There's blood on your hands! : Student protests against deadly corruption escalate into strikes against neoliberal government in Serbia

dossier

“The largest street protests in decades are currently taking place in Serbia. The reason: At the beginning of November, the canopy of the train station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad collapsed. 15 people were killed in the accident. Since the incident, students have been organizing protests and demanding that the government take responsibility and investigate the case. The demonstrators see the deep-rooted corruption in the country as the cause of the collapse. (…) The protests spread across the entire country. Opposition members, students, professors, artists and farmers have joined the protests. In December, another scandal became public that shook trust in the government: the human rights organization Amnesty International reported that the Serbian police and secret services had infected the cell phones of activists and journalists with Israeli spyware...” More extensiveContribution from December 26th, 2024 on Deutschlandfunk (“Youth unites against corruption”), see further developments:

• Before the early elections in Serbia, the student movement's electoral list with its 250 candidates is very popular - and is being targeted by surveillance software
  • Serbia: Opposition members are targeted by surveillance software
    "...Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has scheduled early elections for the end of October. EU accession candidate Serbia has been in a domestic political crisis for almost two years. Now it has become known that the opposition in Serbia is facing a wave of digital surveillance. The Share Foundation has recorded 14 cases since the beginning of the year in which people have been targets of spyware. They include members of Serbia's student movement, activists, In August alone, twelve people contacted the NGO, which works to protect fundamental rights and freedoms in the digital space (…) In addition, Share discovered two infections with NoviSpy, one of which was also confirmed by Amnesty International’s security lab (…) Several UN special rapporteurs have therefore expressed “great concern”. “Without full respect for freedom of assembly and expression before, during and after elections, the electoral process cannot be considered free and fair,” said the UN experts. Spyware technologies are “completely incompatible” with human rights. The European umbrella organization of digital civil rights organizations EDRi considers the use of such technologies to be a serious violation of the right to privacy. In addition, EDRi refers to the “chilling effect” – citizens are intimidated. This affects their freedom of expression, for example.” Contribution by Jette Scheibchen from September 16, 2026 at Netzpolitik.org 
  • “The students in #Serbia published their electoral list or their 250 candidates for parliament last night. It is the result of over a year of democratic processes. (There was a lot of public and controversial discussion in advance about who should be on it and who shouldn't.)
    The list deliberately does not rely on professional politicians. Instead, the focus is on citizens (with interdisciplinary expertise and perspectives) who want to take responsibility in the institutions: professors, doctors, artists, activists, entrepreneurs, etc.
    A better known name is Dejan Bodiroga, a basketball legend and a (smart) person who always supported the students. The signal from the students: A parliamentary mandate is not a career springboard, but a public one. Order. The mandate belongs to the citizens. (…)
    The plan is based on 3 core pillars:
    1) Serbia instead of mafia: fight corruption & release hundreds of millions of euros for citizens
    2) Knowledge is power: protecting universities, depoliticization and education as a driver for the future
    3) Equitable growth: an economy for all, instead of backroom deals…”Post by Dejan Mihajlović from September 15, 2026 on bsky 
  • “Even today, people are lining up all over #Serbia (this one-minute video, which I had to cut in half to be able to upload it here, comes from Novi Sad) to sign for the student list, which, according to some surveys, should be the strongest political force in the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 25th. A few more insights and thoughts
    Yesterday, people queuing were asked how many hours they had been waiting. One said that she had been waiting her whole life for the possibility of freedom and democracy. The few hours are no longer irrelevant. Some were there hours before the bars opened. (…) The power comes not only from the images of the seemingly endless queues of people, but also from the atmosphere. Because the filmmakers come from the towns and districts, they know each other. People greet each other, talk to each other and are in a good mood. Also because the rush gives them hope.
    At the same time, the fight against the autocratic regime begins here. City employees, who are obliged to certify the signatures for the elections, did not do so yesterday for the student list in Niš (they did for Vučić's list), which was protested against.
    The parliamentary elections on October 25th in #Serbia will take place under autocratic or mafia-like conditions. The Vučić regime will certainly not simply give up its power. After the last two years, it is clear to everyone that there is no turning back for the population. #DemocracyUnited“Thread by Dejan Mihajlović from September 13th, 2026 on bsky with videos
  • “I shared a compilation of over 5 minutes long on other social networks where this was possible, showing such recordings from today all over #Serbia. From the smallest town to the big city, people stood in long lines today to sign for the student list
    It is so impressive and encouraging what young people in Serbia have achieved in society as a whole in the last two years.🫶🏻 Today's images give hope for significant change and a future with a constitutional and democratic Serbia…”Post by Dejan Mihajlović from September 12, 2026 on bsky with video
  • “What, by the way, is a hopeful sign for the parliamentary elections on October 25th: that there is already a list of 20 political parties, movements and organizations in #Serbia that have decided not to run themselves (after all) and to support the student list.”Post by Dejan Mihajlović from September 11, 2026 on bsky 
  • “The student movement in #Serbia has asked that their support for the upcoming parliamentary elections be made visible online. To do this, they created an application that creates a matching profile picture. If you speak the language: studenti.pobedjuju.org…”Post by Dejan Mihajlović from September 11, 2026 on bsky to
    https://studenti.pobedjuju.org/ 
  • “In #Serbia, people took to the streets in many cities (here Belgrade) today to commemorate the 16 people who died exactly 22 months ago when the train station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad and to complain that there has still been no investigation and condemnation.“Post by Dejan Mihajlović from September 1st, 2026 on bsky with video
• Power struggle in Serbia: Vučić announces early parliamentary elections for October
  “After around a year and a half of protests, the Serbian president is under so much pressure that he is calling for new elections. He could still remain in power. (…)  President Aleksandar Vučić named October 18th or 25th as the date in a televised speech on Thursday evening. On June 27, after around a year and a half of anti-government protests, the populist declared that he would resign within a few weeks to pave the way for early parliamentary and presidential elections. Now he mentioned possible dates for the first time. On Thursday, however, he left it unclear when he would want to resign from office in order to trigger the election of a new president. (…) According to analysts, Vučić could take over the office of prime minister if his party wins the election. This would continue a long-standing trend according to which “power in Serbia always lies with Vučić – regardless of his official title. (…)
  The opposition accuses Vučić and his allies of violence against political opponents, rampant corruption, links to organized crime and suppression of media freedom. Vučić and his supporters reject this…”Agency report from August 21, 2026 in the taz online , see also:
  • Campaign without elections
    “In Serbia, the parties are in the starting blocks for the next election. But President Vučić does not reveal when the time will come (…)
    On Sunday, in an interview with the tabloid channel Informer, he told his compatriots: "I will call the election quickly." In doing so, he would meet the demands of the student-based protest movement, which is disparagingly referred to as blockers. Vučić also revealed in his vague manner: "The elections will be called soon, very, very quickly - in 15, 20 or 25 days." As head of state, Vučić can call elections. At the same time, he announced that he would run for his SNS as a candidate for prime minister. According to the constitution, he is barred from serving a third term as president. In the past few months, Vučić had discussed various dates for new elections without committing to anything specific. It seems that he is waiting for an opportune moment.
    That new elections be held was one of the few demands left by the movement, which arose in November 2024 in protest over the collapse of the train station canopy in Novi Sad, in which 16 people died. The Serbs would not be able to vote regularly until next year, in May on the head of state and in December on the composition of parliament. A separate political organization has now been formed from the student protests. As was made public at the beginning of August, the Student List (SL) had already been registered with the responsible authorities in May. Opposition parties such as the Left-Green Front have announced that they will support the SL.
    It is still unclear who will run for the SL. It should probably be mainly professors and students. On the other hand, well-known opposition politicians are more likely to be rejected. In this way, the list can give the appearance of a new and fresh force that appears to many Serbs, regardless of their voting preferences, as an alternative to the existing parties. Politically, however, the SL follows a western liberal direction. The focus is on the criticism of the corruption carried out by the SNS and the associated lack of future prospects for young people. In order to convey their ideas, the SL activists rely on direct contact with citizens by going from door to door and seeking conversation. (…) According to opinion polls, the SL has been able to gain favor with those surveyed in recent months. In July, her approval rating was around 40 percent. The SNS, on the other hand, has a maximum of 38 percent. Because of the SL's weak poll numbers and the doorstep election campaign that reaches many people, Vučić is relying on mobilizing his own supporters. He invokes influence from abroad. He assumes that the student activists are acting in their election campaign “according to what they were told in certain messages.” At the same time, Vučić implied that the country would be in trouble if his opponents won. That is why his SNS will “defeat this great evil“…”Article by Roland Zschächner in the young world from August 20, 2026 
• Vučić finally wants to resign as Serbia's president - to become Serbia's prime minister. But “The Emperor is naked and the energy and ideas of young people are limitless.”
  • Vučić is counting on new elections. Serbia: President wants to resign to become prime minister. Student protests and a lithium project, from which Berlin also wants to benefit, intervene
    “The announcement has been greeted with skepticism: After Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced his imminent resignation and early elections in front of tens of thousands of supporters in Belgrade on Saturday, thousands again took to the streets in the central Serbian city of Kraljevo on Sunday to continue their protest against the government. Despite the heat wave, they protested peacefully, waving Serbian flags and holding up posters that read “Students Win.” At the same time, research is providing additional fuel: the federal government is financing Vučić's long-time top advisor Jörg Heeskens, who is said to have paved the way for a heavily criticized lithium mining project. (…)
    Under the motto “Serbia, one family,” Vučić used the event, which was widely seen as a campaign kickoff, to accuse foreign actors of wanting to destabilize the country. He described the student protests as “pure terrorism.” They were triggered a year and a half ago by the collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024 - a tragedy that left 16 dead. The demonstrators blame corruption and government mismanagement for the disaster.
    As the situation continues to escalate, a media report is causing additional tension. The research network Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) revealed together with Spiegel last week that Heeskens has been advising Vučić for 13 years and has focused largely on protecting German economic interests in Serbia. The costs for this activity between 2020 and 2026 alone amounted to around 1.3 million euros.
    In response to a request on Friday, the federal government officially confirmed that it was indirectly financing the long-time presidential advisor. A spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs explained at the weekly press conference that an "administrative partnership" had been concluded that, in cooperation with the Serbian government, would help set up production sites for German companies. »As part of this, we also finance consulting activities on site.«
    Heeskens is therefore an employee of the German Society for International Cooperation, which is owned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. What is particularly sensitive is that Heeskens is said to have lobbied significantly for the “Jadar” lithium mining project. (…)
    According to Spiegel, the Ministry of Development gave the mining company up to 4.9 million euros for the unwilling population, most of whom rejected the project. The money was also intended to “support the contract negotiations” between the SNS government and Rio Tinto. Construction was supposed to start this summer, but the project has been on pause since November 2025 because central approval is missing from Belgrade - presumably with a view to new elections.”Article by Slavko Stilinović in Junge Welt from June 30, 2026 
    • See also our dossier:Despite protests: EU and Serbia forge lithium pact
  • “To the surprisingly, good-sounding news that #Serbia's President Vučić announced his resignation and new elections today at the SNS event in Belgrade, a small classification: He has already announced his resignation (from the office of president) in a few broadcasts in the last few weeks.
    You have to know that (according to the constitution) he is not allowed to hold the office of president again or stand for election. It is therefore not surprising that this position will not continue. Everyone expected him to want to become prime minister again, where he would have more power (legally).
    So far, people have repeatedly been placed in this position who were supposed to play the role of prime minister for the public, but in fact only breathed when he allowed it. A distinction must also be made here: there are presidential elections and parliamentary elections coming up.
    For a long time it was assumed that he would do both at the same time. Now it's open. He has been announcing new parliamentary elections regularly for over a year (and always saying that they will come soon). Because he, like Trump, lies many times a day, I never shared these announcements here.
    Most experts expect that he will call or hold new elections as late as possible. Especially after the (small) Expo 2027 in Belgrade, because the corrupt Vučić regime will be filling its pockets on a large scale there. (Just in case.)
    It is also known that Vučić constantly conducts surveys. If the numbers had ever been favorable, he would have called new elections long ago. That's why he will continue to have undesirable people who resist or criticize in their area replaced by (unqualified) staff.
    Today there was another completely orchestrated event (cheap plastic, purchased extras, criminals) in Belgrade to demonstrate images of its popularity, success (robots danced a Serbian dance on stage: progress/future!) and support among the population
    Also because tomorrow the students will be holding another big demonstration in Kraljevo, to which some will march on foot. (There was something similar yesterday in Belgrade. So Vučić is once again copying the original badly.) One thing is certain: something has fundamentally changed in Serbia
    Many people no longer swallow the cheap stories because they are increasingly affected by the consequences (layoffs, everyday important things that no longer work or work poorly). In addition, students across the country invest a lot of time/energy in conversations with the population
    The course and preliminary outcome of upcoming elections are open because the Vučić regime still has incredibly large resources. Regardless of this, there will be no going back to the way things were: the emperor is naked and the energy and ideas of young people are limitless…”Thread by Dejan Mihajlović from June 27, 2026 on bsky 
• Serbian President Vučić has announced an offensive against ongoing student protests by reforming the education system - the next ones will take place on June 28th
  • Serbian President Vučić announces offensive against student protests
    “Student protests have been taking place in many cities in Serbia for a year and a half. Now Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is planning to reform the education system (…)
    He accused the demonstrators of leading a “colorful revolution.” Vučić told Prva television on Sunday that he would do “everything in his power” to get a parliamentary majority for a law on changes to the education system, especially higher education. Since his Serbian Progressive Party, which has been in power since 2012, and its coalition partners make up the majority in parliament, the plan should be feasible. In fact, Vučić is probably concerned with breaking the resistance of state universities, which have been supporting the student protests and their struggle for the rule of law since the end of 2024. (…)
    The rector of Belgrade University, Vladan Djokić, is particularly unpopular with the authorities. It is suspected that the former dean of the Faculty of Architecture could run for a political position in elections. However, neither Djokić nor student representatives have yet commented on the rumors.
    Attempt at political influence
    “I don’t care at all how much Djokić and everyone else will protest against it (university reform, note),” said Vučić in an interview with the pro-government TV station Prva. However, Vučić did not specify what exactly the reform of universities should look like. (…)
    Students and opposition supporters are already mobilizing in advance of the upcoming elections. According to Vučić, they should take place in three to four months. Another major rally is planned for Friday in Novi Sad. Vučić, meanwhile, plans to rally his supporters at a three-day rally in Belgrade city center at the end of next week. As with previous government events, travel from all parts of the country will be organized and free of charge for participants in the rally…”Report from June 15, 2026 in derstandard.de 
  • “Update #Serbia: Today there was a larger rally in Novi Sad called for by the students. The next big demonstration will take place on June 28th in Kraljevo. Information stands run by students and civil society provide information and offer entertainment (e.g. for children, families).
    Since March 2025, the students have been going to all towns with their “Student in Every Village” group, informing people about their work and answering questions (because many in rural areas are uninformed or misinformed). They have increased their visits in recent months.
    You can understand it as a student election campaign. The next regular parliamentary elections should take place in 2027, which Vučić repeatedly announces early and never calls them, although according to his statements over the last 1.5 years, the student movement was defeated and has died out. :)
    Of course, here too (as with EVERY student/civil society action) the Vučić regime has once again poorly copied what the student forces are doing. That's why the regime is now holding celebrations in smaller places where high-ranking politicians appear.
    In addition, the employees of the state pharmacies in Belgrade are taking to the streets because, among other things, they have not been paid for months and are being deliberately driven into ruin. Public transport workers also complain about their situation. In both cases there is a risk of privatization (corruption).
    The education sector (along with the few free media) remains the regime's main enemy. While (in Novi Sad), for example, the students boycotted classes and parents organized demonstrations and demanded the dismissal of the school management, she was sitting in the studio for the Serbian Breitbart version.
    Anyone who follows autocratic forces in various countries will notice how they blatantly and cheaply copy each other. The Vučić regime will spend €2.2 million for a “UFC Fight Night Belgrade” on August 1st. spend tax money. The Basketball Association receives ~€1.53 million for the entire year!
    There are countless construction sites that could be listed here. For example, that a visit to Expo 2027 (THE corruption project of the Vučić regime, through which they (will) fill their pockets on a large scale) was set in the timetable for all students (in Belgrade?) by the Minister of Education.
    Overall, it can be said that the resistance to the autocratic regime and the desire for a constitutional state or democracy in #Serbia have not diminished and that the wearing down of sitting out and silence through violence that Vučić hoped for has not been achieved. On the contrary.”Thread by Dejan Mihajlović from June 20, 2026 on bsky with videos. Added:
  • Mysterious sound cannon in Serbia: Public prosecutor accuses protesters
    “The Belgrade Prosecutor's Office is investigating the democratic protest movement. She accuses them of simulating the use of a sound cannon on March 15, 2025 in order to start a civil war. Activists speak of repression and intimidation. (…)
    The authoritarian Serbian government had always denied the use of sonic weapons on March 15, although it claimed possession of Type L weapons‑RAD had to concede. But now the government is turning the tables on the demonstrators. According to the Serbian broadcaster N1, the Belgrade Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating. She has requested information from the UKP police unit to prove that the protesters wanted to stage the use of a sound cannon to weaken the government and trigger a reaction from the EU. According to another report by N1, the prosecutor's allegations also include that the peaceful protest movement wanted to provoke a civil war and kill the president by simulating the sound cannon. The Serbian Justice Minister said there were signs of “terrorism”.
    “Repression and intimidation of the democratic protest movement”
    According to the medium Nova.rs, four different groups are now being investigated. The first group consists of the people who took part in a student plenum in January 2025. The second group were the alleged executors, i.e. those who coordinated the movements of the gathered citizens, said senior public prosecutor Markovic, according to the report.
    According to him, a third group is also being investigated: people who provided media support and published claims about the sonic cannon on social networks and the media. He described the fourth group as people who were involved in the documentation and medical processing of the case. People in Serbia with whom netzpolitik.org is in contact and who wish to remain anonymous due to the investigation see the investigation as completely absurd on the one hand, and as clear repression and intimidation of the democratic protest movement on the other…”Contribution by Markus Reuter from June 22, 2026 in network politics – see the history here below
• Even train cancellations due to “bomb threats” cannot prevent another mass protest in Serbia for early elections on May 23rd
  • Mass protest in Serbia's capital: Tens of thousands demonstrate for early elections
    “Students and citizens took to the streets in Belgrade on Saturday against the government of Aleksandar Vučić. They had previously stopped rail traffic. There were skirmishes with the police on the sidelines.
    According to media reports, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in central Belgrade on Saturday for new elections. "You are our chance to finally fulfill our promise - an honest government, freedom and a dignified life," said one of the speakers, an electrical engineering student, according to the independent news agency Beta. On the sidelines of the event in the Serbian capital, there were clashes between unknown masked people and the police.According to the independent monitoring group AJS, at least 180,000 people took part in the rally, making it the second largest demonstration in the country since the overthrow of former leader Slobodan Milošević 26 years ago. (…) As on previous occasions of this kind, the Vučić government had stopped rail traffic throughout the country. Officially, Serbian Railways (Srbija Voz) gave no reason for the complete halt to operations. But apparently this is intended to make it more difficult for government opponents from outside Belgrade to travel to the rally…”dpa/afp report from May 24, 2026 in the taz online 
  • Belgrade: Tens of thousands protest against Serbian leadership
    “Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the government and President Vucic in the Serbian capital Belgrade.
    Students called for the protest. The rally participants gathered in a central square in Belgrade. In doing so, they continued the protest against the country's leadership that has been going on for around a year and a half. The students accuse President Vucic and the government of corruption and abuse of power. They demand an early election and the resignation of the president. Vucic's supporters gathered near the presidential palace. Serbian police used tear gas and violence against student protest participants who approached the area.
    A few hours before the large rally against the government, train traffic was stopped throughout Serbia. It has already happened twice that all train journeys were canceled on days of anti-government demonstrations.”The message was broadcast on Deutschlandfunk on May 23, 2026 
  • “#Serbia update: Today there will be a (very) big rally in Belgrade for the 3rd time. Like the two times before, the trains are not running again so that fewer people can go. The only difference is that people no longer bother with a story (“bomb threat”) and just provide information.  (…)
    The Vučić regime does not like these current images from the center of Belgrade (Slavija). Because it has been telling everyone for 1.5 years that the movement has finally failed, defeated, dead and these images clearly contradict it. At the same time, they make it clear what to expect in new elections.
    This is what the student-civil society resistance against the autocratic regime in #Serbia looks like after 1.5 years. That's pretty awesome. People know that they no longer have to go out on the streets every day to prove how many there are. There's been no turning back for a long time…”Thread by Dejan Mihajlović from May 23, 2026 on bsky with videos
• Live televised raid on the rector's office at Belgrade University is sparking widespread protests and solidarity across Serbia rather than intimidation
  • Ongoing protests: Serbia's government takes action against Belgrade University
    “After a raid on the premises of the rector of the University of Belgrade, there are allegations in Serbia that the government wants to place one of the country's last independent institutions under its control. Computers, servers and other items were confiscated during the search on Tuesday afternoon. The police intervention was accompanied by television teams from pro-government channels who broadcast the events directly.
    The incident is also significant because the rector of Belgrade University, Vladan Djokić, demonstrated demonstrative solidarity with the student protest movement last year. They have been demonstrating against arbitrariness and repression in Serbia since the end of 2024.
    Djokić appeared as one of the key speakers at a large protest rally in Belgrade last June. According to some sources, he is even number one on the (not yet public) list with which the student protest movement wants to run in the parliamentary elections. This does not normally take place until 2027, but according to President Aleksandar Vučić it should take place as early as 2026.
    Rector Djokić speaks of a “political spectacle”
    The rector addressed the public with a statement in which he portrayed the actions of the public prosecutor's office and the police as an attempt at intimidation and a "political spectacle": "They didn't come to investigate," said Djokić. "They came to tell every professor, every student, every citizen: This happens to those who don't remain silent."
    The reason or pretext for entering the university building was provided to the authorities by the unexplained death of a student on Thursday last week. The Higher Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade said it had ordered the anti-corruption department to secure evidence after the student died as a result of falling from a window on the fifth floor of the Faculty of Arts.
    According to Djokić, the university administration immediately offered the authorities full cooperation in investigating the death, but the authorities were not interested in that: “Instead we got a police raid in front of cameras.” (…)
    The rector demands an international investigation
    Djokić, however, claims that the government wants to use the raid to intimidate opposition-oriented circles in Serbia. The intended message was: “If they can do this to the university, what can they do to me?” But the protests in front of the university that began on Tuesday evening showed that the plan had failed: “They came because they are not afraid,” said Djokić about the protesters…”Article by Michael Martens, Vienna, from April 1st, 2026 in the FAZ online 
  • “Belgrade now. After criminal police officers broke into the university's rectorate unannounced, there were protests from students, professors and civil society. Then there were riots. In other cities, people are on the streets in solidarity.
    I translated the posting from the students from #Serbia, which they shared this afternoon on their official Insta account, into German. Then you have a little more context. (I read that the rector of the university is not allowed to leave the building or even go to the toilet) [Graphic]
    The rector was now allowed to at least briefly show himself to the people. What he had been denied until then. (He said this afternoon that the university had long been seen/treated by the government as a problem and that it was now seen as an enemy.)
    Rector of the University of Belgrade then spoke through a megaphone: "They (thousands of students) came because this is their university. They came because they are not afraid. That is the true picture of today. Not the police in the rectorate, but the students in front of it.”“Post by Dejan Mihajlović from March 31, 2026 with videos on bsky 
  • Seeon his ACC Previously the information about the elections: massive use of violence against journalists, election observers, voters (students, a professor is in the hospital...) etc...
• Serbia: Judges and prosecutors went on strike and protested - unsuccessfully - against a justice package that is intended to in no way improve the efficiency of the courts but to undermine the independence of the judiciary
  
  • Serbia: Justice law comes into force, but protests continue
    “The so-called Mrdić justice package has come into force in Serbia. It is not aimed at improving the efficiency of the courts, but at ensuring the impunity of the political leadership. While Belgrade officially speaks of moving closer to European standards, the European Union sees the measures as a step backwards that could bring the still independent parts of the judiciary under the control of the executive.
    The package of justice laws – known publicly as the Mrdić Laws – has come into force in Serbia. After it was passed by parliament on January 28 and signed by President Aleksandar Vučić on January 30, critics have become even louder. According to the European Union, the legislative package represents a step backwards because it has not been harmonized with EU directives and the integration process has also stalled in this area.
    The legislative package was presented by Uglješa Mrdić, chairman of the Justice Committee and member of parliament from the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), who, together with representatives of the ruling coalition, had previously claimed that the package would lead to greater efficiency of operations. However, he later admitted that the new laws were necessary because he believed that certain parts of the judiciary - most notably the Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office - had turned against the state and were capable of arresting ministers and even Aleksandar Vučić himself. From then on, it was no longer a matter of whether they wanted to increase efficiency or save their own lives…”Article by Margaret Tomo from February 10, 2026 in BALK Magazine – but please treat with caution, difficult to assess, and beforehand:
  • Serbia: Judges and prosecutors go on strike against Vucic
    “Serbian judges and prosecutors have gone on strike after the government passed a series of laws that undermine the independence of the judiciary. On Monday, judicial officials in several cities, including Belgrade, stopped work to protest the adoption of the laws without public debate or consultation with the High Council of Justice, the independent body responsible for maintaining the independence of courts. Laws issued Friday by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić give court presidents more authority over judges and remove protections that prosecutors have previously relied on to maintain their independence.”Report from February 7th, 2026 on rf-news.de 
• “Knowledge is power”: Thousands demonstrate in Serbia against attacks on teachers and the education system and for the independence of universities
  • “Knowledge is power” is the motto of the protests in Serbia
    “The protests in Serbia continue even after a year and a half. The government's actions against universities were discussed in Belgrade on Tuesday.
    Whistles, shouts, banners – it's a backdrop that people in Serbia have already gotten used to. The first big protest of the year was under the motto “Knowledge is Power” and aims to oppose the intimidation of teachers in Serbia. The government has been taking massive action against universities for months now. Professors are regularly intimidated or arrested and public funding is cut off. The campus in Novi Sad was even monitored by the police for some time (…)
    Pressure against teachers
    Most recently, Jelena Kleut was fired from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Novi Sad after 20 years of work. She was one of the first professors to publicly support the protest. Kleut himself says in Serbian media that Aleksandar Vučić's ruling party has great influence at the university in Novi Sad and is systematically trying to limit university autonomy. In response, students occupied the faculty. The dean, Milivoj Alanović, who is said to have a connection to the ruling SNS party, called the police and asked the students to leave the building. When they refused, the police forced everyone out of the faculty. (…)
    “The regime has started to take action against those who are in the front row of these protests,” he said in a telephone interview. Prominent professors are then attacked in pro-government media. Public funding for university projects is being cut. Arrests of professors also occur again and again. With the protest on Tuesday, the students want to set an example, said Paunović. "It's about showing that they continue to stick together and are there for each other. They don't want the regime to influence the independence of the universities," says the student…”Contribution by Dennis Miskić from January 28, 2026 on ORF with some photos
  • “Update #Serbia: Belgrade this evening. The students had called for the rally, which focused on the education system, which has been under attack by the autocratic regime (for many years). That's why there were speeches from students to the rector of the University of Belgrade.”Post by Dejan Mihajlović on January 27, 2026 on bsky with video
  • “In #Serbia, resistance is repeatedly made visible through various actions. On January 25th, 2025, the first big protest was organized in Zrenjanin (67k inhabitants). A year later, civil society organized a rally of support and thanks for the students“Post by Dejan Mihajlović on January 25, 2026 on bsky with video
• Serbs are driving away Trump's clan: The protest movement continues and prevents Trump Tower with a luxury hotel and high-priced apartments in Belgrade
  "A lot of money, but no success. The US businessman Jared Kushner has announced his withdrawal from a major project in Belgrade. The real estate mogul and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump wanted to build a Trump Tower with a luxury hotel and high-priced apartments on the site of the former general staff building in the center of the Serbian capital. The project was supposed to cost several hundred million euros. The fact that it did not come about is due to investigations by the Serbian public prosecutor's office for organized crime Forgery of documents. At the beginning of the week, the investigations led to an indictment against Culture Minister Nikola Selaković from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and three other people. They are accused of illegally changing the status of the military area that was bombed by NATO in 1999. This classification prevented the ruins from being demolished and redeveloped After the indictment against Selaković, Kushner and his company Affinity Partners withdrew their plan (…)
  Not only because the majority of those without property would never have been able to set foot in Trump Tower anyway, many Serbs rejected Kushner's plans from the start. Various campaigns and initiatives were founded to preserve the General Staff. There have been repeated protests since the contract was signed between Kushner and the government in May 2024. On November 11th, several thousand people gathered in front of the building and formed a “living wall” to protest against the demolition and the bickering between the state and the Trump clan. In addition to the historical significance of the General Staff as a symbol of NATO aggression and the associated victims, it is also the conditions favorable to the US investor that brought people onto the streets. The site was not to be sold for the first 99 years, but rather just leased. But the Serbian state would have had to pay for the very expensive demolition of the ruins, and Kushner would not have paid any significant taxes for the operation. (…)
  The charges against Culture Minister Selaković could indicate a shift within the system in order to stabilize it. Even though Vučić is now clamoring for revenge, he could ultimately be the one who goes down with Trump Tower.” Article by Roland Zschächner in the young world from December 20, 2025 (“Serbs drive away Trump’s clan”)
• “Update #Serbia: Today students and parents of the 5th Belgrade High School walked to protest in front of the Ministry of Education. (They had blocked the school for several weeks and made demands. Now the students should be divided into two schools, despite the end of the blockade.)
  A few days ago, near Parliament, journalists from the N1 station were attacked by thugs and their cameras were destroyed in front of the police, who watched and only later “acted”. Many people, especially journalists, gathered at the location this evening in solidarity.
  Violence has increased in some areas in recent days. The increasingly obvious fact that thugs under the Vučić regime have more power than police officers is widely discussed. You can't go past Parliament anymore. The thugs have their say. Police are watching.
  The next local elections will take place on November 30th in Mionica and Sečanj, each with around 1,600 inhabitants, and in Negotin, with around 15,000 inhabitants. As in the summer elections, state resources were misused for the election campaign (of the ruling party).
  Of course, there are again election gifts, short-term infrastructure work (asphalt, projects, beautification), and Vučić's strong presence in the communities. Although these are traditional SNS strongholds (Vučić's party), he is running out of steam (after the summer or last year).
  In all three municipalities, coalitions close to the government (SNS + SPS + partners) as well as groups from organized civil society and opposition lists are running, several of which are supported for the first time or increasingly by students, and some of them are even on the lists
  The “Student in Every Village” working group has also been on site (here Sečanj) for weeks and is holding many discussions with the citizens. The student movement appears to have serious political influence. Every list supported by students is now considered realistic competition.
  Tomorrow there will be protests in front of the Ministry of Health. On the 195th anniversary of the opening of the first state pharmacy in Belgrade. The public pharmacies are suffering from debts, branch closures and missing salaries! existentially threatened. Immediate government subsidies are required…”Thread by Dejan Mihajlović on November 24th, 2025 on bsky with videos and also:
  • “Belgrade now. People continue to stand in solidarity with Dijana Hrka in front of parliament. The Vučić regime repeatedly brings thugs into the area via a side entrance and has built a better, louder system that plays cheerful and nationalistic music.”Post by Dejan Mihajlović on November 4th, 2025 on bsky 
• Remembrance in Serbia: Silence for the dead, anger at those responsible and solidarity with the hunger strike of the mother of one of the 16 victims
  • Anger and sadness in Serbia
    “There have been renewed clashes between demonstrators and police around the anniversary of the collapse of a train station roof. The mother of one of the 16 people who died went on hunger strike on Sunday to put pressure on the disaster to be clarified.”Reuters video online on November 3, 2025 in the Süddeutsche Zeitung 
  • Remembrance in Serbia: Silence for the dead, anger at those responsible
    “In Novi Sad, tens of thousands commemorate the collapse of a train station canopy exactly one year ago. The mother of a victim announces a hunger strike.
    Tens of thousands of people commemorated the deadly collapse of Novi Sad's train station canopy on Saturday. At 11:52 a.m., the huge crowd outside the train station was silent for exactly 16 minutes - one minute for each of the 16 victims. How quiet such a crowd can be when they are silent together. A choir then sang a mourning song and those present laid countless flowers in front of the train station. (…) Only later, when speeches were given and poems were recited, did things become more political: the student Nađa from the philosophy faculty in Novi Sad complained about the government's irresponsibility. It was not gravity, but the corruption of those in power that killed the people: “16 victims, zero responsibility and the same message – their hands are bloody.”
    Retired prosecutor Jasmina Paunović appealed to people to stay in the country because “the sun is warmer nowhere else” – with 25 degrees and sunshine in November, that actually seemed like a good argument. The fact that Serbia should become a country in which young people have prospects outside the corrupt structures of the ruling SNS party is one of the leitmotifs of the protest that has been going on for a year.
    Things got emotional when Dijana Hrka, the mother of Stefan Hrka, who was killed in the collapse, stepped up to the microphone. She finally had to find out who killed her son and the other 15 people, she said, and immediately announced that she would go on hunger strike to do so - right in front of the town hall in Belgrade. Where there is a tent camp of supporters of Serbian President Aleksandr Vučić. Dijana Hrka also reiterated the central demand of the protest: Vučić must finally call new elections.
    Canceled moves, no reporting
    It is not a given that so many people came to Novi Sad. On the Tuesday before the demonstration, it was announced at short notice that major construction work was to take place on almost all access roads. The day before the protest, train services to Novi Sad were stopped - allegedly again because of a bomb threat. (…)
    Then just walk
    Thousands of people set off on foot from Belgrade, around 80 kilometers away, as well as from other cities. Many spent the night in the small town of Inđija, on Styrofoam mats in the middle of the city center. When they arrived in Novi Sad the night before the demonstration, they were greeted by a crowd with Bengalos and fireworks…”Article by Krsto Lazarević from Novi Sad from November 1st, 2025 in the taz online 
  • One year after the train station accident: There is no way out of the crisis in Serbia in sight
    “It was an emotional day. Many had tears in their eyes as the sixteen victims of the train station accident a year ago were remembered with sixteen minutes of silence. Tens of thousands came to Novi Sad from all over the country. The tragedy is still an open wound for many Serbs. Today was a memorial event. No flags were waved, no slogans were shouted. It didn't need that either. It is clear to everyone that another large demonstration took place today against the government of Aleksandar Vucic, which, in the eyes of those present here, bears responsibility for the accident. They are convinced that Serbia needs a new beginning, free from corruption and nepotism, and are calling for new elections.
    Vucic ignores the protests
    Aleksandar Vucic doesn't want to know anything about any of this. At the beginning of the week, in an interview, he acted as if he didn't know that today was Remembrance Day. He repeatedly described the students as terrorists. (…)
    Today has shown that the protest movement can continue to mobilize on a large scale. She shouldn't just disappear again like that. However, only President Vucic can call the required new elections. But he shows no signs of wanting to do so. The next elections are not scheduled until 2027. But even if new elections took place, that wouldn't necessarily be the solution. Firstly, they would hardly be free and fair under Vucic. Secondly, the opposition is weak and lacks trust among the people on the streets.
    In the event of new elections, the students therefore want to create their own lists of candidates from civil society. But it is neither clear which names should be on these lists, nor is there a political program. But perhaps this would be the next step, even if taking positions would risk political division, especially on controversial issues. But protest alone cannot increase the pressure on the government any further…”Analysis by Janis Fahrländer from November 1st, 2025 on SRF with video
  • The EU shares responsibility for the situation in Serbia
    “Despite the suppression of free media and political critics, the EU and especially Germany have taken the lead in Belgrade…”Comment by Adelheid Wölfl from November 2, 2025 in the Standard online 
  • See the student YouTube channel with theLive stream from Serbia or Novi Sad 
  • and the ongoing reporting by Dejan Mihajlović: on mastodon (Dejan Mihajlović ) or on bsky: @mihajlovicfreiburg.com - last on November 2nd, 2025, 8:21 p.m.: “…In Novi Sad, people take to the streets in solidarity with Dijana Hrka (mother who went on hunger strike in Belgrade at 11:52 a.m.). In Belgrade, objects and fireworks from the ranks of the purchased crowd were flown towards civil society. No escalation so far.
    There were a few attacks by the Vučić regime's thugs for a short time. The situation now seems to have “calmed down” again. People don't want to leave Dijana Hrka alone. Students from Novi Sad have announced that they will come to Belgrade tomorrow…”
• Pupils, students and civil society continue to fight in grassroots democracy and are currently mobilizing across Serbia to Novi Sad for the big memorial event on November 1st. – against sabotage efforts by the Vučić regime
  • “Now. The group of students from Novi Pazar, who marched over 400km for 16 days to Novi Sad for the big memorial event, are welcomed in Belgrade. These young people exemplify a pluralistic and solidarity #Serbia and create the basis for a democratic society
    Update #Serbia: Schools join the blockade of the 5th Belgrade High School, some temporarily. Some (groups) boycott (only) classes. As a rule, it is about a protest against the replacement of school management and teachers by people close to the regime. (Gym Backa Palanka)
    Meanwhile, the Vučić regime is trying everything to stop the big memorial rally in Novi Sad on November 1st. to sabotage. For example, there are many construction sites on the way to Novi Sad or people are being frightened by constantly repeating that the students are planning to use violence.
    It is becoming increasingly clear that the “Student in Every Village” campaign and working group, which has been traveling to all remote towns and talking to people since March, is effective. Today a person close to the regime attacked such a stand. This is new. Let's see if that increases…”Thread by Dejan Mihajlović from October 28, 2025 on bsky with video
  • A year of protests in Serbia: “They want to bring the whole country down!”
    “A significant part of the Serbian population still supports President Aleksandar Vučić. Why is that? (…)Who are the people who remain loyal to Vučić even after months of protest and despite brutal state violence? And why? To find out, WOZ traveled across the country - to places beyond the big cities that have become hotbeds of protest in recent months. To the north of Serbia, to Vojvodina – and to Ljig in the south of Belgrade. (…)But it is not only progress and propaganda that explain why the SNS and its president Aleksandar Vučić still seem to be firmly in the saddle. Two men in work clothes are sitting in a bar in Ljig. They smoke, drink beer. “In order to take up the position, I had to become a member of the party,” says an employee of an energy supplier who wishes to remain anonymous. Many job seekers at state or partially state-owned companies in Serbia are like him.Sociologist Simović says that a network of clientelism has emerged over the years. “The logic is simple: Anyone who joins or supports the ruling party is more likely to get a job, medical treatment or help with administrative procedures.” In a poor country, clientelism is simply a survival strategy for many. Where the social system fails, the party replaces this network. Dusan Spasojević says: “This thinking – ‘I’m voting for the party because nothing will change anyway’ – has become entrenched in people’s minds. But now that a change of power seems conceivable for the first time, some could change sides.»…”Report by Bartholomäus Laffert (text) and Sanja Knežević (photos) in the WoZ from October 30, 2025 
  • “5,000 to 6,000 students from all over the country have registered with the students from Novi Sad for November 1st. You come on foot, by bike or organize buses. They will also be joined by people from civil society. This will be a massive rally.”Post by Dejan Mihajlović from October 25, 2025 on bsky 
  • Serbia: MEPs demand justice one year after Novi Sad tragedy
    “MEPs condemn polarization and state repression in Serbia and call for an open investigation into the Novi Sad tragedy and an EU mission to assess the situation. In a resolution adopted on Wednesday, the European Parliament strongly condemns the ongoing political polarization and state repression in Serbia, one year after the Novi Sad tragedy. MPs are calling for comprehensive and transparent legal proceedings to bring those responsible for the collapse of the railway roof to justice.
    Right to protest
    Parliament supports the right of Serbian students and citizens to peacefully protest and calls for accountability and democratic reforms in the country. Civil courage, commitment to non-violence and youth work are important to advance Serbia's EU accession prospects, said MEPs.
    They are deeply concerned about the tense and polarized climate fueled by hate speech, anti-EU and pro-Russian propaganda, and smear campaigns by government-controlled media and officials. MEPs believe that government officials have failed to face up to and come to terms with Serbia's past. MEPs particularly denounce unlawful surveillance tactics, including the use of Pegasus spying software and the use of long-range acoustic devices and tear gas against civilians. The Serbian leadership is politically responsible for the escalation of repression, the normalization of violence and the weakening of democracy in the country.
    MEPs call for urgent and impartial investigations into the alleged attacks on the demonstrators and condemn the unlawful arrests and expulsions of EU citizens who have spoken out in support of the protesting students. MEPs deplore verbal attacks by senior Serbian officials against MEPs who took part in the protests and reject unfounded claims by Serbian authorities accusing the EU of orchestrating the protests…” EnglishEU communication to the press from 10/22/25 (machine translated)
  • “#Serbia Today the EuropeanThe European Parliament passed a resolution with a clear message to the Vučić regime passed and an independentnecessary informationfermentation of the tragedyödie of Novi Sad, the protection of freedom of expression, assembly and media, fair elections and an independent judiciary.
    The resolution does not directly change relations between the EU and #Serbia. However, it influences how the EU Commission evaluates future accession reports, how EU funds (e.g. IPA III funds) are allocated and how politically sensitive the EU deals with Serbia: it creates political pressure.
    How significant this signal is can only be imagined when one considers that “coincidentally” at the same time that this resolution was passed, an incident occurred in front of the parliament, which was widely reported in the Serbian regime-affiliated media.
    The students from Novi Pazar have just been received in Požega (which has around 12,000 inhabitants). THAT is an indicator of the mood in the country. (There was a grandpa who waited for them on the route for several hours to give them apples, hug them and wish them all the best)…”Thread by Dejan Mihajlović from October 22, 2025 on bsky 
  • “Students from Novi Pazar turn 16! Set off on a day-long march (for 16 lives). In total, several thousand students from all over #Serbia will set off on foot. Numerous citizens will also join them on November 1st. to commemorate the victims in Novi Sad together…”Post by Dejan Mihajlović from October 14, 2025 on bsky 
  • “Update #Serbia: Protests, actions on various problems and repression continue to take place every day. Today in Belgrade the focus was, among other things, on the education sector. It is now clear to everyone that the Vučić regime wants to completely destroy the state education system.
    According to the labor law, temporary employment in Serbia may last a maximum of 2 years (after which you are entitled to permanent employment). However, over 23,000 teachers have been working on temporary contracts for more than 7 years! School management decides annually at its own discretion whose contract will be extended.
    Teachers whose contracts are not renewed have no right to complain. Since 2013 (Vučić regime) in public. In the sector, there is a ban on hiring for permanent employment contracts, which to this day serves as a means of pressure and a threatening mechanism against critical or “unruly” employees.”Thread by Dejan Mihajlović from October 12, 2025 on bsky 
  • “There are 2 worlds in #Serbia: the one constructed by the Vučić regime and that of all citizens, which they have been making visible for over 10 months, thereby dismantling the fairy tale of the regime as such. Especially since the simulation of a Serbia costs more resources and becomes a farce. Like today: (…) The students have announced a meeting entitled “Peaceful Rally in Support of the Army” on Saturday, when the military parade will take place in Belgrade. They have deconstructed Vučić's narrative that the army belongs to him and that they have to serve (and thank) him
    The students had called for a peaceful assembly and asked to refrain from anything that makes noise (whistles, megaphones) (and white ones