Women may be beautiful, but is that really a topic for discussion in Parliament?

This raises a critical question about how we perceive and treat women in the public sphere, particularly women in politics. Once again, we witness how seemingly harmless comments, such as calling a woman “beautiful,” reveal deep-seated sexism that continues to undermine their participation in public life. 

In a recent session of the Serbian Parliament, a telling moment unfolded when Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin responded to a female opposition MP’s critique of his lavish lifestyle, including his expensive car. Instead of addressing the criticism directly, Vulin veered off course, launching into a monologue about how much he “loves women.” A rhetorical tactic often used to deflect from the matter at hand, his remarks attempted to cloak sexism with charm. But beneath the surface, the intent was clear – to trivialize and undermine the female MP’s position by reducing her to an object of male desire. 

Vulin’s speech was nothing short of a blatant sidestep of the actual issue. By framing women as mere objects to be admired, he shifted the focus from political accountability to reinforcing patriarchal norms. Instead of engaging with her argument, he chose to discredit her – not by refuting her claims, but by focusing on her gender, insinuating that women are emotional and irrational, not serious figures deserving of respect in such spaces. His flippant remark, “you should never argue with women,” was a thinly veiled attempt to dodge responsibility, reducing a complex political critique to a simplistic gender stereotype. This not only diminishes the legitimacy of women politicians but also perpetuates a culture where women’s voices are belittled and dismissed in positions of power. 

But Vulin’s remarks didn’t stand alone; they were a mere catalyst for a wave of sexist and homophobic rhetoric that followed. Zoran Lutovac, President of the Democratic Party, chimed in with a snide remark about Prime Minister Ana Brnabić’s sexuality. Referring to Vulin’s speech about “loving women,” Lutovac mockingly asked, “Imagine if it were you, Ms. President (of the Parliament), talking about how much you loved women.” The thinly veiled homophobia in his statement drew laughter from many of the opposition MPs, reinforcing the hostile environment that women, particularly LGBTQ+ women, endure in politics. Rather than being challenged for his comments, Lutovac’s words were met with amusement, further highlighting how misogyny and homophobia intersect in the political arena to undermine marginalised voices. 

Even Brnabić herself, Serbia’s first openly gay Prime Minister, found herself in the crosshairs of this toxic discourse. She agreed with Vulin’s trivialisation of women, while she reacted disapprovingly to Lutovac’s statement, seizing the opportunity to accuse the opposition of only offering lip service to human rights. Her response illustrated how deeply embedded sexism and homophobia are, even among those who should be allies in challenging such narratives. 

The discourse took another troubling turn when MP Zdravko Ponoš directed his sexist vitriol towards another woman politician, Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski, telling her to “go make lunch” and “put up curtains.” His remarks were not only deeply insulting but also emblematic of how women are often relegated to traditional gender roles, even in the highest levels of government. Though Ponoš was later fined for his remarks by Brnabić, the damage had been done. Ana Brnabić, noted that he had “insulted all women in Serbia,” yet her words rang hollow given her earlier complicity in similar sexist rhetoric. 

These incidents offer a stark reminder of the entrenched sexism that permeates political discourse, not just in Serbia, but globally. Rather than focusing on the issues at hand, these politicians resorted to demeaning women and reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes. Vulin’s initial sexist remarks should have been condemned and shut down. Instead, they opened the door for further insults and misogynistic humor, turning a political debate into a farce, where the cost was borne by the women in the room. 

This pattern of behavior reflects a broader societal problem where women, no matter their position or achievements, are reduced to their appearance, their sexuality, or their supposed role in the domestic sphere. In politics, where decisions that affect the lives of millions are made, women deserve to be heard for their ideas and policies, not judged for their looks or mocked for their gender. The incidents in Serbia’s Parliament serve as a painful reminder that the fight for gender equality is far from over and that the battle for women’s voices to be taken seriously in the public sphere continues to face fierce resistance.