At first glance, Miša Bačulov does not look like the kind of person you would discuss politics with. His hair is cut short, he wears a black leather jacket under which muscular, tattooed arms and strong and rough fists can be seen. However, while we sit at the table with this Thai boxing champion, born in 1982 in Novi Sad, the conversation turns to topics related to Aleksandar Vučić, student protests and the present and future of Serbia. We met with Bačulov in Novi Sad on 31 October, just before his sudden arrest  (according to media close to the regime, he planned to poison himself, and then blame President Vučić).

A few days ago, television stations close to the party of Aleksandar Vučić published a video  showing you walking near the railway station in Novi Sad a few hours before the fall of the canopy on 1 November, 2024, when sixteen people died.  Vučić himself suggested that you could have activated an explosive with your smartphone…

The way that video was used clearly shows how the regime works. The station is full of cameras: they must know that I simply entered to catch a train. There is nothing strange about me walking past the station engrossed in my phone. Unfortunately, we are all engrossed in our phones these days. Allusions to a potential bomb that I allegedly set off are pure fantasy.

A year has passed since the collapse of the canopy – without any verdict for those responsible – and now they have seized on that video, talking about terrorism and a possible explosion, but the cause of the collapse is known to everyone: poor construction, that is, maintenance of the canopy.

How does Vučić’s regime function in Serbia today?

Like all other autocratic regimes. It is not the truth that matters, but what they say. Anyone who does not do what they say is presented as an enemy of the country. I say the enemy of the country, mind you, not of their party, because they identify with the country. But I am not afraid and I am not willing to sell my soul. Given that I know many people and that I am unpredictable, the government sees me as a problem.

This is not the first time that you have been attacked by the media close to the regime…

No. Only during the last year, since the protests started, I was accused of being a drug dealer – although people know that I do sports and humanitarian work – and then they said that I was violent because I had boxing experience and worked in security. But as the lies continue, they lose the trust of the people. If Vučić cared at all about this country, he would have published documents related to the reconstruction of the railway station in Novi Sad, and there would have been some verdicts.

Why did not the government publish the contracts for the station reconstruction (renewed between 2021 and 2024) as requested by the students?

Because they are probably all involved. Everyone would fall. This is how Vučić’s criminal organisation works: everyone is connected, dependent on each other. No one can say “no” or go to the other side. But Vučić was wrong when he confused the role of politician and criminal. There were people who believed in him for ideological reasons and who are now disappointed. Pandora’s box is open.

You lived abroad, in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, from the beginning of the 2000s until 2012, then you returned to Serbia. For years, you have been engaged in humanitarian work, not politics…

That is right. In particular, I have been helping children with disabilities and paralysis for about fifteen years. I collect money through sports events and tournaments that I organise, and I use part of the collected funds to buy medicines, prostheses and everything else that these children need. My organisation is called Budi heroj [Be a Hero] because I am convinced that in everyday life you do not need superpowers to be a hero. If you help your neighbor when he is in need, that already makes you a hero.

In any case, after five years of humanitarian work, we realised that the children needed food more than medicine and medical care. They were hungry. And in the 21st century in Vojvodina, which alone can feed half of Europe, it is so rich in arable land. They have destroyed this country to such an extent.

Did this experience encourage you to get involved in politics two years ago?

Yes. I do not have a college degree, so I do not that think I am qualified to be involved in politics at the state level. But I know Novi Sad like the back of my hand. That is why I ran for mayor two years ago and was elected councilor in the city assembly three times.

In recent years, there have been many protests against the government, but none have been successful. Why should this time be different?

For years, I stayed away on the sidelines, I did not want to get involved in politics. I was convinced that I could change things in Novi Sad and Serbia by helping individuals. But that is not possible. We have to change the system, and for that we need to get involved in politics. Many people have been thinking the same way and have only now become active.

When it comes to previous protests – “1 out of 5 million”, “Serbia against violence”, “Hands off the Jadar” – I think that the parliamentary opposition is largely responsible for their failure. Each time, the opposition absorbed the protests in a certain sense, contributing to their suppression and keeping Vučić in power.

What do you expect will happen in the coming months?

The future is unpredictable. If early elections are called, and if Vučić steals them again, nothing will be resolved. There is no turning back. The only thing the regime can do is to prevent further victims. I am afraid that Vučić is ready to set the country on fire just to stay in power, but I do not know if he can really do that at this point. Many people have already abandoned him.