Minister of Economy Ante Susnjars took to social media platform X following intense attacks in Serbian media. The response came after he addressed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Milorad Dodik during the celebration of Victory and Independence Day, which triggered a strong reaction in the neighbouring country.
Serbian media, particularly the tabloid Informer, labelled Susnjars as 'the worst Ustasha' who was threatening Serbs with 'a new Operation Storm'. In their articles, these media outlets claimed that the minister had made a number of false statements and that Croats had never attacked, only defending their homes. Susnjars stated in his post that the political leadership in Serbia had already branded him a Ustasha and that 'megaphones' had been sent to label him 'THE WORST Ustasha'.
The minister commented on the current situation in Serbian media with irony, pointing out that the heat was causing a depletion in editorial offices. According to him, a significant portion of these 'megaphones' were on holiday in Croatia, which explained the reduced activity in media attacks. Susnjars also noted that citizens of Serbia in Croatia were generally very polite and that they respected Croatian laws, stating that they were welcome as long as they did so.
In the final part of his post, Susnjars alluded to the childhood stories of Aleksandar Vucic and the wartime speeches of the Serbian president and Milorad Dodik. He wrote that the childhood of living among cows, delivering milk, and the promise of new roads was a more pleasant Pannonian myth than the idea of Greater Serbia from Glina and the Jewish cemetery above Sarajevo.
The minister concluded that lies remained, but perhaps became peacetime ones, alluding to a change in rhetoric. Thus, he closed the circle of response to media attacks, highlighting the difference between constructive mythology and aggressive political narratives.
