As the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25 approach, Bratislav Gašić is touring the villages of Rasina District, talking to residents about their problems and promoting Aleksandar Vučić’s policies. However, instead of concrete answers to questions that have troubled residents of this area for years, his speeches prominently feature “blockaders,” politicians from the region, and claims about the high salaries of university professors who, as he himself claims, want to “drain the state.”
One of the stops on Gašić’s campaign was the village of Bošnjane, in the municipality of Varvarin, where he spoke to gathered residents about the importance of the upcoming elections and the policies of the current government.
Instead of focusing on the problems residents face every day, Gašić devoted part of his speech to the political opponents of the Serbian Progressive Party, linking them to politicians from the region.
Vučić as the only strong leader, while “blockaders” are a threat
“Look who supports these blockaders – Kurti, Đukanović and Izetbegović from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Do you wonder why? They don’t need a strong leader, Vučić, whom they can’t do anything to and who has developed the country,” Gašić said during his address in Bošnjane, according to the footage.
In this way, Gašić portrayed the government’s political opponents through their alleged support from regional politicians, while describing Aleksandar Vučić as a strong leader responsible for Serbia’s development.
Such rhetoric leaves little room for discussion about the concrete results of the government in Rasina District itself. Instead of questions about what has and has not been done, the message that political change could endanger the country takes center stage.
Professors with salaries of 600,000 dinars?
During the same address, Gašić also referred to university professors who are on the electoral list, claiming that they all earn 600,000 dinars a month.
“And all the professors who are on that list have a salary of 600,000 dinars, and that’s not enough for them, so now they want to get involved in politics as well,” Gašić said.
No evidence was presented in the provided portion of his speech to support the claim that all professors on the aforementioned list earn that amount.
In addition to the question of the accuracy of the figures presented, the statement raises another dilemma: why is the political engagement of university professors being presented as a problem when the right to participate in political life is guaranteed to all citizens?
Instead of an informed debate about their political views and programs, Gašić directed attention toward their alleged earnings.
Sewage system still pending, promises before the elections
While campaign speeches focus on strong leaders, political opponents and professors’ high salaries, residents of some parts of Rasina District are still waiting for basic infrastructure problems to be resolved.
Among them is the issue of constructing a sewage network, which, according to reports about previous promises, has been raised for years.
That is precisely why new promises made during pre-election tours raise the question of what has been done in the previous period, how much money has been allocated for the work and when residents can expect it to be completed.
For residents waiting for sewage systems, improved roads and reliable water supply, stories about political opponents can hardly replace concrete deadlines and completed projects.
Citizens are being listened to – just before the elections
It is particularly interesting that conversations with citizens and their everyday problems are intensifying precisely ahead of the October 25 elections.
Gašić’s tours are presented as an opportunity for residents to voice their demands, but the question remains why another pre-election meeting is needed to resolve some long-standing problems.
Politicians have the right to present their programs and criticize opponents during a campaign. However, citizens have an equal right to demand answers from those who have been in power for years about the results of their work.
Because while Gašić travels around Rasina District talking about who supports the “blockaders,” how much professors earn and why Vučić is a strong leader, one much simpler question remains: when will the promised sewage system finally be built?
Where else was the “preaching mission” held?
Bošnjane, however, is not the only place where Gašić has continued his pre-election mission of preaching the “Progressives’ faith.” During his visits to Globoder, Mačkovac, Koševo and Pepeljevac, he spoke with residents about problems such as roads, water supply and the consequences of floods, while in Kruševac he announced new infrastructure projects. Thus, just days before the October 25 elections, Gašić once again found himself in the role of a man who listens to citizens and promises solutions. The question remains, however, why the problems that have burdened residents of this area for years once again become the focus of attention precisely when election day approaches. While Vučić is praised and the “blockaders” are discussed in Bošnjane, promises of a better life are once again being made elsewhere.
Gašić’s pre-election “sermon” often takes on a passive-aggressive tone as well. Instead of responding to residents’ questions and dissatisfaction with concrete results, he addresses them as though they should be grateful to the government for everything that has been done so far. “Well, hasn’t he given you everything? Everything you asked for, you got,” he tells them, according to the reported content of his addresses. Such an approach gives the impression that the construction of roads, sewage systems and other basic infrastructure is being presented as a personal gift from the government, rather than as an obligation of institutions funded with citizens’ money. In Gašić’s pre-election mission, it seems, it is not enough for residents to get what they need – they are also expected to be grateful to those who made it possible!
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