Serbia’s Anti-Government Protests Turn Violent Amid Calls for Snap Elections

Violent clashes erupted in Serbia as anti-government protests entered their ninth month, challenging President Aleksandar Vucic’s long rule. Demonstrators clashed with ruling party supporters in multiple cities, injuring police and civilians. Sparked by a deadly accident last year, the movement demands snap elections, which Vucic refuses to call before 2027.

Months of anti-government demonstrations in Serbia erupted into violent clashes as supporters and opponents of President Aleksandar Vucic confronted each other in three major cities — Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Nis. The unrest, now in its ninth month, has become the most significant challenge to Vucic’s more than decade-long rule.

Rival groups hurled flares, rocks, firecrackers, and bottles as police struggled to maintain order. State media showed Vucic’s supporters using fireworks to repel protesters, igniting exchanges that escalated late Wednesday. At least 16 police officers were injured, two of them seriously, along with more than 120 supporters of the ruling Progressive Party, according to Vucic.

The president accused anti-government groups of orchestrating attacks on his party’s offices, calling the events a “well-organised attack” aimed at triggering civil unrest. He vowed that authorities would prosecute those responsible and claimed thousands of his supporters were prepared to defend party premises.

The protest movement began last year after a tragic railway station accident in Novi Sad, where a collapsed concrete canopy killed 16 people. Initially focused on demanding accountability, the demonstrations have evolved into a broader campaign against Vucic’s leadership, with calls for early elections.

Vucic, who has previously relied on snap elections to reinforce his political position, has so far refused to meet protesters’ demands, insisting that the next vote will take place before its scheduled date in 2027 but not immediately.

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The clashes underscore deep political divisions in Serbia, as the president’s grip on power faces mounting pressure from a public demanding change, greater transparency, and government accountability.