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Serbian authorities granted citizenship to the son of Ljubljana’s mayor under a discreet "national interest" provision while declining to publicise the justification of its decision. The move coincides with high-value real estate purchases in the Slovenian capital by a key ally of the Serbian president, a businessman at whose Belgrade villa the mayor's son registered his official residence.
According to official records obtained by investigative news outlets Oštro and KRIK, Jure Janković - son of long-serving Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković - was naturalized as a Serbian citizen in November 2024. Land registry documents show that the younger Janković registered his Belgrade address at a luxury villa owned by Nikola Petrović, a powerful energy executive known widely as the "best man" and close confidant of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
The address registration followed significant cross-border real estate transactions in Slovenia. In July 2024, Petrović’s newly-established firm, NG Projekt, purchased three buildable plots from the Municipality of Ljubljana at a public auction for almost 1.5 million euro below the initial asking price set in earlier, unsuccessful bids. Though currently overgrown, the parcels occupy a prime area designated by urban planners for future commercial and residential development.
When approached by reporters regarding his ties to the Janković family and the transaction, Petrović declined to comment, accusing journalists of violating his privacy and wishing them "all the worst." Requests for comment sent to both Jure and Zoran Janković went unanswered.
The senior Janković, a close political ally of President Vučić who has served as Ljubljana’s mayor since 2006 and faces reelection this November, has previously faced law enforcement investigations alongside his sons over their financial dealings. According to available data he was never convicted, but in 2015 the Slovenian Commission for the prevention of corruption found several undeclared financial transactions and cited risks involving conflict of interest.
The mayor publicly offered Vučić "any kind of help by any means" during mass anti-corruption protests in Serbia, and has pledged to assist Belgrade with organizing the international Expo 2027.
Petrović, whose wealth and political influence have expanded notably since Vučić took power in 2014, has repeatedly targeted investigative journalists reporting on his state subsidies, offshore holdings. He has filed three lawsuits against KRIK seeking damages and the imprisonment of reporters; one case was dismissed, a second expired under statutes of limitation, and a third remains pending.
