TROLL OF THE MONTH: Zlatan Begić, a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Tuzla

Zlatan Begić, a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Tuzla and a representative in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)

The Balkan Troll of the Month is an individual, a group of individuals or a media outlet that spreads hate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or other diversity categories. The Balkan Troll is selected based on hate speech incidents identified across the Western Balkans region.

Zlatan Begić, a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Tuzla and a representative in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), sparked outrage with a sexist post on X. The post included photos of TV personality Stanija Dobrojević and political analyst Ivana Marić, suggesting that Dobrojević unlike Marić, “has a career,” adding that, “Out of these starlets, only Stanija seems to have managed to make some career. She stuck to what she knows how to do.” The post reached a total of 38.5K views highlighting its reach and audience.

Begić’s comment, pinning one woman against another and using this as an excuse to insult one by using the other as an example is not only demeaning but also extremely sexist. A post like this with such rhetoric perpetuates harmful stereotypes about women’s professional achievements and creates a hierarchy of importance based on prejudice and hate. By reducing women to derogatory comparisons and trivialising their contributions in society especially within the fields of media and politics – two very different career paths and subject matters– the post reinforces gender inequality and serves to undermine efforts to promote respect and equality in public discourse.

Begić is a professor of constitutional law which is not only an important and respected subject and role but also an important topic that should teach the importance of equality and respect that uphold democratic societies.

Furthermore, Begić is also a representative in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) meaning that he is responsible for legislating, debating and shaping policies at a state level. This also means that he represents the public interest and the people of the country. Having such influence, he should not be sharing ‘humorous’ sexist jokes on public channels and platforms. Instead they should be used to advance his views on important issues such as equality and respect. Public officials have a duty to responsibly represent and serve the people they are speaking on behalf of. These roles come with the obligation to foster dialogue on meaningful issues and to counter hate, rather than perpetuating it through sexism or derogatory remarks. Their platforms should be used to promote inclusivity, respect, and constructive discussion.