Novi Sad’s mayor Žarko Mićin has said Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is “always welcome” in the northern city, as government and opposition figures trade accusations ahead of what is expected to be the largest rally in Novi Sad in years — though the date has not yet been confirmed.
Mićin said the gathering, expected to take place in mid or late November, would demonstrate that Serbia “has far more citizens who want peace and dialogue than those who want street violence.” The final decision, he said, will depend on security assessments by police and intelligence agencies.
“We want a decent gathering that sends messages of peace, tolerance and dialogue,” Mićin told local media, emphasizing that Vučić “is always welcome” and that the city would host the event once conditions allow.
Opposition Accuses Vučić of “Buying Time”
The mayor’s remarks come amid growing tensions between the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and opposition groups following months of protests in Novi Sad and other cities over police brutality and political corruption.
Radomir Lazović of the Green-Left Front told Nova.rs that Vučić is trying to “delay elections for as long as possible” to avoid accountability for the violent clashes in Novi Sad and other alleged abuses.
“Every additional day the SNS stays in power costs Serbia dearly,” Lazović said, accusing the government of siphoning public funds through projects such as the EXPO 2027 preparations. He urged opposition groups to coordinate efforts to pressure the government into calling early elections.
EU Parliament Takes a Harder Line
The political standoff in Serbia has drawn fresh attention in Brussels. The European Parliament this week adopted what several MEPs described as the “harshest-ever” resolution on Serbia, condemning the government’s suppression of protests, corruption, and erosion of judicial independence.
The resolution calls for an independent investigation into the deaths during the Novi Sad unrest and criticizes official claims that a collapsed canopy was caused by “terrorism or sabotage.” It also links Serbia’s access to EU growth funds to measurable reforms and demands sanctions on senior Serbian officials accused of rights abuses.
Lazović, who attended the Strasbourg session, said the vote marked a “turning point” in EU policy toward Serbia. “For the first time, the European Parliament is siding openly with the Serbian people, not with the regime,” he said, adding that even members of the European People’s Party — previously seen as Vučić’s allies — supported the resolution.
1 November Commemoration Raises Tensions
As the political temperature rises, a separate commemoration planned for 1 November in Novi Sad is also drawing attention. Provincial assembly member and professor Radivoje Jovović, currently under house arrest after being detained during August’s protests, said he expected “a dignified act of solidarity” to honor victims of the unrest.
“I only hope our false president hasn’t descended into a sociopathic view of politics where he sends batons against the people,” Jovović told N1 television. “If he does, that will only hasten his end.”
Jovović, who faces charges of assaulting a public official during a protest blockade, said his case exposes “medieval” flaws in Serbia’s justice system. “The same prosecutor we sought to recuse ruled on his own disqualification request — this defies the rule of law,” he said.
“Political Trials” and Growing International Focus
Jovović described his prosecution as politically motivated, urging closer cooperation with international institutions. “These are not legal but political trials,” he said. “And the only remedy for that can be political.”
He welcomed the European Parliament’s resolution as a sign that the EU is taking a tougher stance on Vučić’s government. “You don’t have to be pro-European to support it,” he said. “It signals that real consequences are coming for Serbia’s autocracy.”
The dueling narratives — Mićin’s call for a “peaceful rally” under Vučić’s leadership and the opposition’s warnings of authoritarian consolidation — underscore Serbia’s deepening political divide.
With the EU sharpening its tone and domestic protests persisting, Novi Sad is set to become a key stage for both Vučić’s show of strength and the opposition’s test of resilience in the coming weeks.