Serbia’s Government Deputy Prime Minister said on Tuesday that, despite all the criticism of an ultra-nationalist over her evil tweet, she doubted that Vjerica Radeta would be dismissed as the Parliament Deputy Speaker, the Kurir daily reported.

Zorana Mihajlovic, also a deputy leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) headed by President Aleksandar Vucic, told the daily, as carried by the Beta news agency, that she would like to be wrong, but that it did not seem likely that Radeta would be replaced.  

“We have wasted enough words talking about what the MP wrote. We have all judged her for it and were horrified by what was written, as well as confused about how someone can push aside our values. A lot of words, but very little deeds, meaningful deeds,” Mihajlovic said.

She added that the “appalling behaviour of the nationalists had been tolerated for too long.”

Many in Serbia have condemned the tweet, but there was no indication of any political action against Radeta. The opposition Democratic Party submitted a request for her dismissal and the parliament should discuss it. Other opposition parties and a number of NGOs and other parts of civil society in the country supported the request, with some even demanding a criminal procedure against Radeta for hate speech.

Mihajlovic, also the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, said that “there were so many threats, curses, insults, even death threats against other politicians and me.”

She said those threats were mostly coming from the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS), led by Vojislav Seselj, a convicted war criminal, and had never been sanctioned.  

“So I don’t think this time will be any different. That is why I think Seselj has enough influence in the parliament to prevent Radeta’s dismissal.”