Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić is an autocrat, a skilled propagandist who rarely makes strategic mistakes. But during a press conference back in November, in which he planned to speak about how Serbia was not one of the most corrupted and poorest countries in Europe but was in fact doing brilliantly, he became distracted.
A group of students were protesting in front of his office, blowing whistles, booing and jeering, a group of demonstrators that had emerged from the Arts Faculty at the University of Belgrade. Vučić became annoyed. But much worse, the noise could be heard during the live broadcast. The viewers could hear the protesters.
It is just a small group of students, Vučić assured the media, visibly nervous and distracted, with his face getting all red. In a statement, he claimed the students were all paid by the west, the classic imaginary enemy of his regime. But the accusation only poured fuel on the flames.
Since that press conference and Vučić’s confused, fearful live performance, the situation has escalated. Students have been leading weeks of nationwide protests in Serbia, in the wake of the recent collapse of a railway station roof in the city of Novi Sad last month when 15 people were killed.
Now, more than 50 faculties have joined the protests, and many professors and even deans of faculties are supporting the students. Some of the protests and blockades have even been joined by high school kids. This prompted one ruling party MP, Vladimir Đukanović, to state on TV that children were under the ownership of the state until the age of 18, a remark that caused a huge amount of shock.
In the face of all this, the regime doesn’t seem to know what to do. None of their tricks work. Vučić even promised students subsidies to buy homes, but they didn’t seem to care. They don’t want apartments – they want transparency. That includes the publication of all documents relating to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station. They want to know who’s responsible for the death of 15 innocent people. While the government has published some documentation, students, backed by experts, doubt that it is complete and are demanding its authentication.
Activists for the ruling parties have attacked protesters, including students at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts – they want them brought to justice. They also demand the dismissal of charges against those arrested and detained during the protests over the railway station disaster.
The government reacted to all this by attempting to change the school and university winter holidays, to prevent gatherings of students and pupils.
But that didn’t work. Instead, the school teachers went out on strike, as well as lawyers’ associations and farmers.
The students say they will not stop. Their efficient organisation has come as a bit of a surprise, especially to the educated liberal public, which tends to criticize the young as uninterested in anything other than TikTok.
Unlike previous demonstrations, there is no single organiser or face of the protest. Many of them do not want to speak by name, stressing that the collective idea is much more important. They are stronger when they cannot be targeted individually by pro-government media or by ruling party hooligans, they say.
Despite the impressive discipline on show, it will not overthrow this corrupted Serbian government. But it is a sign that the ruling party’s machine is beginning to crumble.
The united, at times fierce approach taken by the high school kids and students might not topple the government, but it could well influence the old people – their parents or grandparents. Here in Serbia, seniors are the main voting machine, and they tend to be more susceptible to the ruling party propaganda disseminated through the TV channels and print.
And if they have to choose between their beloved young ones and Vučić, the hope is they will choose family.
Saša Dragojlo is a Serbian investigative journalist
