A media storm is raging in Serbia! Dušan Marić, a member of the Serbian Progressive Party and a close ally of President Vučić, photoshopped a fake front page of the Zagreb edition of Jutarnji list and posted it on his Facebook profile. The fake cover, supposedly from June 25, shockingly declared “Vučić falls on Saturday” and included provocative messages calling for the “liberation of Serbia” with the help of Albanians, Bosniaks, and Croats. To make matters worse, the famous singer Jelena Karleuša shared this fake cover, fueling the fire even more.
The real Jutarnji front page for that day had nothing to do with Vučić. Marić actually used a cover from June 19 and added false headlines. After Jutarnji exposed this shameful hoax, Marić quickly deleted his post, as did Karleuša.
This hoax comes just before a major student protest in Serbia scheduled for June 28, Vidovdan, where students demand early elections and the removal of the current government led by Vučić. The protests have been ongoing for eight months, sparked also by a tragedy in Novi Sad where 16 people died due to a collapsed railway station canopy.
Marić is known as a close Vučić associate and a member of committees on diaspora and environmental protection. He has previously made controversial nationalist posts, such as when he raised a Serbian flag on Mount Dinara, calling it a Serbian mountain in Dalmatia.
This fake front page and its sharing represent a blatant attempt to manipulate public opinion and stir division in the region. Serbia has been in political turmoil for years, and such provocations only escalate tensions.
If you think this is just another political game, think again. When politicians use fake news and manipulate media, it’s not just unethical — it’s dangerous for the country’s stability. Will the students succeed in bringing change, or will such hoaxes keep Serbia trapped in a vicious cycle? Only time will tell.
What do you think about this fake cover? Is this the peak of political manipulation or just the beginning? Drop a comment and let your voice be heard!
