Serbia’s parliament on Thursday adopted a controversial lex specialis law clearing the way for redevelopment of the bombed-out General Staff complex in central Belgrade, amid opposition accusations that the government is “selling national heritage” to foreign investors.
The law, officially titled the Law on Special Procedures for the Implementation of the Revitalization and Development Project of the General Staff Site, covers the area between Knez Miloš, Masarikova, Birčaninova and Resavska streets — one of the most symbolically charged locations in Serbia, damaged during NATO’s 1999 air campaign.
Out of 171 lawmakers present, 130 voted in favor, 40 against and one abstained. The government said the project was of “general interest for Serbia’s overall economic development.”
Opposition raises Trump-Kushner hotel concerns
Opposition deputies warned that the move would pave the way for the demolition of what they called an “architectural masterpiece” by Nikola Dobrović. Several lawmakers alleged that the site could be redeveloped into a luxury hotel reportedly linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose investment firm has expressed interest in large-scale projects in the Balkans.
Government officials have not confirmed any agreement with Kushner’s company, but opposition figures claim the law was tailored to accommodate a future deal.
Borislav Novaković of the People’s Movement of Serbia said the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) “will now do what NATO didn’t — flatten the General Staff to the ground.” He called the decision “a disgraceful destruction of architectural and historical memory.”
“Will there be a memorial room next to a spa and fitness center for Trump’s son-in-law?” Novaković asked, accusing the government of “desecrating the memory of fallen soldiers and civilians.”
Ruling bloc defends the decision
Milenko Jovanov, head of the ruling SNS parliamentary group “Aleksandar Vučić – Serbia Must Not Stop,” dismissed accusations of treason, saying the project would include a memorial for those killed in the 1999 NATO bombing.
“The basement is flooded, the stone it was built from is no longer produced,” Jovanov said, calling the site “a ruin without value.” He accused opposition lawmakers of “mocking the heroes of Košare” and opposing any project merely because it came from the government.
He rejected opposition claims of corruption and denied reports that commercial facilities such as spas or pools would be built near the memorial. “No one is planning to build jacuzzis next to a memorial,” Jovanov said.