Djilas: State-owned Telekom turned into political marketing tool - but at what cost?

Djilas said that the government has turned the state enterprise into an instrument for political and media expansion and that Serbian people will ultimately foot the bill for such a policy, the SSP said.

Citizens must not pay the price for the political projects of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his henchman, Telekom CEO Vladimir Lucic, Djilas said. He added that one of the country’s two largest state-owned companies has been destroyed by the funding of pro-Vucic media, the establishment of numerous low-rated TV channels, exorbitant sports broadcasting fees, and systemic corruption and kickbacks on every deal.

The SSP leader said that for years, the government has portrayed Telekom as a success story with annual revenues of around 2.5 billion euro, while the company’s debt was simultaneously soaring to record heights.

According to Djilas, the objective was not development but the creation of a media apparatus to promote Vucic and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Instead of investing in network modernization and service quality, Telekom spent billions over several years on acquisitions and media expansion, racking up massive debts that future generations will have to repay, he said.

“That is why one of the first moves of the new government within its first seven days will be to dismiss Telekom’s entire management, while the prosecution will launch an investigation and order the arrest of everyone involved in this robbery of the century - both the perpetrators and those who gave the orders,” Djilas said.