Deputy leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, MP Dušan Nikezić, has accused Finance Minister Siniša Mali of plagiarizing an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report. The allegation comes after Mali claimed the IMF reduced Serbia’s projected GDP growth from 4.2% to 3.5% due to recent protests and blockades.
Nikezić stated that Mali’s assertion is misleading, noting the IMF actually lowered growth forecasts globally—from 3.3% to 2.8%—primarily due to ongoing trade wars and their impact on the world economy in 2025. He emphasized that Serbia’s adjustment was part of this broader trend, not a direct consequence of domestic unrest.
The opposition MP further pointed out that the IMF first revised Serbia’s 2025 GDP growth projection from 4.5% to lower levels in October 2023—months before the protests sparked by the collapse of a railway station roof in Novi Sad.
Nikezić criticized Mali’s economic management, citing Serbia’s record-high inflation in Europe, public debt surge from €15 to €40 billion, increasing corruption, and status as the continent’s fourth-poorest country. He urged the minister to stop misleading citizens and blaming protesters for poor economic results.
The controversy follows previous plagiarism allegations against Mali regarding his doctoral thesis and economic data presentations.
