Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has urged restraint following recent clashes between activists associated with the ruling party and protesting students in Belgrade and other locations, which reportedly centered on graffiti and stickers. Speaking during a visit to the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, Vucic issued a direct appeal for the public to remain calm. “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,” Vucic stated, questioning whether citizens should retaliate if they are attacked. Regarding the political climate, Vucic announced that early parliamentary elections are anticipated within the next two to six months. He added that should his political opponents secure victory, he pledged to offer them his congratulations that same evening.
He also stated that public opinion polls he reviewed did not suggest the student list held a popularity level close to that of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. The student movement, which has organized blockades at over 60 faculties across Serbia in 2024 and 2025, continues to press for early elections and anti-corruption measures. These demands were intensified following a major incident in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, when a concrete canopy at a renovated railway station collapsed, resulting in 16 fatalities and one serious injury.
In response to the instability, the protesting students have declared they will not participate in the upcoming vote, opting instead to support a slate of public figures who have not previously held formal political roles.
Topics: #calm #call #let
The calls for calm are necessary, but the underlying tension between the groups appears to persist.