Nine months of student-led protests have shaken Serbia, escalating into violent clashes in Belgrade and other cities that pose the biggest challenge yet to President Aleksandar Vučić’s decade-long rule, the New York Post reported on Monday.
According to the newspaper, what began as vigils for 16 people killed in the November collapse of a recently renovated railway station roof in Novi Sad has grown into a nationwide anti-government movement. The building, refurbished by a Chinese state-owned company and inaugurated two years earlier, quickly became a symbol of corruption and cronyism in Vučić’s administration.
By March, more than 300,000 people filled the streets of Belgrade in the largest demonstration in the city’s history. In recent weeks, protests have turned violent, with nightly confrontations between demonstrators and riot police, joined at times by Vučić supporters.
Protests spread, diaspora rallies in solidarity
The unrest has spread beyond Serbia’s borders. Serbian diaspora groups have staged solidarity rallies in Washington, Chicago and San Francisco, amplifying pressure on Vučić, who has long cultivated strong ties with Western leaders while maintaining close relations with Russia and China.
Images of protesters setting fire to Vučić’s party office in Novi Sad earlier this month highlighted the deepening anger. Demonstrators now demand the president’s resignation and early elections, accusing him of concentrating power and curbing press freedoms.
Government response: concessions and crackdowns
Vučić initially called the protesters “well-intentioned” and urged security forces to avoid disproportionate force. His government announced arrests of one minister, who was later cleared, while two others and the prime minister were forced to resign.
But the concessions failed to appease demonstrators. Police and protesters now face off almost nightly in Belgrade’s city center under sweltering August heat. Scores of people have been injured, including dozens of police officers, authorities said.
Vučić has alleged without evidence that foreign actors are funding the protests, saying demonstrators receive daily payments to sustain their presence. Opposition leaders dismiss the claim as propaganda.
Vučić’s record and regional role
Vučić, 55, rose to prominence as information minister under Slobodan Milošević, overseeing restrictive media laws. After Milošević’s downfall, he reinvented himself as a pro-European centrist and co-founded the Serbian Progressive Party in 2008. He became prime minister in 2014 and president three years later.
During his 12 years in power, Vučić has overseen a period of relative stability in the Balkans. Serbia has attracted foreign investment, reduced public debt and lowered unemployment to record levels. But inflation has surged in recent months and critics accuse the government of pervasive corruption, authoritarianism and cronyism.
Divided public opinion
Public opinion remains split. Many older Serbians, who lived through the wars and economic turmoil of the 1990s, credit Vučić with bringing stability. Others, especially younger generations leading the protests, see his government as an obstacle to democratic reforms and EU accession.
“War destroyed our lives. These 10 years are the first time we felt stable and secure,” said Jelena Denić, a 65-year-old Belgrade canteen owner. “If these protests get out of hand, I am again afraid of losing what we have built here.”
What comes next?
Analysts say Vučić faces his gravest political crisis since taking power. Serbia’s fragmented opposition – an uneasy mix of nationalists, liberals and activists – has so far failed to unite around a clear leader.
Western governments have urged both sides to avoid escalation and enter dialogue, warning that prolonged unrest could destabilize the Western Balkans.
For now, the standoff continues, with protesters determined to press their demands and Vučić equally determined to resist calls for his resignation.