What is fuelling the ongoing protests in Serbia?
The student protests in Serbia continue unabated: demonstrators blocked a bridge on the weekend, pensioners took to the streets in support of the students and further actions are planned. Commentators explain why the public anger goes far beyond the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse that triggered the protests in the first place.
An uncertain future
The only thing that is certain is that the Serbs have had enough of their current political leadership, writes Új Szó:
“What the final political consequences of this will be is not yet clear. Vučić's concessions and 'sacrifices' (including the prime minister's resignation) have clearly not been enough. The people want an end to the despotic, stifling regime – and a better and more dignified life afterwards. The opposition has a tradition of being divided, so to speak, but right now the demonstrators are fed up with all the politicians anyway.”
The old formulas no longer work
Dissatisfaction is growing, and not only in Serbia, says Népszava:
“The Belgrade regime has quickly determined who is to blame for the rebellion: Croatia is behind the student movement, it has stressed. ... This strategy of melding the opposition with a foreign force has usually been successful in the past. The combination of nationalism and fear-mongering is an effective weapon. But now this tried and tested formula is no longer working. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is constantly being put on the defensive, more and more people are demonstrating against Fico in Slovakia, and here in Hungary people are more concerned about the glaring dysfunction of the state than any fantasies about foreign interference.”
EU's silence a sign of cowardice
As far as Brussels is concerned, economic interests clearly take precedent over democracy and human rights in Serbia, the Financial Times criticises:
“EU leaders seem conspicuously silent about the protests. Is this because the bloc signed an accord with Vučić last year to use Serbia's lithium for electric vehicle batteries? Many oppose the deal on environmental grounds. Those who have voiced support for the students include Novak Djokovic, the Serbian-born tennis star, and Madonna, the American singer. It seems pusillanimous of the EU not to follow suit when it purports to defend exactly the values in Ukraine that young Serbs wish to see upheld in their country.”