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Main drivers of the current political crisis in Serbia
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Clashes in Belgrade as student-led protests demand elections
Demonstrators challenge President Vucic’s rule and demand elections, justice and rule of law.A man wearing traditional dress marches with a Serbian flag as antigovernment protesters throw flares at riot police in Belgrade. [Armin Durgut/AP Photo]By APPublished On 24 May 2026Clashes have broken out between protesters and riot police after an antigovernment rally in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.Large crowds of demonstrators poured into central Belgrade on Saturday, many carrying banners and wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the “Students win” motto of the youth movement that organised the gathering.Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has sought to rein in mass demonstrations that have challenged his hardline rule in the Balkan country. The size of Saturday’s turnout suggested that dissent remains strong more than a year after protests first began with demonstrators demanding accountability for a train station tragedy in northern Serbia in November 2024 that killed 16 people.Anticorruption protests forced then-Prime Minister Milos Vucevic to resign in January 2025 before the authorities moved to clamp down on the movement. Many in Serbia blamed the concrete canopy collapse at the station on alleged corruption-fuelled negligence during renovation work carried out with Chinese companies.On Saturday, Serbia’s state railway company cancelled all trains to and from Belgrade in what appeared to be an effort to prevent at least some people from travelling to the capital from other parts of the country.In a video posted on Instagram on Saturday, the president said protesters “have shown their violent nature and that they cannot stand political opponents”. Vucic, who was en route to China for a state visit, added: “The state is functioning and will continue to work in line with the law.”Students on Saturday demanded early elections and the rule of law, accusing the government of crime and corruption. They said they now plan to challenge Vucic in this year’s elections, which they hope will unseat his right-wing populist government. Vucic said on Thursday that the parliamentary elections could be held between September and November.Clashes were first reported near a park camp of Vucic loyalists outside the Serbian presidency building. The camp was set up before another large antigovernment rally last March as a human shield against protesters. Folk music blared from a fenced-off area surrounded by rows of riot police in full gear.The Serbian president has come under inte...
Serbian riot police clash with protesters in Belgrade after anti ...
Serbian riot police clash with protesters in Belgrade after anti-government rally Students flooded into the centre of Serbia's capital to accuse their government of corruption and call for early ...
Serbia protests turn violent as Belgrade crowds demand early elections ...
Police and protesters clashed in central Belgrade on Saturday after tens of thousands of people gathered to demand early elections and an end to the more than decade-long rule of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, deepening the political crisis that has gripped Serbia since the deadly 2024 Novi Sad railway station collapse. The demonstration, centred on Slavija Square and nearby streets, brought together students, opposition supporters, civil society groups and citizens angered by what protesters describe as corruption, weak accountability and democratic backsliding under Serbia’s ruling establishment. Many demonstrators wore red handprint badges and carried banners referring to the student-led movement that has become the most visible challenge to Aleksandar Vučić’s authority. The main rally was largely peaceful, but clashes erupted later near heavily secured government areas and close to a pro-government camp outside the presidency. Riot police used tear gas, stun grenades and other crowd-control measures after confrontations broke out. Protesters set bins on fire and pushed back against police lines as officers moved to disperse crowds. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said 23 people were detained and that some police officers were injured during the unrest. Authorities did not immediately provide detailed figures on the number or severity of police injuries. The violence marked another escalation in a protest cycle that began after 16 people died when a concrete canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024. The protests have become a broader referendum on governance in Serbia. What began as outrage over a deadly infrastructure failure has evolved into a national political movement demanding accountability, rule of law and fresh elections. For Aleksandar Vučić, the latest Belgrade confrontation is a significant test of whether Serbia’s government can contain a student-led movement that has outgrown its original cause and become a direct challenge to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. Why have Serbia protests grown from the Novi Sad railway station collapse into a national political crisis? Serbia’s protests have grown into a national political crisis because the Novi Sad railway station collapse became a symbol of broader public anger over corruption, public infrastructure oversight and political accountability. The immediate trigger was the November 1, 2024 collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in Nov...
Protests in Belgrade lead to clashes with police following anti ... - MSN
Clashes erupted in Belgrade following a major anti-government rally against President Vucic. Protesters demand accountability and early elections amid ongoing tensions in Serbia.
