Opposition MPs told N1 that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic exceeded his constitutional powers on live TV once again but added that this was nothing new or unexpected.

Zoran Lutovac, leader of the Democratic Party (DS) which was once the biggest and most influential opposition party, said that Vucic’s media conference with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic was “an opportunity to watch violations of the constitution live”. Lutovac said that the media conference would result in an expansion of the weekly protests and was the result of panic in the authorities.

“Everything that was said is the consequence of panic and fear and Vucic wants to anesthetisize the public and turn attention away from the protests. “He offered elections even though no one asked for them because he doesn’t like a parliament that includes people who criticize him. He needs to portray himself as the only existing institution,” Lutovac said.

Ecological Uprising official Aleksandar Jovanović Cuta said the media conference was “another dose of madness from Aleksandar Vucic”. “What did Vucic tell us? He said that he is waiting for someone to talk to him and no one wants to talk to him. Ana (Brnabic) promised to resign but will wait a while and maybe she won’t resign.

Jovanovic agreed that Vucic’s words would bring more people to the street protests. “No one asked him for elections. He is calling people to the streets again,” he said and added that Vucic has to meet the protest demands before anyone thinks about talking to him. Jovanovic said that Brnabic and Internal Affairs Minister Bratislav Gasic “are Vucic’s slaves”. “You see fear in their eyes,” he said.

Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own official Djordje Pavicevic said the media conference was nothing new. “Typical statements by Aleksandar Vucic. It all might be but doesn’t have to be. The things he said would be historic turned out to be a usual address – entering into a campaign by timing salary and pension raises, who gets how much money… Nothing new and nothing unexpected,” he said.