In Serbia, a significant commemoration took place this Thursday marking six months since a devastating incident involving a train station collapse claimed 16 lives in the northern region, which has sparked substantial protests challenging the power of the nation’s populist leader, President Aleksandar Vucic.
Both workers’ unions and university students converged in significant numbers in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, advocating for reforms in labor and strike laws during Labor Day demonstrations. Meanwhile, in Novi Sad, the tragedy’s epicenter, locals expressed their sorrow by placing flowers and lighting candles outside the station, where, on November 1st, a section of concrete had disastrously fallen on individuals beneath.
Public outrage has largely targeted claimed government corruption, which many believe enabled negligence and ignored crucial safety standards that led to the incident. Prior to the calamity, the station’s concrete canopy had undergone renovation twice as part of a wide-ranging infrastructure agreement with Chinese state enterprises. This backdrop has fueled a surging nationwide movement calling for governmental change.
In Novi Sad on Thursday, a massive procession took place, wherein moments of silence honored the deceased. This gathering saw university students, pivotal in the anti-corruption crusade, erect a stone memorial bearing the inscription, “Novi Sad remembers.” One student addressed those present, deeming the station a “memorial site,” intended as a solemn reminder of the consequences when corruption pervades governance.
In Belgrade, the streets surrounding the Serbian government building were filled with swirling union flags alongside student banners, as throngs from across the city congregated. A student declaratively stated, “Corruption kills!” emphasizing the necessity for the anti-corruption struggle not just in student protests, but also in workplaces.
In stark contrast, supporters of President Vucic participated in a relaxed May Day celebration complete with barbecues, beverages, and traditional music at a pro-government camp adjacent to the parliament and presidential palace. This camp, established weeks prior, featured ex-paramilitary guards presumably to safeguard Vucic.
President Vucic has countered by accusing the demonstrators of executing a “color revolution” under Western directives aiming to unseat him and destabilize Serbia. He has responded to the almost daily demonstrations, which have occasionally witnessed tens of thousands in attendance, by organizing his own rallies.
Vucic, a populist figure, is under scrutiny for allegedly eroding democratic freedoms, including pressuring the students spearheading protests. Recently in Novi Sad, a confrontation arose where police resorted to using batons and pepper spray to disperse demonstrators outside a sports faculty, resulting in multiple injuries.
Serbia’s path towards European Union membership has become complicated, as Vucic’s growing authoritarian governance increasingly stalls the accession process.