# Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski: the diploma, the fines and the party's money Category: Above the law Period: from 2020 Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski, leader of the Zavetnici party, became a minister in May 2024, and the biography submitted to MPs stated that she had graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences, even though, according to the faculty's response, she did not complete her studies. The Government removed the inaccurate information only in April 2025, and her personal website still says, as of November 2026, that she graduated from the FPN. According to KRIK, proceedings over three unpaid fines have become time-barred, while proceedings by the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption over about 260,000 dinars of party money spent on a trip to Moscow are still ongoing. ## The diploma that never was Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski, leader of the Zavetnici party, became Minister for Family Care and Demography in May 2024, even though her party did not pass the electoral threshold. The biography submitted to MPs, the websites of the Government and the ministry, and her personal website all stated that she had earned a degree in political science from the Faculty of Political Sciences. According to the faculty's reply, published by CINS in August 2024, she did not complete her studies and lost her student status in December 2020, with 207 of the required 240 credits. ## A Russian institute and a new biography The minister told CINS that she obtained her degree only in 2024, at the Russian Institute for Diaspora and Integration, but provided no proof; the institute said that from 2020 to 2024 she completed 260 academic hours of training. The Government removed the false information only in April 2025, by which time Đurđević Stamenkovski was already Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, replacing it with wording that she had earned a degree in political science “after studies” at the FPN and the Moscow institute. As of November 2026, her personal website still says she graduated from the FPN. ## Unpaid traffic fines According to KRIK, Đurđević Stamenkovski did not pay three fines of 5,000 dinars each for parking and speeding; the court converted them into five days in prison, and the proceedings then became time-barred. Two proceedings over her failure to say who was driving her car have not been resolved. ## The Zavetnici party's money The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption launched proceedings over the finances of the Zavetnici party: for its spending of campaign money in 2020, a court fined the party and its responsible person in 2024, while proceedings against Đurđević Stamenkovski over about 260,000 dinars spent on a trip to Moscow are, according to KRIK, still ongoing. ## Union's criminal complaint In November 2026, the Union of Social Protection Employees filed a criminal complaint against Đurđević Stamenkovski, then caretaker minister of labour, and her special adviser, on suspicion of abuse of office and obstructing trade union activity. According to the union's statement, applications to register new union organisations in the Register had been submitted to the ministry since May, but allegedly no response came even after the 30-day legal deadline and written reminders. The union also called for the resignation of the members of the Committee for Determining Representativeness appointed by the Serbian Government. ## Participants - [Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/milica-djurdjevic-stamenkovski): After the CINS report, the SSP, LSV and DS called for her resignation; she declined to speak to KRIK reporters (responsible) - [Government of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vlada-srbije): According to former minister Verbić, nobody in the Government checks a minister's CV or asks for proof of education (commented on the case) - [Serbian Party Oathkeepers](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/zavetnici): They failed to account for more than 300,000 dinars for the 2020 campaign, so a court fined them in 2024, and proceedings are under way over a trip to Moscow (responsible) - [Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/fakultet-politickih-nauka): In its reply to CINS, it confirmed that the minister had not completed her studies and had lost her student status in 2020. (oversight and the public) - [Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (until 2020 the Anti-Corruption Agency)](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/agencija-za-sprecavanje-korupcije): It launched misdemeanour proceedings over the Zavetnici party's spending on the 2020 campaign and on a trip to Moscow (oversight and the public) - [Misdemeanour Court in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/prekrsajni-sud-beograd): Converted the minister's unpaid fines into jail time, then dropped the proceedings because the statute of limitations had expired (responsible) - [Srđan Verbić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/srdjan-verbic): Said that no one in the Government checks ministers' biographies or asks for proof of their education (commented on the case) - [Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (Labour Inspectorate)](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ministarstvo-za-rad): According to the union's criminal complaint, it has allegedly not ruled on applications to register new unions since May, even though the legal deadline is 30 days (responsible) - [Union of Social Protection Employees](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/sindikat-zaposlenih-u-socijalnoj-zastiti): It filed a criminal complaint against the minister because the ministry has allegedly not entered any new unions in the Register since May (harmed) ## Sources - [CINS (Centar za istraživačko novinarstvo Srbije): The case of the minister's biography: Where did Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski graduate?](): 6 Aug 2024 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Serbian Government minister Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski does not hold the degree she listed in her biography](): 6 Aug 2024 - [Vreme: Milica Zavetnica's new biography: The mystery of the minister's degree](): 23 Apr 2025 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: The Serbian Government minister's Russian degree](): 7 Aug 2024 - [Danas: Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski has still not changed the claim in her biography that she graduated from the Faculty of Political Science](): 7 Aug 2024 - [Danas: Calls mount for minister Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski to resign over falsifying her formal education](): 6 Aug 2024 - [Nova.rs: LSV: Minister Đurđević Stamenkovski is used to faking things and should resign](): 7 Aug 2024 - [Vlada Republike Srbije: Милица Ђурђевић Стаменковски](): 4 Nov 2026 - [Lični sajt Milice Đurđević Stamenkovski: About Милица Ђурђевић (milicadjurdjevic.rs)](): 2 Nov 2026 - [KRIK: Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski: Assets, earnings, biography (KRIK, Politicians' Assets)](): 18 Jun 2025 - [Danas: Union of Social Welfare Employees files criminal complaint against Đurđević Stamenkovski](): 6 Nov 2026 - [N1: Union of Social Welfare Employees files criminal complaint against Đurđević Stamenkovski](): 6 Nov 2026 --- Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/milica-djurdjevic-stamenkovski As of: 6 Nov 2026 Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)