Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic accused what she called “tycoon media” of trying to deceive the public about attempts to evict the Bosko Buha children’s theater.

Speaking after a meeting with theater actors and staff, Brnabic said that the people who solved the problem by funding the reconstruction of the theater and offering a second stage had been accused of trying to shut it down. “Do you realize the level of madness,” she said.

“The example of the children’s theater showed the level to which some media and individuals are prepared to make the situation political and manipulate the public by releasing the wrong confidential facts and hiding the truth,” she said adding that she deliberately allowed certain media to “go wild … lie and deceive and abuse others to politically attack the authorities”.

The Bosko Buha theater was set to be evicted from the building where it has been since its formation in 1950 because a businessman close to the authorities bought it. Theater company member Boba Latinovic said that the result of the meeting with the prime minister was that the problem was identified, adding that Brnabic promised to solve it.