In November 2024, Serbia was rocked by protests triggered by the disastrous fall of the railway canopy in the city of Novi Sad. What is happening in Serbia? Hundreds of thousands of people, most notably entire public university system, are protesting for months, asking for accountability of their government, implementation of the rule of law and basic human decency, as Danilo Mandic summarizes. In the face of global democratic backsliding, this phenomenon stands out, especially as it seemingly comes from an unlikely place. Therefore, our associates did their best to shed light on this unusual phenomenon.
As Slobodan Markovic reminds us, Serbia has a rich experience in struggling against authoritarianism. Its students were in the forefront of fighting against the Milosevic regime, and this legacy was examined by Katarina Besirevic and Luka Filipovic. They outline the continuities, but also emphasize novelties brought about by current protests, which are marked with remarkable endurance – public universities were blockaded for months, whereas the citizens are displaying reliable support toward rebellious youth, which redefines the very concept of civic resistance. As students keep marching, they are admired both by the EU institutions and Serbian diaspora, they are putting not only Serbian authorities, but indeed European values to true test. Vladimir Petrovic weighs in by pointing out to the stakes for Serbian higher education and our society as a whole, attempting to situate these protests in the context of global upheavals as well.
Cherished from the heights of Harvard and LSE to a most forsaken village in Serbia, these protest are surely a gamechanger. You can find the timeline of events that led to the university uprising here.
What can we learn from protest in Serbia? What will they bring, new hope or anarchy? Which impact do they have? How do they actually look? Stay tuned and follow our flying reporter.