Vučić campaign Toplica — The 2026 election campaign of Aleksandar Vučić encountered a dramatic setback in the Toplica district of southern Serbia, as crowds confronted him over unfulfilled promises and allegations of political coercion. What was intended as a show of strength quickly turned into a series of humiliating incidents, widely shared on social media, revealing deep public frustration with the ruling party’s tactics.

During a campaign stop in the village of Pejkovac near Žitorađa, a worker from the public utility company in Merošina publicly told Vučić that he had been fired for not attending a rally of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The man, who said he had worked on a fixed-term contract for eight years, received a cold and ambiguous response from Vučić: “If that’s the reason, they will all be fired… If not, you won’t get a new job.” This exchange, captured on video, quickly spread online and fueled criticism of the government’s employment practices.

Ana Brnabić, the speaker of Serbia’s parliament, later attempted to downplay the incident, insisting that Vučić’s message was clear. However, many in the public saw it as a thinly veiled threat, highlighting the pressure placed on state employees to participate in party events.

The tension escalated when local residents confronted Vučić directly about unkept promises. One woman reminded him of a pledge made 18 months earlier to build a bridge, telling him, “I’ve been waiting for you for 18 months, thinking about you for 18 months.” Vučić deflected responsibility, but the moment had already been recorded and circulated widely, reinforcing perceptions of government inaction.

Supporters at the Toplica rally greeted Vučić with what the source described as “almost sickly screams,” creating an atmosphere more reminiscent of a hospital ward than a political gathering. Video clips showed a woman shouting, “Everything is a fraud,” while much of the crowd appeared disengaged or reluctant.

These scenes, according to the source, are symptomatic of a broader crisis in Vučić’s campaign, marked by a loss of genuine support and growing reliance on pressure, party-based employment, and attempts to buy loyalty. In Toplica, the breakdown of these mechanisms was on full display, with the official media narrative of success sharply contradicted by footage from the ground.

The events in Toplica suggest that the traditional system of political control and patronage is faltering, as public dissatisfaction becomes increasingly visible and difficult to contain.