Pop music and politics come together in Serbian singer scandal

Serbian popstar Vlado Georgiev has found himself in a face-off with Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and pro-government media due to a dispute regarding the cancellation of a recent concert, with thousands rallying in support of the singer-songwriter.

According to the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, the star is considering suing pro-government station TV Pink for disseminating false information in an interview it broadcast with the prime minister, during which Mr Vučić claimed that Georgiev’s concert scheduled for 4 March in Smederevo had been cancelled due to poor ticket sales.

The singer claims, however, that it was cancelled due to his support for former national ombudsman Saša Janković, who is running against Mr Vučić in Serbia’s upcoming presidential election on 2 April. In support of his claim, Georgiev explained that he had been informed of the cancellation of his concert via Twitter a total of 18 days before the event.

“[Serbia] is completely subject to censorship,” he told local paper Danas.

According to local media reports, on the day of the cancelled concert 5,000 people took to the streets in support of Georgiev, while Mr Vučić asserts that the number was less than 1,000 (a view he also shared in an interview with TV Pink).

Source: Balkan Insight