Good morning! Severina Vuckovic is a lone voice in the wilderness, still having a sense of social responsibility. An interesting phenomenon in a time when every act of resistance seems hopeless.
The Severina phenomenon
Being both a star and a human being is not an easy task in the Balkans. To be adored by the masses without losing a strong sense of justice is rare, almost an oddity. Severina Vuckovic is that oddity, like Djordje Balasevic used to be. While the majority of regional divas survive on political conformity and silence, Severina has shown something deeply human. Not of a personal gain – because what she’s doing often goes against her financial benefit – but most likely out of a personal need. To me, it looks like it’s her need for justice.
Several days ago, in Brussels, she raised her voice against repression in Serbia, against arrests, against general pressure on those who dare to think differently. She said what should be the common-sense position of anyone having conscience. But when Severina says it, it carries weight. Especially in a region where this kind of activism comes at a high price: state-sponsored gigs, festivals, municipal concerts, and public procurements.
In the Balkans, show business has almost always been one-dimensional: if you’re close to the government, you get everything. It’s been that way since the 70s and 80s. Films and TV series were made about the affairs between communist officials and singers. Balasevic sang about it. If you’re not close to them, you just disappear – you won’t show up in city concerts and public celebrations. In such a state of play, Severina remains the exception. At the peak of her fame, she experienced the media lynching, misogyny, as well as the moral judgment the Balkan people so generously burden women. None of that stripped her of the impulse to support the weaker side.
By contrast, there’s Jelena Karleusa, once a sharp critic of those in power, once an LGBT icon and an anti-nationalist voice. That very same Karleusa now loudly supports Vucic without a hint of irony, enjoying the company of Milan Knezevic, and playing the role of the government’s digital spearhead. She has become Vucic’s influencer, replacing Krle.
Reports confirm what’s going on in Serbia: tear gas, baton beatings, illegal arrests – all this has been regular practice. In Belgrade, Novi Sad, and other cities, police beat demonstrators, often completely peaceful, even students, who end up in hospitals with serious injuries.
The escalation of repression is happening before our eyes. Severina’s reaction will be remembered as an urgent call to save democracy, as Serbia students and citizens are being exposed daily to life-threatening police brutality.
Even if they stop with protests, it won’t be because of any ideological wavering or pandering to the right. It will be because of the visible and invisible repression that an authoritarian regime deploys to maintain power. Vucic’s methods will be studied as examples of creeping autocratization.
That’s why it’s important for someone in Serbia to show teeth. For Severina to at least make some of the country’s artists feel a bit ashamed.
This is not about the taste in music. Although I know more of Severina’s songs than Karleusa’s, I don’t listen to her music, yet I respect the phenomenon. Severina strikes me as human and vulnerable. She doesn’t pretend to be part of the elite, nor is she arrogant or crude. She carries her popularity with a sense of social responsibility. When she speaks against injustice, it doesn’t feel like a PR move, more like an irrational action, a genuine moral reflex. And perhaps that’s what makes her so unique.
That’s all for today. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Best regards,
Ljubomir Filipovic, CdM observer and columnist
(The opinions and views of our columnists aren’t necessarily the opinions or views of the CdM news team)
