Start of Dragan Milic: Citizens' initiative in danger!

Start of Dragan Milic: Citizens' initiative in danger!

In the night of Sunday, an assassination attempt on Dragan Milic, the head of a significant citizens' initiative in Serbia, was committed. According to the public prosecutor, Milic's apartment was "probably" shot at, which is confirmed by a hole in the bedroom window. Milic himself described this incident as a "warning" that was carried out by an empty, opposite house. The police have classified the attack as a serious risk for the opposition politician. Milic's group, which won in a district of NIS in the 2024 local elections, is at the center of the current political tensions in Serbia, which are accompanied by continuing mass protests against the government.

The situation in Serbia is tense because the protests against corruption and political leadership have been going on for almost five months. President Aleksandar Vučić has announced that he will mobilize his followers to react to the grown opposition. This political crisis has its origin in various factors, including in a tragic incident: the collapse of a station vordach in Novi Sad, in which 15 people died, which shocked in early November 2024 and triggered the protests.

protests and political repression

On March 15, 2025, over 100,000 people gathered in Belgrade to demonstrate against the government. This massive participation was estimated by the Interior Ministry with 107,000 participants. Critics accuse the government of autocratic features and find the protests as a decisive test for Vučić, whose government is increasingly under pressure.

milic, which was described by Vučić as one of the “evil three” from NIS, shows, like many other oppositional face against the prevailing political conditions. On the day of the attack, government critics tried to prevent a meeting of the progress party (SNS) in NIS, in which SNS chairman Milos Vucevic and Parliament President Ana Brnabic should also be present. This meeting could not take place due to the protests, and the SNS officials were thrown at eggs before they had to return to Belgrade.

serious accusations and impending violence

The protests are partly presented by the state media as "coup", while some experts indicate the potential of violent arguments. Although the Archbishop of Belgrade, Ladislav Nemet, supported the peaceful intentions of the demonstrators, but the government seems to engage in dialogue, but also accuses foreign powers of being involved in the protests.

In the middle of these turbulent times, the voice of the opposition around Dragan Milic remains of central importance. The outstanding attack on himself is not only a personal attack, but also a sign of the potential dangers that government critics in Serbia currently have to experience.