Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has urged calm following recent isolated clashes in Belgrade and other areas between activists from 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 retaliation, asking, “I also ask my people, if you are attacked, should you also hit back?”
During his address, Vucic mentioned that early parliamentary elections in Serbia are anticipated within the next two to six months.
He further stated that if his political opponents win, he would offer his congratulations that same evening. Regarding the student protests, Vucic added that he had not seen any public opinion polls suggesting the student movement was close in popularity to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. The students, who have participated in blockades at over 60 faculties across Serbia in 2024 and 2025, have organized anti-government demonstrations demanding early elections and anti-corruption measures.
These protests were prompted by a fatal incident in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, when a concrete canopy at a renovated railway station collapsed, resulting in 16 deaths and one serious injury. The protesting students have announced they will abstain from voting, instead supporting a slate of public figures with no prior political involvement.
Topics: #calm #call #let
What measures will the government implement to de-escalate tensions between the ruling party and student protesters?