Vladimir Đukanović (; born 2 March 1979), also known as Đuka the Bison, is a Serbian politician, lawyer and talk show host. He has served in the National Assembly of Serbia since 2014 as a member of the Serbian Progressive Party. He is on the right-wing of the party and has sometimes clashed with its leadership.Đukanović: Idem iz politike ove godine , Blic, 3 January 2016.
Early life and career Đukanović has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Belgrade and was a political commentator of some notoriety prior to his election to the assembly.Vladimir Djukanovic , istinomer.rs, accessed 12 April 2017. Đukanović's commentaries are referenced in, among other sources, "Highlights from Serbian press 7 Mar 11," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 8 March 2011; and "Highlights from Serbian press 18 Jul 11," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 July 2011. He was at one time the host of a radio program called Fokus on Svet Plus Info; this program was known for, among other things, celebrating the birthday of Ratko Mladić and commemorating events organized by the far-right Obraz group."Serbian opposition TV's chief editor accuses president of boycotting media," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 11 April 2012 (Source: K. Zivanovic and D. Petrovic, "Partisanship on Cable TV and YouTube," Danas website, Belgrade, in Serbian 28 Mar 12).
Đukanović became chair of the assembly of Serbia's state lottery commission in 2013, a position he held until 2015.Vladimir Djukanovic, istinomer.rs, accessed 12 April 2017. See also "Banca Intesa ad Beograd – Daily Report, Oct 21, 2013," Emerging Markets Broker Reports Central Eastern Europe, 21 October 2013.
He hosts a talk show called Na kraju dana sa Đukom on KCN Kopernikus.
Political career Đukanović was originally a member of the Serbian Radical Party and sought election to the Assembly of the City of Belgrade under its banner in the 2008 Serbian local elections. Goran Miletić wrote an extended piece on his candidacy and right-wing policy positions on B92's website during the campaign.Goran Miletić, "Radikal bez šminke (slučaj kandidata br. 83)" , B92 (blog), 27 April 2008, accessed 12 April 2017. The Radical Party split later in 2008, and Đukanović joined the breakaway Serbian Progressive Party. He received the twenty-third position on the latter party's Aleksandar Vučić — Future We Believe In coalition electoral list in the 2014 Serbian parliamentary election and was elected when the list won a majority with 158 out of 250 mandates.Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 16. и 23. марта 2014. године, Избеорн Листе (Aleksander Vučić – Budućnost U Koju Verujemo) , Republika Srbija – Republička izborna komisija, accessed 26 January 2017.
In late 2014, Đukanović and fellow MP Branislav Blažić travelled on an unauthorized mission as international observers for elections in the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in Ukraine.Artem Khomenko, "Ukraine Takes As Unfriendly Act Presence Of Serbia Representatives At DPR, LPR "Elections"," Ukrainian News, 4 November 2014. This source erroneously claims that Blažić was not an MP at the time. This caused some diplomatic embarrassment for the Serbian government. Đukanović said that he and Blažić went on the mission as private citizens, adding that he had not informed Serbian prime minister Aleksandar Vučić of the visit and that he was "ready to suffer the consequences" if the Progressive Party disapproved of his actions."Serbian MP allegedly observes unrecognized poll in Ukraine, claims private visit," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 5 November 2014 (Source: text of report in English by Serbian pro-western Belgrade-based Radio B92 website, on 4 November). The government of Ukraine later banned him from entering the country.Nataša Latković, "Đukanoviću zabranjen ulazak u Ukrajinu" , Blic, 19 October 2016, accessed 12 April 2017.
Đukanović was a prominent critic of Saša Janković in the latter's capacity as Serbia's official ombudsman. In early 2015, Janković accused Serbia's Military Security Agency of illegal wiretapping political parties, union leaders, and judges. Đukanović responded that the charges had been made "tendentiously" and accused Janković of having ignored earlier reports about Progressive Party leaders being put under surveillance prior to 2012, when the party was in opposition."Serbian politicians trade accusations as surveillance scandal breaks out," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 27 January 2015 (Source: Politika website, Belgrade, in Serbian 22 Jan 15). He later sought to reduce the ombudsman's budget.Đukanović: Smanjiti platu Zaštitnika građana , Blic (Source: Tanjug), 5 December 2016, accessed 12 April 2017.Đukanović: Ponosansam što Janković i ja ne delimo iste vrednosti , Blic (Source: Tanjug), 22 December 2016.
In October 2015, Đukanović praised filmmaker Emir Kusturica for making a speech in opposition to the European Union and criticized UK ambassador Denis Keefe for walking out during the speech."Serbian party members applaud anti-EU speech, says paper," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 21 October 2015 (Source: Blic website, Belgrade, in Serbian 0000 gmt 20 Oct 15). He later indicated that he supported China's claims to disputed territories in the South China Sea, arguing that counter-claims from the Philippines would simply prolong the conflict and give the United States of America an excuse for intervening in the area.Nermana Cabric, "Interview: Philippines' call for South China Sea arbitration "catastrophic mistake" – Serbian MP," Xinhua News Agency, 29 June 2016.
Đukanović received the seventeenth position on the Progressive Party's Aleksandar Vučić – Serbia Is Winning list for the 2016 election and was easily re-elected when the list won 131 mandates.Избори за народне посланике 2016. године » Изборне листе (Александар Вучиђ – Србија Побеҕује) , Republika Srbija – Republička izborna komisija, accessed 17 February 2017.
During the 2016–20 parliament, Đukanović was a member of the defense and internal affairs committee and the security services control committee; a member of Serbia's delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (where Serbia has observer status); the leader of Serbia's parliamentary friendship group with North Macedonia; and a member of its parliamentary friendship groups with Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Montenegro, North Korea, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Venezuela, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.Vladimir Djukanovic, National Assembly of Serbia, accessed 27 September 2017; and accessed 7 July 2020.
Đukanović announced in July 2019 that he was suspending all political activities within the Progressive Party until certain individuals criticized by Aleksandar Vučić at a recent meeting of the party's main board were removed from their roles."Đukanović „suspenduje sve aktivnosti“ u SNS-u" , Danas, 18 July 2019, accessed 7 July 2020. He did not ultimately leave the party.
In May 2020, Đukanović encouraged supporters of the Progressive Party's administration to respond to opposition protesters by lighting torches from their roofs."UNS: Đukanović potvrdio da je pozivao građane da prave bakljade", Danas, 7 May 2020, accessed 7 July 2020. An opposition political group subsequently filed criminal charges against him for hooliganism; he denied the charge – saying that he had instigated the action but was not an organizer – and described the criminal report as a "badge of honor.""Владимир Ђукановић: Нисам организовао паљење бакљи – спреман сам да идем и на робију за своје идеје" , Nova srpska politička misao, 7 May 2020, accessed 7 July 2020."PSS podneo krivičnu prijavu protiv poslanika SNS Vladimira Đukanovića", Danas, 6 May 2020, accessed 7 July 2020.Đukanović: Nisam organizator, ali sam podstrekač bakljade, Danas, 10 May 2020, accessed 7 July 2020.
He received the twenty-seventh position on the Progressive Party's list in the 2020 Serbian parliamentary election and was elected to a third term when the list won a landslide majority with 188 mandates."Ko je sve na listi SNS za republičke poslanike?" , Danas, 6 March 2020, accessed 30 June 2020. He is now the chair of the committee on the judiciary, public administration, and local self-government. He continues to serve on the security services committee and in Serbia's delegation to the NATO parliamentary assembly and is a member of the parliamentary friendship groups with Argentina, Austria, Brazil China, Cuba, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
In August 2020, he tweeted that he hoped Serbian citizens vacationing in Croatia would receive "a broken car and punctured tires, a slap or a kick in the buttocks, annoyed waiters who ignore you, the worst of insults and threats." This comment, which occurred against the backdrop of the anniversary of Operation Storm, was met with criticism. In a follow-up tweet, Đukanović accused Croatia of celebrating the legacy of the Nazis and Ustaše and the ethnic cleansing of Serbs, and continued to criticize Serbs who vacationed there. He added that his tweets represented only his views and not those of the Progressive Party.
During the 2022 North Kosovo crisis, Đukanović stated that it was necessary to "denazify the Balkans", in reference to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On 21 November 2024, in the very beginning of the 2024-2025 Serbian anti-corruption protests, Đukanović tweeted "We must fight against anarchist terrorists, fake commie intellectuals, the pseudo-elite that is ravaging Serbia with anti-Serbian attitudes. It is time to stop this social scum. In every place and at every step. Firstly, in every discussion, and God forbid, if necessary, with force. This scum will no longer be able to terrorize this country. Long live Serbia and just fight bravely".
In December 2024, commenting on the involvement of high school students in the 2024-2025 Serbian anti-corruption protests, Đukanović stated that "children are property of the state until they reach the age of majority". The statement caused great controversy, with the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, describing it as "utterly unfounded, dangerous, and condemnable". Đukanović defended his statement by claiming it was "metaphorical" and "taken out of context".
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