and member of the Serbian Academy of Architecture Slobodan "Giša" Bogunović described it as the "rosemary on the lapel of the ragged suit", "illiterate pleasing to the taste of politicians and ignorant councilors" and "water well that swallowed lot of money". Author and critic Milan Vlajčić called it an "insult for Belgrade", a "Chinese rattle" and a "nonsense". Bakić called it an "eyesore" and "watering trough". Politicians, on the other hand, praised the project. Vesić dismissed all criticism calling it "political" and that after only three days, the fountain became the "symbol of Belgrade". Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Zorana Mihajlović, stated that to her, Slavija is more beautiful with the fountain. President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, who in terms of administration or jurisdiction has nothing to do with the fountain, defended the project saying that he can't give an answer to "those who complain that they have no access to the fountain...what did they expect, that they will be able to wash their feet in it" and to "people who hate the entire world". Vučić added that those who criticize the fountain actually can't forgive him "because he participated in three strongest, most compelling victories in the modern Serbian history", referring to the last three electoral rounds. He asserted that the fountain is among the ten most beautiful ones in Europe. The fountain was damaged in December 2017 when a van, which participated in the three-car collision, hit its outer granite plates, forcing it out of service for a week. In September 2018, the commission was formed to choose which songs will be played. It was officially named "The Commission for the realization of the artistic work of the fountain on the Slavija Square". With everything that happened during the construction, and things which followed (malfunctioning, wetting the carriageways, shutting down because of the repairs, several car accidents including cars crashing into the fountain damaging it), it has been described as the controversial, "creature" and "jinxed attraction", with dubious effect on traffic safety in the square. Occasional crashes into the fountain continued in 2019 and 2021. Controversies continued around the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly because of deputy mayor Vesić. He announced the fountain would play "patriotic" songs for the Statehood Day on 15 February. Part of the cultural establishment called it unacceptable, opposed to the meaning of the holiday and political campaigning. Though the idea wasn't publicly dropped, the