A military parade organized today in front of the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade, as part of events marking the Days of Serbian Unity and the Flag, sparked sharp reactions and debate over whether the Serbian Army stands with the people or with the government.
The event, titled “Strength of Unity,” gathered around 10,000 participants, showcasing 2,500 units of weaponry and equipment, more than 600 vehicles, 70 aircraft and 20 vessels. But while the official ceremony unfolded, a group of students tried to hold a rally in support of army members. They said they were blocked by Gendarmerie units who pushed them back and surrounded them, preventing them from attending the parade.
“The parade showed fear of contrast”
Political analyst Dragomir Andjelković said students were stopped from entering the parade for several reasons.
“First, their numbers would have grown and could have outnumbered the pre-arranged audience, which looked like extras in a film about totalitarian regimes. The contrast with students, who appear natural and spontaneous, is exactly what the authorities fear,” he said.
According to him, student presence could have sent a message that young people no longer want to endure dictatorship. “Some soldiers might have even been tempted to show support with a gesture, which would expose the ruling establishment’s vulnerability,” Andjelković added.
He argued that ordinary soldiers and officers, as part of the people, do not support President Aleksandar Vučić, but that the army leadership is tied to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. “In such circumstances, it looks like the army supports the regime, but the fact that students were prevented from attending shows the government’s fear that its house of cards could collapse,” he said.
Opposition criticism: “Army misused”
Miroslav Parović, leader of the People’s Freedom Movement, said citizens and students were blocked from the parade due to Vučić’s “paranoia.”
“The fear of a repeat of the chanting at the Serbia–England football match was so strong that he chose to be embarrassed with three times fewer people in the audience than in the parade,” Parović said. He added that a 300-meter-long flag in five colors symbolically capped “a performance in which the Serbian Army was misused to boost the president’s ratings.”
MP Miloš Parandilović, leader of the “New Face of Serbia” movement, said Vučić has built his power for 13 years on divisions, hatred and violence.
“Both the army and police, along with other institutions, have been thrown under the control of the SNS. This is the game of a man who calls himself ‘supreme commander,’ and it will cost us over 15 million euros,” he said, adding that another two million euros were spent on repairing roads damaged by preparations.
Parandilović argued that the army has been reduced to a tool of political promotion. “Only in Vučić’s Serbia is it possible for the army to be so humiliated and decapitated,” he said.
Army and citizens – diverging perceptions
Students had announced their rally would be ceremonial and a show of support for soldiers who “honorably serve Serbia.” Instead, they were blocked and pushed back by police.
Critics say the parade only reinforced the perception of a divide between the army as an institution and parts of the public that see it as an instrument of the government.