting and sharing posts related to the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) on their social media accounts. For example, one municipal president attended a party stand at a market during working hours, while others posted content related to their official duties on private profiles that were not designated as official accounts.
Others, meanwhile, used their official profiles to announce party rallies or call on people to sign up and show support for the Serbian Progressive Party.
For example, Dragan Pavlović, president of the Pantelej City Municipality in Niš, attended a party gathering and took part in Serbian Progressive Party activities in the square in the center of Gadžin Han on September 15 this year, during the municipality’s working hours.
He used an official municipal vehicle to travel to this party activity during working hours, the Anti-Corruption Agency stated.
The law stipulates that public officials may not use public resources to promote political parties or political entities, their electoral lists or candidates in elections. This specifically includes using public resources to publicly present election participants and their platforms, urge voters to vote for them, or encourage them to boycott elections, as Nova ekonomija reports.
The law also prohibits the use of public resources for other forms of political activity, such as working with voters and party members, organizing and holding rallies and promotional events, producing and distributing advertising materials, brochures, leaflets and publications, political advertising, public opinion polling, media, marketing and consulting services, and conducting training for party activities.
Kraljevo Mayor Predrag Terzić also came under scrutiny by the Anti-Corruption Agency.
Namely, on Facebook, on a profile he had designated as the “official account of the Mayor of the City of Kraljevo,” he used the logo of “United Serbia,” the Serbian Progressive Party’s electoral list, as his profile picture.
Starting September 9, Terzić published posts on that account concerning SNS activities in various parts of Serbia. He did the same on his Instagram account, which was also designated as the official account of the mayor of Kraljevo.
He also shared a post by the SNS Municipal Board announcing a “great people’s celebration” on September 20, 2026, in Baljevac.
Because of this, the Anti-Corruption Agency issued a warning to the mayor of Kraljevo and ordered him to remove all posts related to SNS activities from his social media accounts within 15 days and notify the Agency once this had been done.
Bojan Nikolić, an assistant to the president of the Aleksinac Municipality, also attended an SNS party stand at the market in Tešica on September 18 this year, during the working hours of the municipality where he is employed, and took part in party activities. He was therefore issued a warning instructing him to “comply with all provisions of the Law on the Prevention of Corruption in the future.”
On that day, when he visited the market stand, he used an official vehicle and other public resources belonging to the Aleksinac Municipality, including fuel, official equipment, materials, inventory or employees’ working hours. He also attended the Serbian Progressive Party stand while working as an assistant to the municipal president during the municipality’s working hours.
Radiša Petković, mayor of the city of Bor, also acted contrary to the Law on the Prevention of Corruption by publishing posts related to Serbian Progressive Party activities on his Facebook account between September 9 and September 25 this year. The account was designated as one he used in his capacity as a public official under the name “Mayor of the City of Bor.”
In addition to publishing posts featuring the “United Serbia” logo, he also shared posts about Adriana Mesarović’s visit to Bor, Miloš Vučević’s visit to Donja Bela Reka, as well as a post concerning the collection of signatures in support of the “Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia” electoral list.
Radoslav Marjanović, president of the Stari Grad City Municipality, did the same and also violated the law. On his official social media account, he published a video showing citizens signing in support of the “Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia” electoral list.
Jasmina Vojinović, mayor of Smederevo, also acted contrary to the Law on the Prevention of Corruption by posting content related to her activities as mayor on her Instagram profile between September 9 and September 25 this year, without designating the account as one she used in her capacity as mayor of Smederevo.
On September 9, 2026, she published a post related to the performance of her public duties as mayor of Smederevo, followed by a post on September 10 about the Smederevo Autumn festival.
“We are approaching the 139th Smederevo Autumn, an event that brings us together year after year and reminds us of the richness of our traditions, culture and history. I wish you would spend these festive days with your loved ones, welcome dear guests and take them on a tour of our ancient city, so that together we can enjoy the rich program, good spirits, grapes and wine…” she wrote.
She also posted content on September 15 with the following description: “Today, at a session of the Smederevo City Assembly, we adopted a series of important decisions for the further development of our city. I would particularly like to highlight the launch of the public-private partnership procedure for the construction of a sanitary landfill. We want to resolve the issue of municipal waste disposal in a long-term, sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. We have previously secured funds to close the unsanitary landfill, and from October 1, the remaining villages will also be included in the organized waste collection system…”
Furthermore, on September 23, while serving as mayor, she published content related to Serbian Progressive Party activities on her profile, which had not been designated as the mayor’s account. The post dated September 23, 2026, included a video in which Vojinović says: “I will go to the elections and support list number 1, Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia.”
All Officials Issued Warnings
Miloš Simić, president of the Rakovica City Municipality, was also warned by the Anti-Corruption Agency because, between September 9 and September 25 this year, he published posts related to the performance of his official duties on his Instagram profile without designating it as an account he used in his capacity as president of the Rakovica Municipality.
The Anti-Corruption Agency initiated proceedings ex officio against Miloš Simić, president of the Rakovica City Municipality in Belgrade, to determine whether he had violated the Law on the Prevention of Corruption. The proceedings concerned his failure to designate the capacity in which he used his Instagram account, as well as the fact that, starting September 9, 2026, the account featured posts related to Serbian Progressive Party activities and to his public duties as president of the Rakovica City Municipality in Belgrade.
For example, a post he published on September 23, 2026, contained the following message: “Officials of the SNS Rakovica Municipal Board spoke with their neighbors in Petlovo Brdo today. We continue our joint struggle for a better and stronger Serbia! Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia…” Another post, dated September 19, 2026, stated: “Miloš Simić, a member of the SNS Main Board, emphasizes the importance of direct conversations with people and being present on the ground.”
Antonio Ratković, mayor of Sombor, did the same thing as Miloš Simić and Jasmina Vojinović on his social media accounts during the same period.
He had not designated his social media profile as the mayor’s official account, even though he published content related to his official duties there. The Anti-Corruption Agency invited the public official to submit a written statement regarding the allegations, thus giving him an opportunity to comment on the facts relevant to deciding the case.
All the officials were issued warnings as a preventive measure intended to ensure that public officials comply with the provisions of the Law in the future.
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Source: N1, Foto: M.M. / ATAImage
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