Serbia erupts in new protests as crowds demand Vucic’s resignation
Police in Serbia (Photo: Getty Images)
Thousands of people took to the streets of the city of Novi Sad in Serbia. Protesters honored the memory of those who died in the canopy collapse at the railway station and put forward tough political demands to the government, reports Reuters.
The trigger for the protest was the 2024 disaster, when 16 people died as a result of the collapse of structures at the railway station. People are convinced that this was not just an accident, but a consequence of systemic corruption in the country.
Ongoing rallies are threatening the 13-year rule of populist Aleksandar Vučić. His Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has found itself at the center of the scandal.
Opposition and human rights activists call the tragedy a symbol of corruption and claim total inefficiency in the management of construction projects. The authorities reject these accusations.
How the protest unfolded
In Novi Sad, the country's second-largest city, people stood in temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius and chanted Victory, openly mocking the current president, the agency's correspondent reports.
Many young people wore T-shirts reading "Students are winning," as the student movement has become the driving force behind the protests. Activists want to challenge Vučić in the upcoming vote.
Elections are officially scheduled for 2027, but street pressure is making the authorities nervous. Vučić has already hinted that he might call them earlier.
What the protesters demanded
The list of grievances against the country's leadership is extensive. The opposition accuses Vučić's team of:
- Falsifying the results of previous elections;
- Violence against political opponents;
- Suppressing the freedom of independent media;
- Close ties with organized crime.
How Vučić responded
The Serbian president, during a live broadcast, announced a rally of his supporters for June 27. Now Vučić is trying to seize the initiative.
"I invite them (people) not to show anger towards anyone ... but to gather under the Serbian flag," he said.
The situation in Serbia is causing concern in Europe. The country is a candidate for EU membership, but Brussels has set strict conditions.
Belgrade must demonstrate a genuine rule of law. It needs to ensure fair elections and an independent judiciary.
Serbia is also expected to align its foreign policy — specifically, to impose sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. But so far, the country is balancing between the West and Moscow.
Context of the events
Demands for Aleksandar Vučić's resignation have been heard in Serbia for several months now. In particular, at the end of May, large-scale anti-government protests resumed in Belgrade, organized by the student movement with opposition support.
At that time, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the Serbian capital under the slogan "Students are winning." After the rally ended, some protesters headed toward a gathering of Vučić supporters, where clashes with police broke out.
