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People protest Ljubljana's Mayor Zoran Jankovic's support of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic near the Serbian embassy in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on March 5, 2025.
Time is running out for Serbia’s embattled president
After months of historic protests, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, is now up against something particularly formidable: the clock.
The context: Vučić, a right-wing populist friendly with Serbia’s traditional ally Moscow, has held power since 2012. Last year, the deadly collapse of a canopy at a renovated train station ignited anti-corruption protests that swelled into the country’s largest demonstrations in a generation.
Protesters want a probe and fresh elections. Vučić has dismissed several officials, including his PM, but refused to step down, blaming unnamed foreign governments for the unrest. On Sunday, he tapped a little-known medical professor, Djuro Macut, as PM.
Clock #1: Vučić’s governing SNS party has until April 18 to approve Macut or else face snap elections. SNS has the numbers in the legislature, but approving Macut, whose expertise is in endocrinology rather than governance, would inflame the streets even more. Rejecting him, however, would trigger elections that Vučić wishes to avoid.
Clock #2: Meanwhile, Vučić must also find a buyer for Russia’s stake in Serbia’s oil refinery to avoid crippling US sanctions on his country’s energy industry.
Why it matters: Serbia is a key player in the Balkans, an aspiring EU member, and a pal of Putin’s. The clock is ticking – if the bell rings, it could echo well beyond Belgrade.
Protesters demanded the ouster of South Korean President Yoon in central Seoul on March 29, 2025.
South Korean leader to learn his political fate on Friday
Controversy on the peninsula. The impeachment case revolves around whether Yoon unconstitutionally declared martial law on Dec. 3, a move that lasted all of six hours. The National Assembly, which is dominated by the center-left Democratic Party, impeached the center-right president 11 days after the incident on the grounds that he violated his constitutional duty (and did so with the support of a handful of lawmakers from Yoon’s own party). While many demonstrated against Yoon’s declaration of martial law, his conservative backers – a small but vocal minority – have taken to the streets in recent months to show their support for the president.
Don’t bet against Yoon’s removal from office. Six of the court’s eight justices need to vote for Yoon’s removal if he is to be removed from office, an outcome that Eurasia Group regional expert Jeremy Chan believes is more likely than not.
“Public support for Yoon’s removal remains high, and the legal merits of the case against Yoon are solid. Excusing his martial law declaration would also risk normalizing it for future leaders,” he said.
Should the court rule in Yoon’s favor, he would return to office immediately, but if the court rules against him, as expected, South Korea must hold presidential elections within 60 days. Regardless of the ruling, Yoon still faces criminal charges for alleged treason – the one charge for which a sitting president is not immune. While the legal system may stem the criminal proceedings if he retains his presidential immunity, it is far more likely to proceed if he is removed from office.
Schools will be closed Friday, and police will be out in force in anticipation of mass protests, which are likely no matter how the court rules, says Chan.
Sea change for Seoul? If Yoon’s impeachment is formalized, acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will remain at the helm until an election takes place this spring. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, of the center-left, is the firm favorite to win at the polls. With a more dovish foreign policy stance, South Korea under Lee would likely seek warmer ties with China and North Korea, says Chan.
“Lee is a progressive populist who has been skeptical of the pro-US and pro-Japan tilt that South Korea’s foreign policy took under Yoon,” he said.
People attend a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 29, 2025.
Mass protests target Erdogan’s grip on power in Turkey
Five days after the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said it would no longer hold protests against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the arrest of its presidential candidate, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of the capital on Saturday. Now, the CHP has vowed to continue the protests until the authorities release Imamoglu and clear him to run for the presidency.
Fall from grace. Just three weeks ago, Erdogan’s government was on a winning streak. The Assad regime — a staunch opponent — had fallen in Syria, a rebel Kurdish group had laid down their weapons, and the Turkish economy was looking relatively rosy. Now, the Turkish leader is on his back foot. Erdogan has tried to crush the rebellion, arresting thousands of protestors, but this latest protest suggests that the demonstrators are in it for the long haul. And the Turkish economy is now in retreat.
It’s strictly business. A crackdown on journalists continues, with several having been detained in recent days. Swedish reporter Joakim Medin was arrested as soon as he touched down in Turkey on Thursday for allegedly insulting the president. This followed the arrest and deportation of BBC reporter Mark Lowen earlier in the week.
Stern words. “This is more than the slow erosion of democracy. It is the deliberate dismantling of our republic’s institutional foundations,” the imprisoned Imamoglu wrote in a New York Times op-ed. The opposition leader also panned democratic governments across the globe for failing to denounce the Turkish government. “Their silence is deafening,” he wrote.
But there have been demonstrations in European cities in solidarity with the protesters in Istanbul, and many inside Turkey and around the world are wondering whether the man who has led the bicontinental country since 2003 can hang on amid the uproar.
A person holds a placard during a protest on the day Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was jailed as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 23, 2025.
Imamoglu arrested as protests rock Turkey
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was formally arrested, charged with corruption, and jailed on Sunday. His detainment last Wednesday sparked widespread mass protests across Turkey, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets in cities including Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir, despite a four-day ban on public gatherings.
Over 300 people have been arrested, and the government has demanded that X suspend the accounts of protest organizers. The country also banned short-selling and eased buyback rules to help stabilize markets after the benchmark stock index fell significantly last week.
Despite Imamoglu's arrest, his party proceeded with its internal vote Sunday to confirm him as its presidential candidate. While his arrest is likely to sideline him politically ahead of the next vote, it could also fuel a cycle of further protests and crackdowns by authorities. Forty-seven other people were also imprisoned on related charges pending trial, including a political aide and two district mayors, while 44 other suspects were released under judicial control.
What’s behind the government’s tough line? Imamoglu and his supporters claim that the charges are politically motivated, part of a crackdown ahead of the 2028 presidential elections. To run again, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 71, who has ruled for 22 years as prime minister and president, would have to convince Parliament to hold early elections before the end of his second five-year presidential term. That is the only way he would be permitted to run again under Turkey’s constitution. The popular Imamoglu is seen as a chief rival for the job.
Will there be international pressure? A year ago, Erdogan’s crackdown could have been expected to get the cold shoulder in Washington. But in 2025, his warm relations with US President Donald Trump, Ankara’s support for the transition in Syria, and Turkey’s willingness to back up European security guarantees for a ceasefire in Ukraine will likely insulate the Turkish president from international isolation.
Human rights activists hold a placard reading 'Military is a Killer of Women' during Aksi Kamisan, or Thursday's Protest, in front of the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 20, 2025.
Indonesians protest new military laws
Indonesian activists are protesting a new law allowing active-duty military members to serve an expanded role in the civilian government — a move they warn could bring back the days of military repression under strongman leader Suharto.
Indonesia’s current president, Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, is a former general who served as minister of defense under former President Joko Widodo. He is accused of serious human rights abuses, including participation in massacres in East Timor and forced disappearances of pro-democracy activists.
In power since October, Prabowo has already worked to integrate the military deeper into governance. Amendments to the 2004 Law on the Indonesian Armed Forces, which parliament passed unanimously on Thursday, allow active duty military officers to hold positions in 14 different government institutions. Previously, they were only allowed to serve in institutions related to defense and national security, but now they’ll be able to serve in institutions like the attorney general’s office and the Supreme Court.
Prabowo’s election last year raised concerns about democratic backsliding in the country. But Indonesians have responded to the latest move: Hundreds went to the parliament building on Thursday to protest the new legislation and to demand that the military and civilian government remain separate.
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.
Demonstrators stand next to a fire during a protest against the new government's decision to suspend the European Union accession talks and refuse budgetary grants until 2028, in Tbilisi, Georgia December 2, 2024.
Tbilisi in turmoil: Protests erupt over suspended EU talks
Thousands of protesters clashed with police in the Georgian capital for a third consecutive night on Saturday after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s government suspended negotiations to join the European Union. Late Friday, Demonstrators broke through metal gates outside Georgia’s parliament buildings, using garbage bins and benches as makeshift barricades as riot police deployed tear gas and water cannons. Protesters also took to the streetsin other regions and cities across the country including Batumi, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi.
Kobakhidze’s EU exit comes after Western leaders condemned Georgia’s October election, which returned the ruling Georgian Dream party to power, as fraudulent. Party founder, pro-Russian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, stood accused of bribing voters, while Kobakhidze has become increasingly aligned with Moscow.
In response, President Salome Zourabichvili,who’s pro-Western, described the current government as “illegitimate” and vowed to retain her role past on Dec. 14, the date the parliament has set for picking her replacement,likely to be far-right politician and former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili.
Hundreds of civil servants have also signed letters of protest; Georgia’s ambassadors to Bulgaria, Netherlands, and Italy resigned; and the US State Department has suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia. Kobakhidze accuses opponents of plotting a revolution similar to the 2013-2014 Maidan Uprising in Ukraine, which toppled a pro-Russian president – a precedent he does not want to see repeated.
Security force personnel walk as smoke billows from tear gas shells fired to prevent an anti-government protest by supporters of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanding the release of Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, November 26, 2024
“Fight to the end:” Islamabad on edge after day of violent protests
Supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through numerous barricades and clashed with police in the capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, leaving at least six people — two civilians and four security officers — dead. Led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, protesters occupied D-Chowk, a large square in the city center, for several hours before retreating at dusk.
Bibi said the protests would continue until her husband — currently serving a three-year sentence on corruption charges he denies — was released. Khan, for his part, has urged supporters to “fight to the end” on social media. But on Wednesday, Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said the demonstrations were “temporarily suspended” owing to “government brutality.”
It’s unclear where the protesters, many of whom came to the capital in large convoys, went as they dispersed on Tuesday. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who’s been in discussions with protest leaders, said he had suggested areas on the outskirts of Islamabad where protest rallies could be held as a compromise.
Despite the pause, more violence seems likely in the days ahead, and the government has invoked its power to deploy the army to quell public unrest. Naqvisaid police were “showing restraint” with protesters but warned that they were authorized to use deadly force if demonstrators again tried to cross into central Islamabad. Khan’s PTI claimed police had already used live rounds against protesters and that 12 of them had been injured.