Chaotic scenes in the Serbian parliament: Eggs and smoke bombs fly!

Chaotic scenes in the Serbian parliament: Eggs and smoke bombs fly!

in the Serbian parliament, chaotic scenes occurred on March 4, 2025 during the spring conference. After the ruling parliamentary majority decided to accept the agenda against the votes of the opposition, the protests escalated. Smoke bombs were ignited, eggs and water bottles flew through the meeting room, and clashes between MPs broke out. A MP had to be taken to the hospital after these tumults, while Parliamentary President Ana Brnabic decided not to stop the meeting. There were 62 points on the agenda, including numerous draft laws. Brnabic blamed the opposition for the disorders and explained that only after the acceptance of all suggestions of the resignation of Premier Milos Vucevic, which was already submitted on January 28, was discussed. Instead, the opposition calls for treating a legislative template that is intended to secure additional funds for state universities in order to react to the student protests that have been going on since the end of November.

parallel to the chaotic occurrences in the parliamentary arena, the behavior of the opposition in Serbia and other countries raises interesting questions. Like an analysis by the research group around Prof. Dr. Thomas Poguntke and Prof. Dr. Simon Franzmann shows that opposition parties play a central role in democratic systems by exercising criticism and control and making alternative suggestions. These functions are crucial for the protection of accountability and responsiveness within the political system. The study examines how the communication behavior of the opposition parties differs both within and outside of parliament and which factors influence this behavior. The results should also provide information on how these different communication strategies influence the credibility and effectiveness of the opposition in parliamentary democracy.

The current tumults in the Serbian parliament are therefore in a larger context of political instability and the need for reforms. The blockade of the universities, which results from the deep social tensions, shows that the pressure on the government is growing. The students and the opposition sharply criticize the government and blame corruption for political and social grievances, which have been in Serbia since the tragic accident on November 1, 2024. The political crisis that arose from these conflicts will continue to be the center of the discussions in the Serbian parliament.

Austrian Nachrichten report on the tumbling course, while the communication study by Pruf offers further insights into the behavior of the opposition parties.