Serbian PM resigns after protesters attacked

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned on Tuesday, 28 January, becoming the latest politician from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) to fall victim to the wave of anti-government protests sweeping the country.

Gov’t on brink after over a decade in power

A canopy collapse after a botched reconstruction of the railway station in Novi Sad, north Serbia, on 1 November 2024, which killed 15 people, has sparked widespread anger and nationwide protests aimed at Serbia’s right-wing government.

Students have blockaded over 60 university faculties in Serbia’s capital city of Belgrade for over 2 months. The protest’s leaders have vowed to maintain these actions until the government gives full transparency regarding the reconstruction project, which ran from 2021-24, and began during Vucevic’s term as mayor of Novi Sad. Although the Novi Sad tragedy was the spark, protesters also have much broader frustrations over alleged state corruption and media restrictions.

City mayor falls on sword

Novi Sad Mayor Milan Djuric also resigned and expressed personal responsibility for attacks in that occurred in the city in the early hours of Tuesday, 28 January, after a gang armed with baseball bats chased student protesters affixing stickers and stencilling slogans.

The resignations of Vucevic and Djuric were among the demands of students and opposition groups. Vucevic said he and Djuric consider themselves “objectively responsible” for the attacks.

Vucevic confirmed that he had consulted with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic before making his decision to quit: “We are displaying the accountability of elected officials”. The outgoing prime minister said he will continue as premier in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. “A prime minister’s resignation equated to the resignation of the entire cabinet,” he said.

Serbian government has month to avoid snap election

Vucic cannot form a new government, he faces the prospect of a snap election. Under the Constitution, the Serbian Parliament must formally acknowledge Vucevic’s resignation, ending the government’s mandate and kickstarting the selection of a new prime minister. If MPs fail to elect a new government within 30 days, the president is obliged to dissolve Parliament and call elections.

On 29 January, Vucic wrote on Facebook that “in the next ten days, we will make a decision whether to go to elections or to form a new government. No one is above the law and I am proud of that fact. Political responsibility must exist and we must fight for dialogue,” he added.

“I am forever grateful to Milos Vucevic for leading the government honestly, responsibly and seriously, and with results that will go down in history. Milos did his job well, he brought Serbia an investment credit rating: he was always loyal to his homeland, Serbia,” Vucic said.

Students, opposition unmoved by resignations

Opposition parties dismissed Vucevic’s resignation as a strategy to protect the SNS rather than a genuine act of accountability. The Free Citizens Movement said Vucevic’s government “will be remembered for the deaths of 15 people in Novi Sad, the beatings and persecution of students, and the complete dismantling of institutions”.

Democratic Party representative Srdjan Milivojevic directly addressed Vucic on social media, saying, “No resignations, neither Vucevic’s nor yours, will save you after last night’s attack on our children.”

Other opposition figures have called for criminal accountability, arguing that resignations alone are insufficient. The Green-Left Front said: “Never again should Serbia be ruled by a corrupt network that endangers lives and fuels economic and social instability.”

Architect slams clientelism in building industry

The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad has filed charges against 13 individuals in connection with the tragedy. Among the accused are former construction, transport and infrastructure minister Goran Vesic, his assistant Anita Dimoski, and erstwhile Serbian Railways director Jelena Tanaskovic. A total of ten suspects are in custody, while Vesic is free, and Tanaskovic and Dimoski are under house arrest.

After the canopy collapse, architect Slobodan Maldini highlighted the negligence, nepotism, and lack of accountability and oversight, in Serbian construction, emphasising the rarity of such tragedies in the 21st Century, in an op-ed in Radar Nova. The piece noted that requests for renovation documentation were denied, allegedly due to objections from Chinese partners involved in the project.

The station was originally built in 1964. A key feature was its cantilevered roof, intended to support a suspended canopy at the front entrance. Over time, concerns arose with the increasingly dilapidated building, as architects warned that the structure had a maximum functional lifespan of 50 years. The station was also given listed status, meaning the renovation had to maintain its visual identity.

Construction firms from China and Hungary were awarded contracts to oversee the project, which included platform upgrades, interior renovations, and conservation work on the facade. However, officials later said the canopy had not been fully reconstructed during the renovation. In early 2024, a media outlet requested financial records related to the project but was denied access by the firm responsible, which cited contractual confidentiality clauses.