Protests in Serbia: Students ask Vucic to act!

Protests in Serbia: Students ask Vucic to act!

Novi Sad, Serbien - On June 28, 2025, Serbian students call for a large demonstration in Belgrade on the occasion of the Vidovdan national holiday. These protests are the result of a resistance to President Aleksandar Vučić over seven months, whose government is confronted with severe accusations of corruption. The trigger for the demonstrations was the tragic collapse of the station's vordach in Novi Sad in November 2024, in which 15 to 16 people died and who sparked the anger of the population on the displeased government structures.

The students not only require a thorough examination of the accident, but also the criminal prosecution of those responsible. This aims to illuminate the corruption you perceive within the government, which you see as the main cause of the tragedy. The protest forms vary from street blocks and demonstrations to foot marches and bike tours, including a trip to Strasbourg and Brussels, to draw international attention to their Situation reports Kosmo .

growing protest movement

The protests have reached an enormous dimension, with up to 325,000 participants, the largest demonstration on March 15, 2025, despite official reports, which only provided 107,000 participants. The mobilization of the students shows remarkable self -organization and logistical skills. Politologist Slobodan Markovich sees the movement as an expression of the failure of established political structures, and public surveys show a significant rethink: While the ruling party SNS is currently around 33.5% of the vote, a common list of students and opposition up to 43% could achieve So the Deutschlandfunk .

The protest claims have increased over the months. In addition to an independent clarification of the roof fall, the students are now also calling for early elections and the convening of an 18-month transitional government that should enable fair elections. In view of the political situation, which is characterized by resignation from high-ranking government members, among others by Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, the participants call from the stage to the meeting on .

The government's reaction to the protests was often brutal, with arrests from activists and the increase in police presence. Reports of a government -friendly "protest camp" in Belgrade, which is seen as a propaganda, arouse additional tensions. At the same time, many professors and academics with the students solidarize themselves, which was not without consequences; Some reported salary cuts So Kosmo .

The protests seem to bridge the social divisions, whereby the support of large unions and religious leaders such as the Catholic Archbishop of Belgrade, Ladislav Nemet, increases for movement. The students, on the other hand, feel little support from the European Union and emphasize the national symbolism in its protests.

president Vučić recently recognized the message of the protesters, but made it clear that a political change was only possible through elections. With all understanding, he refers to foreign interference as another reason for the current unrest, a narrative that he has repeatedly repeated during his more than twelve years of reign. The next steps and possible reactions of the students and the government remain.