Serbia: more massive protests against Vučić
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the Serbian capital Belgrade again on Saturday to protest Aleksandar Vučić's government and demand early parliamentary elections. Violent clashes between police and demonstrators ensued. The protests have gone on for eight months and were triggered by the tragedy at the railway station in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024 in which 16 people died.
What kind of country do the demonstrators want?
Violence is once again prevailing, Jutarnji list laments:
“It would have been surprising if the protest against the omnipotence of Aleksandar Vučić and the oligarchy had ended in anything other than clashes between demonstrators and the police. Vučić was proven right in his prediction that that the protests would only lead to violence. This gave the forces of law and order advance justification for repressing those pushing for a change of government. Once again, violence rather than the speeches made during the protests took centre stage. ... These have been going on for eight months without anyone knowing what kind of Serbia the critics of Vučić who call for his resignation actually want.”
This won't end well
In contrast to previous protests this one was extremely nationalistic in its rhetoric, Večernji list notes:
“The speeches held by the students during the demonstration on Vidovdan [a Serbian national holiday] had a distinctly nationalist flavour. ... Nationalism has often been Serbia's undoing. ... But no one is bothered by this, because a new formation against the 'ruler' with [former PM Vojislav] Koštunica leading a new generation will hardly bring any improvement. Vučić can be overthrown, Slobodan Milošević was overthrown. Then we saw and are still seeing what followed. And Vučić himself is plunging the country into even deeper suffering by defying reality.”