BELGRADE, 24.02.2020. – Mladen Sarcevic, Serbia’s Minister of Education, attacks journalists saying they are pushy and bullies, for asking him about the case of three deans in the southern city of Nis who should have been dismissed for violating a law, N1 reported.
He said the Juzne Vesti website’s reporter was pushy, then moved N1 microphone and called the TV reporter a bully.
Sarcevic met journalists at a news conference on the presentation of “Education Strategy til 2027,” for pre-school and primary education.
The journalists insisted on the answer to what was going on with the three deans, but Sarcevic told them they would have had the answer “if you are normal, what you are not.”
The deans had to be dismissed under the recommendation by the Anti-Corruption Agency. Still, regardless of Sarcevic’s statement from last June that “the public will be informed about the outcome in a week,” the three hold positions, two have been re-elected since and the public doesn’t know what happens.
However, Sarcevic on Monday denied he promised the answer last year.
“I didn’t promise anything… don’t be pushy or you won’t get any answer ever,” he told reporters, obviously upset.
Since the journalists insisted on the answer, Sarcevic said: “Why are you pushing that (microphone) into my eyes. Move it away so that I don’t have to behave like a bully. It’s a shame, people. Where have you learned that?” the Minister said before entering the University building.