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Serbian students protest in front of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) headquarters following the overnight beating of their colleagues by what they say were SNS activists, in Novi Sad, Serbia, January 28, 2025.
Serbia’s PM resigns amid mass protests
Serbia is in political turmoil after Prime Minister Miloš Vučevićresigned Tuesday following months of mass protests touched off by a deadly accident at a railway station.
The background: In November, a section of the roof at the central station in Novi Sad, one of Serbia’s largest cities, collapsed, killing 15 people. The station had recently been renovated by a Chinese-led construction consortium as part of a broader Budapest-Belgrade rail link. Critics blamed the accident on graft, and mass protests led by students and other critics of the country’s right-wing populist government swelled.
The resignations and criminal prosecutions of top officials responsible for the project failed to quell popular outrage. Last week, tens of thousands of people joined a general strike, and on Monday, farmers groups joined in, blocking streets in the capital.
What’s next: President Aleksandar Vučić – a prominent, China-friendly ally of Hungary’s “illiberal” PM Viktor Orbán – must now decide whether to try to form a new government or go to early elections, which is what protesters and the opposition want. Vučić, in power virtually uncontested since 2017, has said he will decide within 10 days. The streets are watching.FREIBERG, GERMANY - DECEMBER 10: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) speak to the media following talks over lithium mining on December 10, 2024 in Freiberg, Germany. Germany and Serbia will be cooperating in the sustainable mining of lithium, a critical substance for the production of batteries for electric cars. A company called Zinnwald Lithium GmbH intends to mine up to 15,000 tons of lithium annually in the region of Saxony near Freiberg, enough to build one million electric car batteries. Serbia also has extensive lithium deposits.
Serbian president name-checks Assad, vows not to flee amid protests
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday said he would not flee in the face of demonstrations against his administration. “If they think I’m Assad, and that I’ll run away somewhere, I will not,” he said. Comparing oneself to the brutal Syrian ex-strongman wasn’t great PR – though in fairness, no one is accusing Vučić of gassing children or torturing civilians like Assad – and many Serbians are protesting persistent corruption in Belgrade.
The most recent wave of unrest started with a roof collapse at a train station that killed 15 people in the city of Novi Sad on Nov. 1. Opposition leaders seized on the tragedy to accuse Vučić’s ruling coalition of nepotism and graft that led to corners being cut on public construction projects, leaving them dangerously shoddy. The station in Novi Sad had been renovated as part of a wide deal with Chinese state companies to upgrade Serbian infrastructure.
Every Friday, protesters now blockade streets in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and other major cities, some holding signs accusing Vučić of corruption and portraying him with blood on his hands, and thousands turned out to mark the one-month anniversary of the collapse. Police have fired tear gas at demonstrators, and pro-government groups have attempted to escalate peaceful protests.
Will Vučić stick to his word? Probably. He’s weathered prolonged popular unrest before, including just last year. More than five months of demonstrations following a series of mass shootings managed to push out a few underlings, but not Vučić. We’re watching for a sacrificial lamb.