Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has urged calm following recent sporadic clashes in Belgrade and other areas between activists affiliated with the ruling party and protesting students, according to local media reports. Speaking during a visit to the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, Vucic stated, “I call on everyone to calm down. Let everyone present their programmes, let them express their positions, let them go to the podiums, but not call for killing, not call for violence.” He also questioned the appropriateness of retaliatory violence, asking, “I also ask my people, if you are attacked, should you also hit back?”
Addressing the political climate, Vucic announced that early parliamentary elections in Serbia are expected within the next two to six months.
He added that he would offer congratulations to his political opponents on the evening of the election, regardless of the outcome. Furthermore, Vucic asserted that available public opinion polls do not indicate that the student movement is close in popularity to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. The protesting students have been organizing demonstrations, which included blockades at over 60 faculties across Serbia during 2024 and 2025.
Their protests have focused on anti-corruption demands and the call for early parliamentary elections. This movement gained momentum following a significant incident in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, when the concrete canopy of a newly renovated railway station collapsed, resulting in 16 fatalities and one serious injury. The protesting students have indicated they plan not to participate in the vote, instead supporting a slate of public figures with no prior involvement in the country’s political life.
Topics: #calm #call #let
