Over the past few months, Serbia has been facing mass protests. But while this has seen the prime minister resign, the country’s president, Aleksandar Vucic, shows no sign of stepping down. So, what do you think? Should he stay or should he go? Are these protests the beginning of a more significant movement that will eventually force him from office? Or will he find a way to maintain control? As ever, let me know in the comments below.
Why would he go? According to the Constitution he has a 5 year mandate, it would be illegal to seize Presidential power. Plus he has 50% +1 support all the time (more like 65-70% even). The PM resigned due to pressure from the President Vucic because he was not willing to explain the position of the government to "every fool". So Vucic does not see him as willing to represent the parliament. Vucic party still has a big majority in Parliament so his offer for election comes from the place of security and not to from the place of Vucic or his party in crisis. Students protest because they are young and easy to move on rebellious actions. No matter who the government is, students in Serbia will be against it. Weak political opposition adds fuel to the fire because they can win 3% on democratic elections and unless they get into power through the street (like with Milosevic) there would be no power for them. Foreign secret services as usual have their hands in this unrest. The previous WH establishment did not like Vucic so this was their parting gift. Once Trump gets the CIA on leash, protests will die out.
Some of the video footage of the protest you've used are quite a sight. I've been hoping for a turning point in Serbian politics for a while. I don't know if the region can truly emerge from its doldrums without it. Serbian nationalists do, after all, have a major role to play in the failures of the awkward Bosnian government. Kosovo probably can't be resolved without a drop in nationalist agitators (albeit likely on both sides.) And the longer the region delays resolution of its various issues, the more vulnerable it will remain to Chinese and Russian meddling. Of course Vucic should go. It doesn't need to look like the Bucharest in 1989, but Serbia needs a cultural and political "reset" to finally begin moving out of the 1990s mindset which has plagued them. I am reminded of the turning point in post-war West Germany in the 1960s when younger Germans began to speak out Nazism, calling out the crimes of former Nazis who somehow were working in government in Bonn.
One mistake was made in the video about the 80km journey - it was from Belgrade to Novi Sad and not the other way around stated in video. Beside that good look into wth is going on in Serbia.
One of the crucial flaws with this regime that is the installed system of party affiliates. The regime set up a system of people that "join" the party and enjoy unearned job positions, money compensations and sometimes escaping the consequences of law breaking. People finish the college required for a position only to be met with the fact that they wont get the job if they dont join the party. Then when they join, they are required to work in call centers to promote the party and come to party organised meetings or counter protests so the president could simulate having popular support. This particular issue is very closely related to the railway station incident because people blame it on the lack of professional expertise due to party affiliate favouritism.
Thanks so much. I completely agree. This is a point that I always raise.mAnd it isn’t just this government. It has been a terrible feature of Serbian politics for as long as I can remember. So many state enterprises are overseen and run by people who are completely unqualified. This patronage system really needs to be stopped. It does huge damage to the country.
Exactly, the company without any professional credibility in field which renovated canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad had previous experience in carpet cleaning, which is ridiculous - for example Serbian company together with Croatian counterpart had build Krk Bridge in 1980 which held record for longest concrete arch in world for almost two decades, quite frankly Serbia today is surpassing African levels of corruption and negligence.
@@FlyingDutchman-j5w And what was the name of that carpet cleaning company? Are you saying that they used pressure washers for carpets to renovate the canopy? Do you not understand how outrageous this claim is? Does the same carpet cleaning company have equipment for lifting cement blocks? Where did they as a carpet cleaning company get their equipment from to renovate the canopy?
You have no idea how much this means to me and many others 👏 we are desperate for change and end to corruption. And we need others to see what has been going on here for the last 13 years! Thank you for talking about this 🙏
Thanks. I know that many Serbs think that I am opposed to the country because of my views on Kosovo (which are actually rather different from mainstream Western positions). However, I know Serbia very well indeed and have spent a lot of time there - near Novi Sad, as it happens. I really and truly want to see it do well.
@JamesKerLindsay As a proposer of this topic on your channel, I have two major complaints. One debatable Western point is whether the Kosovo War of 1998-99 was a continuation of the Yugoslav Wars. While it could be argued that political inertia played a role, this is inaccurate; there is no connection between the Kosovar independence movement and the wars in Bosnia and Croatia. The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA, UÇK) was, until then, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. My second complaint is that student protesters aim not to explicitly topple the government, but to force institutions to function, which might lead to that outcome if the government is found guilty. The president is not accountable or responsible for internal affairs and is therefore not the focus of these protests.
Im Albanian , all i can say is i hope this government change this need to happen in albanian to , and i hope one day we can live in peace between each other Peace ☮️
Albania only really needs to fight the corruption caused by your government getting entangled with criminal gangs. Your country is already doing much better than under Hoxha. All of Europe wants you to prosper and most EU party coalitions are ready to help your economy and nation grow. But you must fight to fix this one large underlying problem. It's not easy. But it's essential.
The Prime Minister Vučević hasn't resigned officially. His resignation was a TV spectacle designed to show SNS fans that concessions were made. Ministers who have resigned though escaped to Trieste, Italy.
Absolutely brilliant video. Thank you so much Prof. Your channel is brilliant at bringing what the news media relegaetes to "minor" stories to the forefront.
Thank you so much! This was another one of those videos I had long wanted to make. The modern political history of Serbia is fascinating. I have followed it for many years.
Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. I've wanted to make a video on Serbia's modern political history for years. It's a subject I have followed closely for a long time.
Trump says he wants to make the MAGA Strip with Netanyahu, and you post your weekly Friday video on Serbia? Thank you, James. Most people would have chased the clicks for money. I appreciate your integrity and insight into Belgrade
Thanks. I actually posted a comment on this on my community tab to say that I wouldn't be doing a video on it. I don't think anyone needs me to explain why it amounts to ethnic cleansing. I will certainly cover Trump's activities. But I do want to focus on areas where I can add something. The threats against Canada and Mexico were a great opportunity to explore international trade. I have a couple of others in mind. But I don't want to just chase the clicks.
We are already there. Notice that our Professor K. never said that Serbia isn't free, only that there are allegations (not any tangible evidence) of authoritarianism. Such protests are not allowed in a county that isn't free. Think about it
Amazing overview, objectively briefed the story, and pointed key objectives, as someone stated in the comments before me, only error was that student march was from Belgrade to Novi Sad. Two things that you should know, and that have missed to point out. First is that this is the first mass protest that is not being led by any political party or political organisation. Second point is that this is the most peaceful protest in modern Serbian history.
Great video! I’m a South African, but I’d appreciate if you could do a video on the situation in Mozambique! It’s similar to the Serbian situation in many ways.
But Vucic is Western man, he is not some kind of 100% pro Russian or Chinese even if he's trying to represent himself as neutral and friend with everyone. West will not support any kind of revolution bring down man who work mostly for them, as Serb i think that way...
I am Serbian, too. And while I get what you are saying, I would add that Vucic is neither pro-East, nor is he pro-West. He is simply pro-Vucic. By that point I think it is obvious to anyone that he has outlived his purpose. And as someone who used to guarantee stability in the region, he is no longer delivering. So there is gonna come a day when the collective West will turn their back on him.
@@predragpesic5953 Maybe but West is now looking more East towards Ukraine and Serbia is already under their foot and will be in future for sure. They all find Serbia as theirs already since we are dependent on them for everything and surrounded by EU and Nato nations. It's a done deal sooner or later... Russia does not have power to take us in any of their alliances and Chinas i still far away.
There are a lot of idiots with zero understanding who think like that. Would you also claim that Orban is a Putin puppet? Of course not. It's only Vucic who is a puppet simply because some leftard with low intelligence told you so.
I live here, and trust me, it's not the people who were dissatisfied only with the democratic party, I mean those same people are dissatisfied with SNS too - it's that the democratic party didn't want to work on making Kosovo independent, Boris Tadić, the president back then, refused. So, all political parties were called to Berlin, including my uncle who was in the democratic party, where they wanted to find and put into power a party which will work on it, but also work on Western interests such as Rio Tinto mining lithium for German electric cars among other things, and Gazivode being given to the US. Most political parties were super enthusastic to accept this deal, but SNS was chosen, mafia gave them money after their investing into Čedomir Jovanović didn't work out, and they started slowly but surely working not only on Western interests, but Russian and Chinese too, as they became deeply involved in crime and were blackmailed by security agencies from all sides to work in their favor for the detriment of Serbia, or all the video and audio evidence against SNS and Vučič go public. My uncle after that left politics in pure disgust, leaving the democratic party, after seeing how Berlin put the party in Serbia into power together with the US and French intelligence agencies. There was even a prominent figure, I can't remember who it was, some prominent politian from Belgium (could be wrong here) congratulated SNS for winning the election....while the election lasted! Then intelligence services quickly told him to delete his tweet on twitter after he realized his mistake, guy didn't even know the elections were going on right then, he just knew who's gonna be the next player to rule Serbia. SNS slowly made this society more corrupted and dictatorial, and after yet another 2794th scandal in a row, students had enough after 15 people died from their personel with bought diplomas building a building which collapsed, and took to the streets. The protests grew in size and here we are.
Yeah, they were planning already 20 years ago that there will be electric vehicles and that lithium was about to be mined in Serbia for battery production in 2027. Go home. You are under total delusions
Thank you prof. James! As a Serb following the international reaction to our protests, I can confidently say that this is the ONLY treatment of the topic that doesn't portray us Serbs as this unruly mass of emotional protesters who don't like our stern but fair father Aleksandar Vučić. Thank you for providing us the dignity of actually explaining who Vučić is, why he is hated here and not reducing it to "Oh they want to join the EU / BRICS". That's super important! For well-meaning foreigners who want to further understand why Vučić is so hated here, please Google "Vucic Belivuk New York Times" for an NYT article about Vučić's criminal collaborator who (get this) fuckimg ATE PEOPLE. He is just the public face of a cartel, an ordinary mafioso, a kingpin. The EU love him bcs interrupting the drug trade that moves through Serbia would cause a spike in organized crime in their liberal paradises, and that's a death sentence for Schengen.
Nice video, Prof! There are some points that should‘ve been pointed out as well, such as protests occuring in small towns all over Serbia, not just the bigger cities (which can be regarded as an indicator for the protests’ power and overall trend of rising, rather than stagnating). People simply dont fear the governments oppression and threats (losing jobs if supporting the students for example) anymore. This layer of ice has been broken and one can definitely feel the regimes tension and increased fear of losing power. Cheers.
Thank you for this wonderful analysis of our current situation. It means a great deal to us. The Serbian people have endured these corrupt criminals for far too long. Now our anger has finally erupted, and nothing‘s going to stop it.
This is the most objective video I've seen on this topic and about Serbia in general. Presenting facts without sensationalism or fearmongering is so hard to find. I subscribed and will watch your other videos because I feel I can actually trust the information you are providing. You got the history part completely right and you explained it well. You didn't insert any politics in the topic and I really like that, unlike some who said that the protests will cause a war in the Balkans and that they should fail. Which couldn't be more far from the truth because most ex-Yu nations are protesting at the moment and are supporting each other in it. As someone has already mentioned the student's walked from Belgrade to Novi Sad. This was to commemorate 3 months since the accident in Novi Sad and to protest together with the people from Novi Sad.
Great video! First, telling Serbian history (especialy 90es) without ofending anyone too much is really something! Bravo! Second, you managet to tell what is going on and the perspecives for the future much better than many Serbian analyst! Well done!
Thanks for another great and informative video! I'm wondering, have you ever considered releasing your videos in an audio form, like a podcast? Right now one of my favourite ways to relax is go for a walk and listen to podcasts talking about geopolitics and it would be really nice to enjoy your content this way too. Looking forward to the next video! Greetings from Germany. :)
I think the Serbian government will fall, and all I can hope for is that the Serbian people get a leader that supports them and their interests. Also, the President shouldn't underestimate the power and voice of students as just last year Bangladesh student protests forced Sheikh Hasina out. Another fascinating video, Professor James.
I would be the happiest man if he falls. People have had enough of him and his incompetent yes-men. He is not only the president but also the prime minister and the minister of everything. Institutions have degraded so much that, at this point, he is the only one deciding everything. He learned nothing from Tadic.
Hello, professor, thank you very much for presenting an unbiased view of the situation, as always. A few corrections and points I'd like to make: 1) The student march was in the direction from Belgrade to Novi Sad. While key intersections were blocked, no parts of the highway were blocked, as this is, to my knowledge, a criminal offense. Highway blockades were avoided during the blockade of the highly important Autokomanda intersection in Belgrade, which lies above the highway going through Belgrade. 2) In mentioning corruption regarding the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station, I feel you've left out the role of local subcontractors. According to some more recent reports, *they* were the ones who did most of the shoddy work, *not* the Chinese contractor themselves. However, they still acted as an ideal partner for the government when it came to enabling this corruption. 3) I feel like you've downplayed the rather seismic importance of these protests, though I assume this is not on purpose. You said that the narrative of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is that there is little discontent outside of the urban centres of Novi Sad and Belgrade, yet the size of protests precisely *outside* of these two cities show that we are witnessing an explosion of discontent at an extreme level. This was already evident during the summer of 2024, when we had large scale protests in many cities and town opposing the opening of lithium mines by the Anglo-Australian consortium Rio Tinto, with most of central and western Serbia experiencing protests for the first time in decades, maybe ever. These new protests are a continuation of the previous discontent, additionally powered by the tragic fall of the NS station canopy - we're seeing public protests and blockades in very small towns and cities. Additionally, as of late January we've had the first objective reports on the student-led protests on the national TV station RTS, something we haven't had in years. 4) Finally, I think what the viewer can't gather from this video is that the popularity of Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) don't go hand in hand. While the two are certainly linked, the Serbian Progressive Party consistently polls at least 10% less than Vučić, whatever his rating may be. This is in part due to SNS' coalition partners backing Vučić, but it is also down to the fact that SNS is viewed as a party of grifters and goons by non-members (and some forced members, of course). Vučić is sometimes conceived by parts of the public as being "a good president with evil lackeys", and this is evident in the latest moves taken by Vučić and the higher SNS cadre: they are trying to create a rebrand of SNS by forming the 'Movement for the People and State', ostensibly to clean up SNS ranks of corruption. We have, however, seen a similar situation in the past, with the Yugoslav Left (JUL) and the Milošević's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). The panic in the higher echelons of SNS is pretty obvious, as the president has now started a tour of rural areas to try and garner support, while absolutely avoiding any and all urban areas where he might be heckled. I understand that the video format might not permit most of this information to be conveyed, but I felt compelled to give some more information. Of course, it's pretty obvious that I am pro-protest here, so my attitudes should be taken with a grain of salt. :)
Some corrections to this otherwise good analysis: 1. Slobodan Milošević never presented himself as Serbian nationalist, he called himself a socialist. The truth is that, just like his successor Vučić, he actually had no ideology, he was an opportunistic populist and a fraud. 2. Bombing actually prolonged Milošević's rule. We were ready to topple his regime in 1999, we basically destabilized it in 1996. 3. Murders in Novi Sad are not the only deaths connected to SNS corruption. We had mass shootings, traffic accidents, criminal executions, and fatal beatings that directly implicate mismanagement of government resources. 4. Protests that students started are neither political nor anti-corruption. There are 4 simple demands that can easily be summed into one. For institutions to start doing their jobs. Because Vučić is interfering in the functioning of the judicial branch of government he has no authority over. Lastly, not a correction, but an addendum. Last week we went to Novi Sad, I have bronchitis to prove it, and the next week we are going to Kragujevac. Support for student protests can not grow, basically, the only ones that do not support students are his corrupt propaganda and oppression apparatus, people who profit from his corrupt rule, and even the police and the military are more and more openly supporting students. The question is, why doesn't he relent and fulfill student demands? The answer is that corruption that led to deaths is directly connected to the top people in his regime and, if they fall, they will happily become protected witnesses, thus he knows that if he relents he will spend the rest of his life in prison. That is what happens when you base your political party on interests instead of ideas...
We should all know that Macron is Vucic’ best friend in therms or investment that he put into doing his business in Serbia. Vucic is supported by Europe otherwise students would already succeed with their requests.
Good analysis Jemes, an excellent job explaining the complexity of Serbia's political history in such a short timespan. Despite mentioning it, you should have put a bigger emphasis on the support of the EU and US which Vucic's regime has had because of his cooperative stance towards Kosovo's independence. By the way, believe me it's so over for him!😉
Thanks. Not easy to weave it all together, but I hope I got the main issues across. I’ll be watching to see what happens. But if Vucic does go, who replaces him?
This is not about prejudice, but about historical facts. I believe in your good intentions for the entire region and I respect your desire for a balanced approach and I am sorry that I did not emphasize this earlier. I am even more sorry that you overlooked the essence of the comment: we in the Balkans are primarily to blame for all our misfortunes, and "you" were helping to solve the problems in, let's say, the universal interest. If you had collectively understood the misfortune in the Balkans, the catastrophe in Ukraine would not have happened. And as far as I can see, this is clear to many reputable people in the West now, but too late for over a million people. Resolving a crisis can be under pressure and in the universal interest, and therefore unfair to the maximalist demands of the parties to the conflict. But when this ratio is set at 95% to 5%, then it leads the dissatisfied party to autochauvinism out of impotence or to a new war out of power. And the majority party in such a relationship rightly expects 100% fulfillment of its interests. Once again, I would be very happy if we all had the strength to rise above narrow national interests, but when an overseas country has a national interest in the territory of another sovereign country, then it looks absurd. That absurdity and anomaly of the 90s was accepted as normality, which is now manifested as a constant throughout the world. Making analyses without taking into account, for example, such facts is fruitless. The fruits must be justice, democracy and reconciliation, and when this is not the case, the history of misfortunes repeats itself, which is mostly the case. I sincerely want to believe in your good intentions and expertise, and I do not think that you are consciously part of the Western ideology of hegemony, but only that you are constrained by its narrative. I hope that in your future analyses you will delve into the essence of the conflict between peoples, politics, religions, value systems. This essence is seemingly irreconcilable and ranges from the struggle for survival to hegemony. From survival to the seizure of territories and resources. It is a terrible world in which we live. But the solution lies in a fifty-fifty balance, and this is starting to happen in the world, although I am not optimistic.
I think this report has been done very objectively so I think you did a really god job. I do hope there will be profound change and the system will begin to work for the people and not against them. Corruption kills.
This is the truth about the situation in Serbia. Vučić is the most ordinary autocrat and dictator, and he should fall from power. He is by far the worst and most insidious person in the history of Serbia. Vučić was first a member of the SRS, anti-EU, ultra-nationalist and the third man in that party. He was an MP at 23 and a minister at 28, and did nothing else but politics. And then in 2008 he suddenly tried to stage a coup, and then left that party together with the second man in that party, Tomislav Nikolić. He soon formed the pro-EU party SNS with the help of the then government, state security services, tycoons and Western embassies. In 2012, in a coalition with the SPS (Milošević's party), he formed a government. Then, as vice president and "coordinator of all services", he committed fraud and "diversion". He ordered the "arrest" of some former ministers and tycoons, with the aim of gaining popular support, putting domestic media under control and intimidating the rich and tycoons not to donate to the opposition. Only to him. and from 2014 he gets an absolute majority and starts terror.
And the USA was created with more violence than that. Clearly you don't undestand power. You are clearly confused because you think that building government is something innocent like building a church. Do you not understand that you must take power? That is what people with conviction do. Likewise investors. You don't beg on your knees for market share, you take it when the opportunity presents itself. Is this hard? People like you are so incompetent. Big mouth. Zero understanding.
All problems in Serbia were always caused by West since breakup of Yugoslavia to nowdays....West couldnt stand to have such strong military and economic country as Yugoslavia was...
As per usual, an excellent analysis. And I love that you pointed out how there are basically crickets coming from both the US and the EU. Just like you said, they prefer stability over democracy, and for over 10 years they have been turning a blind eye to mass corruption, nepotism, cronyism and a brutal crackdown on the free press, all of which has become a staple of the Vucic regime. And that is why anyone from Serbia, myself included, truly appreciates any support that we can get in spreading awareness of what has been going on for the past 3 months. As for your questions regarding Vucic's fate, he absolutely has to go. The guy sold our country to the lowest bidder, and is now dismantling it piece by piece. Besides the lithium excavation plans that you mentioned, the regime is also making shady deals with Jared Kushner of all people. As for the protests, there are currently no indications that this movement is going to stop anytime soon. If anything, it is just getting bigger and bigger, with people from all walks of life joining every day. There are also evening protests and vigils happening every day, inside individual city districts, as well as in small towns and villages. Again, thank you for giving this the time of day. And for anyone reading, feel free to like and share. Cheers from Serbia. ❤❤❤❤
You can’t have stability in a country that harbor the war criminals and terrorists. Failure of EU to understand that could be the sign of its downfall.
And Dragan Solak, the owner of the leftist media N1/Nova has Hunter Biden as associate. Why are you not mentioning that? Kushner's investments are designed to drive business via the new link between Hungary and Serbia. This is like economics 101. But it's more important to spin some BS "shady deals" narrative for people like you - what's wrong with you? You don't want to people to have a job? Serbia is one of the last countries in Europe where real estate investments are seen in a negative light. And it's always some BS reason "oh that's the building NATO bombed". So what? Keep that same attitude going and these 12 years of revival will just be a hickup on the way down to the gutter once again.
How would you feel about moving that You-Tube plaque out of shot? While I am sure you are proud of the work you've put in, many of us would not consider a plaudit from that company to be something to be proud of. Your work speaks for itself.
Hello Professor Ker-Lindsay thanks for another very informative video. What,s your take on how Russia and the EU view events in Serbia, given its current status as an EU applicant?
I visited both Belgrade and Novi Sad back in 2009 or 2010 and a lot of infrastructure did seem quite dilapidated.. sad to hear the improvements since can't be relied upon because of corruption.
Thank you for covering this. Serbia is desperate for a just change from within due to certain population believe that only 'a strong leader' can push country forward to a better future. Such leaders by default are autocrats/dictators (at least in Serbia) and these people do not consider it as a problem. They adore such leader to the level of cult and when tragedy happens like this one in Novi Sad, they are willing by themselves to turn the blind eye in style 'oh it happens'. Serbian population always knew that they inflate the prices of these capital investments so any excess inflated value goes to the corrupted officials especially the president. But now, it started to kill people and people had enough. I could not bear the immense injustice and corruption that happens in Serbia daily so I have left the country and live in the EU. Now that I face a discrimination from locals, I am torn between going back home and staying here. These protests give me a slither of hope that demands of students, which are cleverly made, will reveal involvement of the officials and prosecute them.
Thing is that we don't necessarily want a regime change. We just want a system that works as it was supposed to, because it wasn't working well for decades,no matter who is the president. Despite this,our president became the association with the system and changing one means changing both.
This was a Very Good Video by You! The only thing that was "Difficult" for me was the incorrect Pronounciation of Places and Personal Names. Other then that, Great and Interesting Video! Could You make a Simmilar Video about Hungary: a Politician Magyar Péter is causing Shockwaves in Hungary! It is Possible in the next Parliamentary Elections Orbán Viktor will lose a lot of Seats to him! And now there is a Story that Orbán forbade the Countries Institutions zo Finance the Capital of Hungary - Budapest - just becouse the Head Mayor of Budapest - Karácsony Gergely - is a Left-wing and Liberal Politician; what in turn could force Budapest into Bankruptcy! Please, make a Video about it! Thank You!
Hey. You'll never find a professor of international relations who manages to learn every language in every world region he discusses. And you probably are aware that resources for foreign learners of Serbian are not exactly plentiful. (Something else we can blame the 1990s for ... A drop in interest in learning the language.) I've heard MUCH worse attempts at pronouncing Slavic names by native English speakers. Have you ever watched an Englishman try to pronounce Polish? It is comedy gold.
@Robespierre-lI OK. But it's not that hard to find Materials for Slavic Languages! It's harder to find them for Hungarian, and even for Basque! Those are the 2 Languages I'm currently learning! On Basque there 8sn't apmost amy in English, and on German it's even more difficult to find any Resources about Basque! I found more Resourves on both English and German about Coptic Language then about Basque! And the Topic of Serbian Prounciation is the lesser Point I was making: the Main Point was the Situation in Hungary! That is a Video I wamt to see!
Vučić was also preacher of nationalist hatred and of greater serbia project which caused wars in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia in 90's. He escaped Hague only because Šešelj, his fellow who during 90's preached butchering of croats with rusted spoon, was nominally above him in his party
Popular protests are common occurance in democracies. In Serbia, massive protests happen every year. They are challenge to the government and reminder of accountability. It is unclear why foreign commentators always make such a fuss about it. In this particular case, not only has the government resigned and offered snap elections, but President Vucic himself offered a referendum on his leadership, thus enabling to by-pass the otherwise complicated procedure of impeachment. The opposition, knowing that the ruling party is still quite a bit more popular, refused the offer and tried to build up support on the streets, instead. While the students want accountability, the opposition is trying to piggyback on their protest calling for unconstitutional change of the regime. Remarkably, the students have so faru refused to help the opposition seize the power. As for the public support, there is quite a difference between demanding accountability and voting. The Serbian opposition consists of uninspiring individuals without much to show in their biographies and, more notably, lacks vision and political ideas. It makes President Vucic’s job of defeating them easy.
@ Thanks. There is of course, more to it, but neither the politicians nor the commentators bother to analyze and understand politics beyond interpersonal level, and view it as a function of social and geopolitical forces at play. Vucic seems to be a rare exception, which, at least in part, explains his success.
@@alija83 I wonder why they went the other way. There's probably a practical reason for this, but without knowing what that is, there's something vaguely ironic about this. Bulgarians shake their head up-and-down for No and side-to-side for yes. Perhaps Serbians confront their leaders by marching away from them, instead of towards them. 😂
10 часов назад
The colapse happened in Novi Sad. People there have arranged daily protests until those responsible are processed. The march was a gesture of support from students of Belgrade to people of Novi Sad. These protests are not only political. They probably won't stop even after the fall of Vučić. Serbia have no capable opposition. So entire political landscape is in the question!
Kepp in mind, the PM's resignation was bait to get the protests to disperse. The parliament session that needs to accept his resignation has been scheduled for march. So before that date, the government is still in full effect and they are using whatever time they have to pass as many controversial laws an contracts before the resignation is ratified. This is extremely problematic with the Rio Tinto lithium mining thats an ecological timebomb as it was repeatedly confirmed by experts that its effect on the environment will be utterly devastating and the EXPO 2027 which is managed by a government entity that operates outside all laws and norms so it's easier for them to steal billions through it without having to expose the contracts to the public. It's now or never for Serbia essentially.
Brilliant reporting and support for academia. We must understand how unique these events in Serbia are, probably something World hasn't seen anything like it since Vietnam. The protesters are from elementary schoolers to students how does one manages to block and anger entire academia is beyond me.Horible man 😢once again great reporting thank you professor.
James, great topic to cover, and a country that has been forgotten about. But a point of much deeper point of examination should be the role China (CCP) has been having in Serbia and the pipeline of cash is has been directing towards political elites in Serbia, thus fueling corruption in Serbia.
Good point. From my understanding, Serbia is a part of the Chinese project known as the Belts & Roads Initiative, which is exactly how that railway station was reconstructed. Too many subcontractors, shoddy work, budget bloated six times of the originally estimated value. And in the end, it collapsed. Tofu concrete syndrome, basically.
@ Yeah, I mean it could be. I am not an expert in cement mixing. 🙂🙂 But it is obvious that something went horribly wrong during the renovation of that train station in NS.
He made party state ,SNS has 700 000 members on 6.5 milions people while Yugoslavia had 400 000 communist party members at its peak on 23 milion people. People call them sect and not a party ,they took over and gived everything for them self ,like now they own half off Belgrade .He also known to work with criminals with then enjoy his protection. They also give everything they want to people from EU,USA ,Russia ,China so they support him .SO now you have that in time off biggest protest in Belgrade since 2000 in same time ambassadors off USA and RUssia step out and support Vucic,where in the world you see that. Even EU support him because he promise Lithium mine only for them even 95% off people oppose it ,also he channels weapons to Ukraine to have support from EU. Only real support student were given from neighboring countries off ex Yugoslavia like Slovenia and Croatia
Haha you fool. If SNS has 700k members in a population of 6,5m while commies had 400k members in a population of 23m - that pretty much gives away what people think about communism. Nice try and nice attempt. You just made a fool of yourself. But I'm not surprised. You commies are known to be irrational so.....
@@redlizard865 Too much corruption nowadays in all ex yugo countries. One of the best things about Yugoslavia, well by people who of my family lived back then during those times. Said that corruption was cracked down on. I mean there was corruption but it wasnt big and couldnt get big.
@ I'm from Serbia corruption existed during Yugoslavia and party privilege also existed but what was different for other socialist\communist countries is that Yugoslavia strived for greatness and it was respected by both East and West. Tito was dictator but never lied like Vučić does.
James can you do an analysis on NATO bombing whether it was the only option or not and how its effective was it.. and has it been a rope around NATO neck ever since...
Great suggestion. I have in fact been thinking a lot about this recently. I think that this is a topic that should be discussed. But also Serbia needs to learn to move beyond 1999.
@JamesKerLindsay Thx and agree..but Scotland 🏴 can't move on as nearly half want independence so it's unfortunately understandable..the human condition!!😂
Yes. I've noticed this often gets brought up in the comments in videos about the Balkans, frequently with lots of Evil Empire type vitriol. I'd like to hear the story behind it, and why or if it's still relevant today.
In balkan corruption start from the people themself first and after they cry the system is corrupted .... what a joke in this country..... if you have the good relationship you will get faster to doctor .... teacher .... builder .... major od city etc etc ...AND Dont forget to bring some present like coffe or rakija or chocolat 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thank you so much for the video. As always you are highly informed and express as close to an unbiased view as possible. I would just like to highlight that the student demands are that the public prosecutor does their job and find the people responsible for the deaths of 15 people (and two severely injured), and that the responsible government body publishes all the construction and financial documentation regarding the railway station reconstruction. The government is still, even after three months since the tragedy, failing to share the complete documents. The students are not protesting to overthrow the government nor the president. Keep up the amazing work in informing the people.
@bigducky11 First i am glad you admit it was Serbian before,thats the first step in recognizing where Kosovo actually belongs. And you know what they say? Never say never. We dont need to move on,bc it is Serbian land. Why would we let foreign powers and invaders take away our territory?
One thing that disappoints us, opponents of Vučić, is EU's silence over his growing authoritarianism and violations of law in order to keep himself in power. This is why in the ongoing protests you won't see anyone waving EU flags, like it's been the case in Georgia and Moldavia.
Protesting corruption only happens when government isn't doing enough to stop it. If Vučič is knowingly looking over a corrupt government and doing nothing then maybe he should go away.
Serbian political system shares no similarity with French model. By our constitution, the president only has ceremonial duties, while PM should run the country.
Ja kao gradjanin Srbije mislim da se neradi o tome dali će pasti režim ili ne Svrha svega je da institucije počnu da rade posao i privedu pravdi celu garnituru vlasti i opozicije sa vodjom kriminalnog kartela vučićem i da završe tamo gde im je mesto a to je zatvor. Slava poginulim žrtvama i podrška studentima, njihovim profesorima i narodu. Amin
And You forgot to Mention One Important Issue: Vučić and his Party Members, who are Politically on the Right, and even a Famous Serbian Female Turbofolk Singer Jelena Karleuša - who is mostly Left leaning - have accussed Croatia - it's Politicians and even the Inteligence Service of Croatia - for Organising the Protests, and even sending People from Croatia to Protest in Serbia!
Exactly. What opposition?! I have always found it really depressing how opposition in the Balkans essentially just means constantly calling for new elections. It needs to be built on more.
A brief history reminder for context will never be a full history. I would happily point you to some citations by historians who cover this subject properly.
@ Oh but it was. Conviniently forgetting to mention the role of a NATO a bombing campaign or CIA instigations in a video about people deposing the rulers is like describing a man's death from low blood pressure without mentioning several stab wounds.
@@golmgolm forgotten?? Don't be so silly or naive. This guy is full of (sh)it. He pretends to be friend of Serbia. On contrary, take a look his one-sided history of Serbia. That's (his work here) a crime!
When will you do a video about UK's support of the Milosevic regime in the 90s?Slobodan Milosevic threatened to quote "name the British leaders that helped him at the beginning of his ICTY trial and UK bears some responsibility for the Srebrenica Genocide
It is a bit weird how much this has come from nowhere in a way. Not so many months ago there was fear of the country becoming increasingly galvanised against Kosovo !!
I don`t give a flying f... for Vucic. My problem is that, at the moment, NOBODY from his opponents is worthy enough to replace him. Actual opposition leaders are ``same shit in different package``. Period!
Well, that's true. The opposition is fractured and ineffective. But there is an idea floating around about creating a technocratic government made out of trained professionals who are all experts in their field (transportation, agriculture, economy, trade etc.) I for one, support that idea wholeheartedly.
@@predragpesic5953 You have to know what you want before hand so if Vucic steps down who do you want in power ? because the opposition battles each other at that point.
Are you really so certain of this. Forgive me, but my first reaction is that it sounds VERY cynical - which always works in favor of nationalists who prey on cynicism. You may be right ... But it's always wise to question these thoughts.
@@Robespierre-lI you are right and he is wrong and sorry to be blunt but dumb. No one is as bad as him least of all because they didn't have the time to build their own criminal infrastructure to support them. If they turn out bad, they will be easier to replace and it's better to keep rotating equally bad options than let one fester
Serbian government fell, but the dictator Vučiċ as a president remains in power and continues to exert control over other institutions, legislative, executive and judiciary.
A few corrections: Prime minister resign has not yet been adopted by the parliament, so the government is currently working like nothing happened. Vucevic is still the prime minister and he works in full time. - The role of the government and parliament in Serbia is only fictitious, all decisions are made directly by Vučić. So the story of the resignation of the prime minister should not be pushed, because Vučić will soon form a new government with a new prime minister, even more obedient and irrelevant. (not to repeat that the old one is still officially working). - Vučić is a master of deception, spin, hate speech, targeting opposition members, media abuse, threats to citizens through intelligence services, hearings, beatings, lies and fraud. - For a decade, he has been keeping the people of Serbia in fear of losing their jobs. For example, if you are a private businessman they will send you an inspection to fine you or close the company. If you say something publicly against the government, tomorrow you will receive the most terrible falsehoods and targeting by the state media, threats of beatings by parastatal beaters, etc. - The main success of these protests is that the people of Serbia have been freed from fear, Vučić and his lies have been unmasked and there can be no return to the old ways. Wizard of Oz tricks no longer scare anyone.
We can talk all day about causes like philosophical, historical, political and other perspectives or unfortunate deaths by that roof collapse etc... But at the end of the day, the fact that prices of basic commodities like food, home chemicals and other basic stuff have at minimum doubled in the last year and its now even higher than in the Germany and most of the Europe. Is the bottom line that shows that this government is not able or unwilling to do its primary job. To make life of its citizens BETTER and not worse. So, what is the point of having government ... if it folds to this cartel of biggest retail merchants. I would understand if it's some sort of military industrial complex that puppeteers government like in USA, but pesky Balkan RETAIL Merchans... it's pathetic.
Over the past few months, Serbia has been facing mass protests. But while this has seen the prime minister resign, the country’s president, Aleksandar Vucic, shows no sign of stepping down. So, what do you think? Should he stay or should he go? Are these protests the beginning of a more significant movement that will eventually force him from office? Or will he find a way to maintain control? As ever, let me know in the comments below.
@@JamesKerLindsay He absolutely has to go. He’s implicated into the most corrupted and criminal government deals in Serbia.
Why would he go? According to the Constitution he has a 5 year mandate, it would be illegal to seize Presidential power. Plus he has 50% +1 support all the time (more like 65-70% even).
The PM resigned due to pressure from the President Vucic because he was not willing to explain the position of the government to "every fool". So Vucic does not see him as willing to represent the parliament. Vucic party still has a big majority in Parliament so his offer for election comes from the place of security and not to from the place of Vucic or his party in crisis.
Students protest because they are young and easy to move on rebellious actions. No matter who the government is, students in Serbia will be against it. Weak political opposition adds fuel to the fire because they can win 3% on democratic elections and unless they get into power through the street (like with Milosevic) there would be no power for them.
Foreign secret services as usual have their hands in this unrest. The previous WH establishment did not like Vucic so this was their parting gift. Once Trump gets the CIA on leash, protests will die out.
My comment got deleted for some reason... Hmmm... In short no, not a chance.
Some of the video footage of the protest you've used are quite a sight.
I've been hoping for a turning point in Serbian politics for a while. I don't know if the region can truly emerge from its doldrums without it. Serbian nationalists do, after all, have a major role to play in the failures of the awkward Bosnian government. Kosovo probably can't be resolved without a drop in nationalist agitators (albeit likely on both sides.)
And the longer the region delays resolution of its various issues, the more vulnerable it will remain to Chinese and Russian meddling.
Of course Vucic should go. It doesn't need to look like the Bucharest in 1989, but Serbia needs a cultural and political "reset" to finally begin moving out of the 1990s mindset which has plagued them.
I am reminded of the turning point in post-war West Germany in the 1960s when younger Germans began to speak out Nazism, calling out the crimes of former Nazis who somehow were working in government in Bonn.
I don't think he will leave
One mistake was made in the video about the 80km journey - it was from Belgrade to Novi Sad and not the other way around stated in video. Beside that good look into wth is going on in Serbia.
One of the crucial flaws with this regime that is the installed system of party affiliates. The regime set up a system of people that "join" the party and enjoy unearned job positions, money compensations and sometimes escaping the consequences of law breaking. People finish the college required for a position only to be met with the fact that they wont get the job if they dont join the party. Then when they join, they are required to work in call centers to promote the party and come to party organised meetings or counter protests so the president could simulate having popular support. This particular issue is very closely related to the railway station incident because people blame it on the lack of professional expertise due to party affiliate favouritism.
Thanks so much. I completely agree. This is a point that I always raise.mAnd it isn’t just this government. It has been a terrible feature of Serbian politics for as long as I can remember. So many state enterprises are overseen and run by people who are completely unqualified. This patronage system really needs to be stopped. It does huge damage to the country.
This is just literally not true though. What am I even supposed to say when you just say a lie
@@andrejparunovic of course it's true 🤣🤣
Exactly, the company without any professional credibility in field which renovated canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad had previous experience in carpet cleaning, which is ridiculous - for example Serbian company together with Croatian counterpart had build Krk Bridge in 1980 which held record for longest concrete arch in world for almost two decades, quite frankly Serbia today is surpassing African levels of corruption and negligence.
@@FlyingDutchman-j5w And what was the name of that carpet cleaning company? Are you saying that they used pressure washers for carpets to renovate the canopy? Do you not understand how outrageous this claim is? Does the same carpet cleaning company have equipment for lifting cement blocks? Where did they as a carpet cleaning company get their equipment from to renovate the canopy?
You have no idea how much this means to me and many others 👏 we are desperate for change and end to corruption. And we need others to see what has been going on here for the last 13 years! Thank you for talking about this 🙏
Thanks. I know that many Serbs think that I am opposed to the country because of my views on Kosovo (which are actually rather different from mainstream Western positions). However, I know Serbia very well indeed and have spent a lot of time there - near Novi Sad, as it happens. I really and truly want to see it do well.
For last 40 years actually. Same criminals are in power
@@felmaiden1094 100% true
@JamesKerLindsay As a proposer of this topic on your channel, I have two major complaints. One debatable Western point is whether the Kosovo War of 1998-99 was a continuation of the Yugoslav Wars. While it could be argued that political inertia played a role, this is inaccurate; there is no connection between the Kosovar independence movement and the wars in Bosnia and Croatia. The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA, UÇK) was, until then, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
My second complaint is that student protesters aim not to explicitly topple the government, but to force institutions to function, which might lead to that outcome if the government is found guilty. The president is not accountable or responsible for internal affairs and is therefore not the focus of these protests.
Sorry you mean in last 35 years since Yugoslavia gone?It was the same bfore Vucic too...
Im Albanian , all i can say is i hope this government change this need to happen in albanian to , and i hope one day we can live in peace between each other
Peace ☮️
Albania only really needs to fight the corruption caused by your government getting entangled with criminal gangs. Your country is already doing much better than under Hoxha. All of Europe wants you to prosper and most EU party coalitions are ready to help your economy and nation grow.
But you must fight to fix this one large underlying problem. It's not easy. But it's essential.
Косово је Србија. Кад ослободимо целу земљу, тек се онда може причати о мир. Поздрав
we you, never!!
@@yellowwasprakija2869 Dardania eshtë e Shqiperisë 🇦🇱🇽🇰❤️
Hey there. As a Serbian, I fully agree with what you are saying. Peace to you, as well ❤❤
The Prime Minister Vučević hasn't resigned officially. His resignation was a TV spectacle designed to show SNS fans that concessions were made. Ministers who have resigned though escaped to Trieste, Italy.
Absolutely brilliant video. Thank you so much Prof.
Your channel is brilliant at bringing what the news media relegaetes to "minor" stories to the forefront.
Thank you so much! This was another one of those videos I had long wanted to make. The modern political history of Serbia is fascinating. I have followed it for many years.
From Belgrade, pretty unbiased and well reasoned coverage
Can totally agree. One of the best videos on youtube on this topic.
Pozdrav iz Pirota!
I didn't manage to get here before Serbs lmao
You are not fast enough.
Thank you professor! A masterclass in summing things up in a very watchable and clear manner.
So glad you did a video on Serbia
Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. I've wanted to make a video on Serbia's modern political history for years. It's a subject I have followed closely for a long time.
Trump says he wants to make the MAGA Strip with Netanyahu, and you post your weekly Friday video on Serbia?
Thank you, James. Most people would have chased the clicks for money. I appreciate your integrity and insight into Belgrade
MAGA is America first and less conflicts around the world.
Thanks. I actually posted a comment on this on my community tab to say that I wouldn't be doing a video on it. I don't think anyone needs me to explain why it amounts to ethnic cleansing. I will certainly cover Trump's activities. But I do want to focus on areas where I can add something. The threats against Canada and Mexico were a great opportunity to explore international trade. I have a couple of others in mind. But I don't want to just chase the clicks.
@@bilic8094says the guy that want to annex canada, mexico, greenland, panama, gaza, and start trade wars with half the world
Let‘s pray 🙏🏻 for a free, fair and peaceful Serbia. A long way to go…
We are already there. Notice that our Professor K. never said that Serbia isn't free, only that there are allegations (not any tangible evidence) of authoritarianism. Such protests are not allowed in a county that isn't free. Think about it
Might be possible without the intervention of a very big and nosy neighbor... which is science fiction.
Thank you 🙏. (Don't listen to @andrejparunovic, he seems to be a Vucic-bot)
We will be free once west gets out of our business and out of our country
Amazing overview, objectively briefed the story, and pointed key objectives, as someone stated in the comments before me, only error was that student march was from Belgrade to Novi Sad.
Two things that you should know, and that have missed to point out.
First is that this is the first mass protest that is not being led by any political party or political organisation.
Second point is that this is the most peaceful protest in modern Serbian history.
Great video! I’m a South African, but I’d appreciate if you could do a video on the situation in Mozambique! It’s similar to the Serbian situation in many ways.
But Vucic is Western man, he is not some kind of 100% pro Russian or Chinese even if he's trying to represent himself as neutral and friend with everyone. West will not support any kind of revolution bring down man who work mostly for them, as Serb i think that way...
Vucic is 100% pro-Russian. Ask him to deny that if you don’t believe it.
I am Serbian, too. And while I get what you are saying, I would add that Vucic is neither pro-East, nor is he pro-West. He is simply pro-Vucic. By that point I think it is obvious to anyone that he has outlived his purpose. And as someone who used to guarantee stability in the region, he is no longer delivering. So there is gonna come a day when the collective West will turn their back on him.
@@predragpesic5953 Maybe but West is now looking more East towards Ukraine and Serbia is already under their foot and will be in future for sure. They all find Serbia as theirs already since we are dependent on them for everything and surrounded by EU and Nato nations. It's a done deal sooner or later... Russia does not have power to take us in any of their alliances and Chinas i still far away.
Totally true.
There are a lot of idiots with zero understanding who think like that. Would you also claim that Orban is a Putin puppet? Of course not. It's only Vucic who is a puppet simply because some leftard with low intelligence told you so.
I live here, and trust me, it's not the people who were dissatisfied only with the democratic party, I mean those same people are dissatisfied with SNS too - it's that the democratic party didn't want to work on making Kosovo independent, Boris Tadić, the president back then, refused. So, all political parties were called to Berlin, including my uncle who was in the democratic party, where they wanted to find and put into power a party which will work on it, but also work on Western interests such as Rio Tinto mining lithium for German electric cars among other things, and Gazivode being given to the US. Most political parties were super enthusastic to accept this deal, but SNS was chosen, mafia gave them money after their investing into Čedomir Jovanović didn't work out, and they started slowly but surely working not only on Western interests, but Russian and Chinese too, as they became deeply involved in crime and were blackmailed by security agencies from all sides to work in their favor for the detriment of Serbia, or all the video and audio evidence against SNS and Vučič go public. My uncle after that left politics in pure disgust, leaving the democratic party, after seeing how Berlin put the party in Serbia into power together with the US and French intelligence agencies. There was even a prominent figure, I can't remember who it was, some prominent politian from Belgium (could be wrong here) congratulated SNS for winning the election....while the election lasted! Then intelligence services quickly told him to delete his tweet on twitter after he realized his mistake, guy didn't even know the elections were going on right then, he just knew who's gonna be the next player to rule Serbia. SNS slowly made this society more corrupted and dictatorial, and after yet another 2794th scandal in a row, students had enough after 15 people died from their personel with bought diplomas building a building which collapsed, and took to the streets. The protests grew in size and here we are.
Yeah, they were planning already 20 years ago that there will be electric vehicles and that lithium was about to be mined in Serbia for battery production in 2027. Go home. You are under total delusions
Thank you prof. James! As a Serb following the international reaction to our protests, I can confidently say that this is the ONLY treatment of the topic that doesn't portray us Serbs as this unruly mass of emotional protesters who don't like our stern but fair father Aleksandar Vučić. Thank you for providing us the dignity of actually explaining who Vučić is, why he is hated here and not reducing it to "Oh they want to join the EU / BRICS". That's super important! For well-meaning foreigners who want to further understand why Vučić is so hated here, please Google "Vucic Belivuk New York Times" for an NYT article about Vučić's criminal collaborator who (get this) fuckimg ATE PEOPLE. He is just the public face of a cartel, an ordinary mafioso, a kingpin. The EU love him bcs interrupting the drug trade that moves through Serbia would cause a spike in organized crime in their liberal paradises, and that's a death sentence for Schengen.
Let us hope we will end this corrupted government!
Nice video, Prof! There are some points that should‘ve been pointed out as well, such as protests occuring in small towns all over Serbia, not just the bigger cities (which can be regarded as an indicator for the protests’ power and overall trend of rising, rather than stagnating). People simply dont fear the governments oppression and threats (losing jobs if supporting the students for example) anymore. This layer of ice has been broken and one can definitely feel the regimes tension and increased fear of losing power. Cheers.
Thank you for this wonderful analysis of our current situation. It means a great deal to us.
The Serbian people have endured these corrupt criminals for far too long.
Now our anger has finally erupted, and nothing‘s going to stop it.
Ha ha ha. Believe me, we will stop you.
9:54 - Students marched from Belgrade to Novi Sad, not from Novi Sad to Belgrade.
This is the most objective video I've seen on this topic and about Serbia in general. Presenting facts without sensationalism or fearmongering is so hard to find. I subscribed and will watch your other videos because I feel I can actually trust the information you are providing. You got the history part completely right and you explained it well. You didn't insert any politics in the topic and I really like that, unlike some who said that the protests will cause a war in the Balkans and that they should fail. Which couldn't be more far from the truth because most ex-Yu nations are protesting at the moment and are supporting each other in it. As someone has already mentioned the student's walked from Belgrade to Novi Sad. This was to commemorate 3 months since the accident in Novi Sad and to protest together with the people from Novi Sad.
Great video!
First, telling Serbian history (especialy 90es) without ofending anyone too much is really something! Bravo!
Second, you managet to tell what is going on and the perspecives for the future much better than many Serbian analyst!
Well done!
Odlicna analiza, ja sam iz Srbije, i slazem se u potpunosti, hvala vam na iscrpnoj i tacnoj analizi
Thanks for another great and informative video! I'm wondering, have you ever considered releasing your videos in an audio form, like a podcast? Right now one of my favourite ways to relax is go for a walk and listen to podcasts talking about geopolitics and it would be really nice to enjoy your content this way too. Looking forward to the next video! Greetings from Germany. :)
I think the Serbian government will fall, and all I can hope for is that the Serbian people get a leader that supports them and their interests. Also, the President shouldn't underestimate the power and voice of students as just last year Bangladesh student protests forced Sheikh Hasina out. Another fascinating video, Professor James.
As a Serbian, thank you for this well informed and unbiased video, it really means a lot!
I would be the happiest man if he falls. People have had enough of him and his incompetent yes-men. He is not only the president but also the prime minister and the minister of everything. Institutions have degraded so much that, at this point, he is the only one deciding everything. He learned nothing from Tadic.
This is like the fistt ever objective description of Serbia I have ever heard... great job
Thank you. I have spent a lot of time in Serbia and followed the country for many years. I genuinely want to see it do well.
Hello, professor, thank you very much for presenting an unbiased view of the situation, as always. A few corrections and points I'd like to make:
1) The student march was in the direction from Belgrade to Novi Sad. While key intersections were blocked, no parts of the highway were blocked, as this is, to my knowledge, a criminal offense. Highway blockades were avoided during the blockade of the highly important Autokomanda intersection in Belgrade, which lies above the highway going through Belgrade.
2) In mentioning corruption regarding the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station, I feel you've left out the role of local subcontractors. According to some more recent reports, *they* were the ones who did most of the shoddy work, *not* the Chinese contractor themselves. However, they still acted as an ideal partner for the government when it came to enabling this corruption.
3) I feel like you've downplayed the rather seismic importance of these protests, though I assume this is not on purpose. You said that the narrative of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is that there is little discontent outside of the urban centres of Novi Sad and Belgrade, yet the size of protests precisely *outside* of these two cities show that we are witnessing an explosion of discontent at an extreme level. This was already evident during the summer of 2024, when we had large scale protests in many cities and town opposing the opening of lithium mines by the Anglo-Australian consortium Rio Tinto, with most of central and western Serbia experiencing protests for the first time in decades, maybe ever. These new protests are a continuation of the previous discontent, additionally powered by the tragic fall of the NS station canopy - we're seeing public protests and blockades in very small towns and cities. Additionally, as of late January we've had the first objective reports on the student-led protests on the national TV station RTS, something we haven't had in years.
4) Finally, I think what the viewer can't gather from this video is that the popularity of Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) don't go hand in hand. While the two are certainly linked, the Serbian Progressive Party consistently polls at least 10% less than Vučić, whatever his rating may be. This is in part due to SNS' coalition partners backing Vučić, but it is also down to the fact that SNS is viewed as a party of grifters and goons by non-members (and some forced members, of course). Vučić is sometimes conceived by parts of the public as being "a good president with evil lackeys", and this is evident in the latest moves taken by Vučić and the higher SNS cadre: they are trying to create a rebrand of SNS by forming the 'Movement for the People and State', ostensibly to clean up SNS ranks of corruption. We have, however, seen a similar situation in the past, with the Yugoslav Left (JUL) and the Milošević's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). The panic in the higher echelons of SNS is pretty obvious, as the president has now started a tour of rural areas to try and garner support, while absolutely avoiding any and all urban areas where he might be heckled.
I understand that the video format might not permit most of this information to be conveyed, but I felt compelled to give some more information. Of course, it's pretty obvious that I am pro-protest here, so my attitudes should be taken with a grain of salt. :)
Some corrections to this otherwise good analysis:
1. Slobodan Milošević never presented himself as Serbian nationalist, he called himself a socialist. The truth is that, just like his successor Vučić, he actually had no ideology, he was an opportunistic populist and a fraud.
2. Bombing actually prolonged Milošević's rule. We were ready to topple his regime in 1999, we basically destabilized it in 1996.
3. Murders in Novi Sad are not the only deaths connected to SNS corruption. We had mass shootings, traffic accidents, criminal executions, and fatal beatings that directly implicate mismanagement of government resources.
4. Protests that students started are neither political nor anti-corruption. There are 4 simple demands that can easily be summed into one. For institutions to start doing their jobs. Because Vučić is interfering in the functioning of the judicial branch of government he has no authority over.
Lastly, not a correction, but an addendum. Last week we went to Novi Sad, I have bronchitis to prove it, and the next week we are going to Kragujevac. Support for student protests can not grow, basically, the only ones that do not support students are his corrupt propaganda and oppression apparatus, people who profit from his corrupt rule, and even the police and the military are more and more openly supporting students. The question is, why doesn't he relent and fulfill student demands? The answer is that corruption that led to deaths is directly connected to the top people in his regime and, if they fall, they will happily become protected witnesses, thus he knows that if he relents he will spend the rest of his life in prison. That is what happens when you base your political party on interests instead of ideas...
We should all know that Macron is Vucic’ best friend in therms or investment that he put into doing his business in Serbia. Vucic is supported by Europe otherwise students would already succeed with their requests.
No because USAID is gone so no more money for the opposition 😂
Good analysis Jemes, an excellent job explaining the complexity of Serbia's political history in such a short timespan. Despite mentioning it, you should have put a bigger emphasis on the support of the EU and US which Vucic's regime has had because of his cooperative stance towards Kosovo's independence. By the way, believe me it's so over for him!😉
Thanks. Not easy to weave it all together, but I hope I got the main issues across. I’ll be watching to see what happens. But if Vucic does go, who replaces him?
Balkan region really is built different 😭
it is, unique down to it's gene's.
@@MegaBexon It's in our jeans. Divided with borders united in mentality.
@@sjoormen1 I'm wearing tracksuits
This is not about prejudice, but about historical facts. I believe in your good intentions for the entire region and I respect your desire for a balanced approach and I am sorry that I did not emphasize this earlier. I am even more sorry that you overlooked the essence of the comment: we in the Balkans are primarily to blame for all our misfortunes, and "you" were helping to solve the problems in, let's say, the universal interest. If you had collectively understood the misfortune in the Balkans, the catastrophe in Ukraine would not have happened. And as far as I can see, this is clear to many reputable people in the West now, but too late for over a million people. Resolving a crisis can be under pressure and in the universal interest, and therefore unfair to the maximalist demands of the parties to the conflict. But when this ratio is set at 95% to 5%, then it leads the dissatisfied party to autochauvinism out of impotence or to a new war out of power. And the majority party in such a relationship rightly expects 100% fulfillment of its interests. Once again, I would be very happy if we all had the strength to rise above narrow national interests, but when an overseas country has a national interest in the territory of another sovereign country, then it looks absurd. That absurdity and anomaly of the 90s was accepted as normality, which is now manifested as a constant throughout the world. Making analyses without taking into account, for example, such facts is fruitless. The fruits must be justice, democracy and reconciliation, and when this is not the case, the history of misfortunes repeats itself, which is mostly the case. I sincerely want to believe in your good intentions and expertise, and I do not think that you are consciously part of the Western ideology of hegemony, but only that you are constrained by its narrative. I hope that in your future analyses you will delve into the essence of the conflict between peoples, politics, religions, value systems. This essence is seemingly irreconcilable and ranges from the struggle for survival to hegemony. From survival to the seizure of territories and resources. It is a terrible world in which we live. But the solution lies in a fifty-fifty balance, and this is starting to happen in the world, although I am not optimistic.
I think this report has been done very objectively so I think you did a really god job. I do hope there will be profound change and the system will begin to work for the people and not against them. Corruption kills.
This is the truth about the situation in Serbia. Vučić is the most ordinary autocrat and dictator, and he should fall from power. He is by far the worst and most insidious person in the history of Serbia. Vučić was first a member of the SRS, anti-EU, ultra-nationalist and the third man in that party. He was an MP at 23 and a minister at 28, and did nothing else but politics. And then in 2008 he suddenly tried to stage a coup, and then left that party together with the second man in that party, Tomislav Nikolić. He soon formed the pro-EU party SNS with the help of the then government, state security services, tycoons and Western embassies. In 2012, in a coalition with the SPS (Milošević's party), he formed a government. Then, as vice president and "coordinator of all services", he committed fraud and "diversion". He ordered the "arrest" of some former ministers and tycoons, with the aim of gaining popular support, putting domestic media under control and intimidating the rich and tycoons not to donate to the opposition. Only to him. and from 2014 he gets an absolute majority and starts terror.
And the USA was created with more violence than that. Clearly you don't undestand power. You are clearly confused because you think that building government is something innocent like building a church. Do you not understand that you must take power? That is what people with conviction do. Likewise investors. You don't beg on your knees for market share, you take it when the opportunity presents itself.
Is this hard?
People like you are so incompetent. Big mouth. Zero understanding.
All problems in Serbia were always caused by West since breakup of Yugoslavia to nowdays....West couldnt stand to have such strong military and economic country as Yugoslavia was...
Well James it seems the mainstream legacy media doesn't care...but its interesting to known where this is all heading..
What? It's been consistently on mainstream news in NL
The EU urgently requires similar protests, as the level of corruption here rivals that of this nation. Thank you.
Students don't want to change the government. They want to change the system !
As per usual, an excellent analysis. And I love that you pointed out how there are basically crickets coming from both the US and the EU. Just like you said, they prefer stability over democracy, and for over 10 years they have been turning a blind eye to mass corruption, nepotism, cronyism and a brutal crackdown on the free press, all of which has become a staple of the Vucic regime. And that is why anyone from Serbia, myself included, truly appreciates any support that we can get in spreading awareness of what has been going on for the past 3 months.
As for your questions regarding Vucic's fate, he absolutely has to go. The guy sold our country to the lowest bidder, and is now dismantling it piece by piece. Besides the lithium excavation plans that you mentioned, the regime is also making shady deals with Jared Kushner of all people. As for the protests, there are currently no indications that this movement is going to stop anytime soon. If anything, it is just getting bigger and bigger, with people from all walks of life joining every day. There are also evening protests and vigils happening every day, inside individual city districts, as well as in small towns and villages. Again, thank you for giving this the time of day. And for anyone reading, feel free to like and share. Cheers from Serbia. ❤❤❤❤
You can’t have stability in a country that harbor the war criminals and terrorists. Failure of EU to understand that could be the sign of its downfall.
And Dragan Solak, the owner of the leftist media N1/Nova has Hunter Biden as associate. Why are you not mentioning that?
Kushner's investments are designed to drive business via the new link between Hungary and Serbia. This is like economics 101. But it's more important to spin some BS "shady deals" narrative for people like you - what's wrong with you? You don't want to people to have a job?
Serbia is one of the last countries in Europe where real estate investments are seen in a negative light. And it's always some BS reason "oh that's the building NATO bombed". So what?
Keep that same attitude going and these 12 years of revival will just be a hickup on the way down to the gutter once again.
How would you feel about moving that You-Tube plaque out of shot? While I am sure you are proud of the work you've put in, many of us would not consider a plaudit from that company to be something to be proud of. Your work speaks for itself.
thank you
Hello Professor Ker-Lindsay thanks for another very informative video. What,s your take on how Russia and the EU view events in Serbia, given its current status as an EU applicant?
I visited both Belgrade and Novi Sad back in 2009 or 2010 and a lot of infrastructure did seem quite dilapidated.. sad to hear the improvements since can't be relied upon because of corruption.
Thank you for covering this. Serbia is desperate for a just change from within due to certain population believe that only 'a strong leader' can push country forward to a better future. Such leaders by default are autocrats/dictators (at least in Serbia) and these people do not consider it as a problem. They adore such leader to the level of cult and when tragedy happens like this one in Novi Sad, they are willing by themselves to turn the blind eye in style 'oh it happens'. Serbian population always knew that they inflate the prices of these capital investments so any excess inflated value goes to the corrupted officials especially the president. But now, it started to kill people and people had enough.
I could not bear the immense injustice and corruption that happens in Serbia daily so I have left the country and live in the EU. Now that I face a discrimination from locals, I am torn between going back home and staying here. These protests give me a slither of hope that demands of students, which are cleverly made, will reveal involvement of the officials and prosecute them.
KOSOVO IS SERBIA . AMIN.
Thing is that we don't necessarily want a regime change. We just want a system that works as it was supposed to, because it wasn't working well for decades,no matter who is the president.
Despite this,our president became the association with the system and changing one means changing both.
Great video, thanks for keeping us upto date 🙏🏾
Can you please cover Bangladesh and Phillipines
RESPEKT . OBJEKTIVT ..
I hope so to get him out of there
We know who pays them. You know it too. Those are just children knowing nothing.
I just hope this wont end up in blood. Him leaving office is not even a question, the problem is him going to jail for corruption.
This was a Very Good Video by You! The only thing that was "Difficult" for me was the incorrect Pronounciation of Places and Personal Names. Other then that, Great and Interesting Video!
Could You make a Simmilar Video about Hungary: a Politician Magyar Péter is causing Shockwaves in Hungary! It is Possible in the next Parliamentary Elections Orbán Viktor will lose a lot of Seats to him! And now there is a Story that Orbán forbade the Countries Institutions zo Finance the Capital of Hungary - Budapest - just becouse the Head Mayor of Budapest - Karácsony Gergely - is a Left-wing and Liberal Politician; what in turn could force Budapest into Bankruptcy! Please, make a Video about it! Thank You!
Hey. You'll never find a professor of international relations who manages to learn every language in every world region he discusses. And you probably are aware that resources for foreign learners of Serbian are not exactly plentiful. (Something else we can blame the 1990s for ... A drop in interest in learning the language.)
I've heard MUCH worse attempts at pronouncing Slavic names by native English speakers. Have you ever watched an Englishman try to pronounce Polish? It is comedy gold.
@Robespierre-lI OK. But it's not that hard to find Materials for Slavic Languages! It's harder to find them for Hungarian, and even for Basque! Those are the 2 Languages I'm currently learning! On Basque there 8sn't apmost amy in English, and on German it's even more difficult to find any Resources about Basque! I found more Resourves on both English and German about Coptic Language then about Basque!
And the Topic of Serbian Prounciation is the lesser Point I was making: the Main Point was the Situation in Hungary! That is a Video I wamt to see!
thank you professor
And thank you! I hope all is well at your end.
Vučić was also preacher of nationalist hatred and of greater serbia project which caused wars in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia in 90's. He escaped Hague only because Šešelj, his fellow who during 90's preached butchering of croats with rusted spoon, was nominally above him in his party
War wasn't Serbia's project, wtf? 😅 These other countries wanted out of Yugoslavia and fired on Yugo army, under which rock are you living?
Popular protests are common occurance in democracies. In Serbia, massive protests happen every year. They are challenge to the government and reminder of accountability. It is unclear why foreign commentators always make such a fuss about it.
In this particular case, not only has the government resigned and offered snap elections, but President Vucic himself offered a referendum on his leadership, thus enabling to by-pass the otherwise complicated procedure of impeachment.
The opposition, knowing that the ruling party is still quite a bit more popular, refused the offer and tried to build up support on the streets, instead. While the students want accountability, the opposition is trying to piggyback on their protest calling for unconstitutional change of the regime. Remarkably, the students have so faru refused to help the opposition seize the power. As for the public support, there is quite a difference between demanding accountability and voting. The Serbian opposition consists of uninspiring individuals without much to show in their biographies and, more notably, lacks vision and political ideas. It makes President Vucic’s job of defeating them easy.
Thanks for this comment. Finally somebody who put it there properly. Well done.
@ Thanks. There is of course, more to it, but neither the politicians nor the commentators bother to analyze and understand politics beyond interpersonal level, and view it as a function of social and geopolitical forces at play. Vucic seems to be a rare exception, which, at least in part, explains his success.
The march was from Belgrade to Novi Sad.
Indeed, I don’t know why I reversed it. Sorry.
@@JamesKerLindsay Sometimes the brain connects the dots automatically :) Your statement would make more sense..going after Vucic where his office is.
@@alija83 I wonder why they went the other way. There's probably a practical reason for this, but without knowing what that is, there's something vaguely ironic about this.
Bulgarians shake their head up-and-down for No and side-to-side for yes. Perhaps Serbians confront their leaders by marching away from them, instead of towards them.
😂
The colapse happened in Novi Sad. People there have arranged daily protests until those responsible are processed. The march was a gesture of support from students of Belgrade to people of Novi Sad. These protests are not only political. They probably won't stop even after the fall of Vučić. Serbia have no capable opposition. So entire political landscape is in the question!
9:20 Chinese did not put a single brick but numerous sub sub sub -contractors. Friends of you know who.
Kepp in mind, the PM's resignation was bait to get the protests to disperse. The parliament session that needs to accept his resignation has been scheduled for march. So before that date, the government is still in full effect and they are using whatever time they have to pass as many controversial laws an contracts before the resignation is ratified. This is extremely problematic with the Rio Tinto lithium mining thats an ecological timebomb as it was repeatedly confirmed by experts that its effect on the environment will be utterly devastating and the EXPO 2027 which is managed by a government entity that operates outside all laws and norms so it's easier for them to steal billions through it without having to expose the contracts to the public.
It's now or never for Serbia essentially.
Brilliant reporting and support for academia. We must understand how unique these events in Serbia are, probably something World hasn't seen anything like it since Vietnam. The protesters are from elementary schoolers to students how does one manages to block and anger entire academia is beyond me.Horible man 😢once again great reporting thank you professor.
James, great topic to cover, and a country that has been forgotten about. But a point of much deeper point of examination should be the role China (CCP) has been having in Serbia and the pipeline of cash is has been directing towards political elites in Serbia, thus fueling corruption in Serbia.
Good point. From my understanding, Serbia is a part of the Chinese project known as the Belts & Roads Initiative, which is exactly how that railway station was reconstructed. Too many subcontractors, shoddy work, budget bloated six times of the originally estimated value. And in the end, it collapsed. Tofu concrete syndrome, basically.
@@predragpesic5953 So it is tofu concrete in Novi Sad while it is Dubai concrete in Belgrade?
@ Yeah, I mean it could be. I am not an expert in cement mixing. 🙂🙂 But it is obvious that something went horribly wrong during the renovation of that train station in NS.
He made party state ,SNS has 700 000 members on 6.5 milions people while Yugoslavia had 400 000 communist party members at its peak on 23 milion people. People call them sect and not a party ,they took over and gived everything for them self ,like now they own half off Belgrade .He also known to work with criminals with then enjoy his protection.
They also give everything they want to people from EU,USA ,Russia ,China so they support him .SO now you have that in time off biggest protest in Belgrade since 2000 in same time ambassadors off USA and RUssia step out and support Vucic,where in the world you see that.
Even EU support him because he promise Lithium mine only for them even 95% off people oppose it ,also he channels weapons to Ukraine to have support from EU.
Only real support student were given from neighboring countries off ex Yugoslavia like Slovenia and Croatia
Haha you fool. If SNS has 700k members in a population of 6,5m while commies had 400k members in a population of 23m - that pretty much gives away what people think about communism.
Nice try and nice attempt. You just made a fool of yourself. But I'm not surprised. You commies are known to be irrational so.....
Yugoslavia had potential to become superpower if remained.
@@redlizard865 Too much corruption nowadays in all ex yugo countries. One of the best things about Yugoslavia, well by people who of my family lived back then during those times. Said that corruption was cracked down on. I mean there was corruption but it wasnt big and couldnt get big.
@ I'm from Serbia corruption existed during Yugoslavia and party privilege also existed but what was different for other socialist\communist countries is that Yugoslavia strived for greatness and it was respected by both East and West. Tito was dictator but never lied like Vučić does.
@@redlizard865 There was a corruption but it was laughable compare to now and naïve .
The government has allready fallen.
Milosevic best president serbia ever had
We just want to live like people from Western Europe
In order to live like Europe you must share European values. What about supporting russia?
@მეწამულიბადრიჯანიthey should also have the visas for Russia and China.
How low can they fall?
It already has
James can you do an analysis on NATO bombing whether it was the only option or not and how its effective was it.. and has it been a rope around NATO neck ever since...
Great suggestion. I have in fact been thinking a lot about this recently. I think that this is a topic that should be discussed. But also Serbia needs to learn to move beyond 1999.
@JamesKerLindsay Thx and agree..but Scotland 🏴 can't move on as nearly half want independence so it's unfortunately understandable..the human condition!!😂
Yes. I've noticed this often gets brought up in the comments in videos about the Balkans, frequently with lots of Evil Empire type vitriol. I'd like to hear the story behind it, and why or if it's still relevant today.
In balkan corruption start from the people themself first and after they cry the system is corrupted .... what a joke in this country..... if you have the good relationship you will get faster to doctor .... teacher .... builder .... major od city etc etc ...AND Dont forget to bring some present like coffe or rakija or chocolat 🎉🎉🎉🎉
This is maybe 1% of things that happened.
Thank you so much for the video. As always you are highly informed and express as close to an unbiased view as possible.
I would just like to highlight that the student demands are that the public prosecutor does their job and find the people responsible for the deaths of 15 people (and two severely injured), and that the responsible government body publishes all the construction and financial documentation regarding the railway station reconstruction. The government is still, even after three months since the tragedy, failing to share the complete documents. The students are not protesting to overthrow the government nor the president.
Keep up the amazing work in informing the people.
Support for peace and democracy to my fellow students in Serbia. I am amazed by their will and organization. Respect from Kosova.
🇽🇰✌
Kosovo is Serbian
Kosovo is Serbian land🇷🇸,just bc we are against Vucic it doesnt mean we recognize part of our territory to become independent
@@lukamaksic882 It's no longer Serbian and the chances of it ever being so again are zero. Move on.
@bigducky11 First i am glad you admit it was Serbian before,thats the first step in recognizing where Kosovo actually belongs. And you know what they say? Never say never. We dont need to move on,bc it is Serbian land. Why would we let foreign powers and invaders take away our territory?
You look like his brother Andrej Vučić 😅
One thing that disappoints us, opponents of Vučić, is EU's silence over his growing authoritarianism and violations of law in order to keep himself in power. This is why in the ongoing protests you won't see anyone waving EU flags, like it's been the case in Georgia and Moldavia.
Did you expect anything else from the EU other than to be against Serbia? They are clearly anti-Serbian, hence they created and are supporting Vucic.
Protesting corruption only happens when government isn't doing enough to stop it. If Vučič is knowingly looking over a corrupt government and doing nothing then maybe he should go away.
I don't think Milosevic ever lost the election. I could be wrong though.
Serbian political system shares no similarity with French model. By our constitution, the president only has ceremonial duties, while PM should run the country.
Do not warry. Our President will not fall. Majority of Serbian people support him. Me too. Zivela Srbija.
@@draganst5247 Is he a good President?
Ja kao gradjanin Srbije mislim da se neradi o tome dali će pasti režim ili ne
Svrha svega je da institucije počnu da rade posao i privedu pravdi celu garnituru vlasti i opozicije sa vodjom kriminalnog kartela vučićem i da završe tamo gde im je mesto a to je zatvor. Slava poginulim žrtvama i podrška studentima, njihovim profesorima i narodu. Amin
And You forgot to Mention One Important Issue: Vučić and his Party Members, who are Politically on the Right, and even a Famous Serbian Female Turbofolk Singer Jelena Karleuša - who is mostly Left leaning - have accussed Croatia - it's Politicians and even the Inteligence Service of Croatia - for Organising the Protests, and even sending People from Croatia to Protest in Serbia!
If I were to be a betting man, I would say we are now in '97 and he still has 3 more years before pressure cooker explodes
I'm not sure the protesters know what they want they might not like vucic but the political opposition in Serbia is horrible.
Exactly. What opposition?! I have always found it really depressing how opposition in the Balkans essentially just means constantly calling for new elections. It needs to be built on more.
talk about how the people of Vojvodina is wanting to break out pf Serbia, and Vucic threatning then
Professor, I think it's unfair to omit the role of NATO bombings in Milosevic's downfall.
A brief history reminder for context will never be a full history. I would happily point you to some citations by historians who cover this subject properly.
It wasn't crucial for his fall.
@ Oh but it was. Conviniently forgetting to mention the role of a NATO a bombing campaign or CIA instigations in a video about people deposing the rulers is like describing a man's death from low blood pressure without mentioning several stab wounds.
Professor??? This thug is as biased as it gets, against Serbs and Serbia, of course. That's his mission in this video.
@@golmgolm forgotten?? Don't be so silly or naive. This guy is full of (sh)it. He pretends to be friend of Serbia. On contrary, take a look his one-sided history of Serbia. That's (his work here) a crime!
When will you do a video about UK's support of the Milosevic regime in the 90s?Slobodan Milosevic threatened to quote "name the British leaders that helped him at the beginning of his ICTY trial and UK bears some responsibility for the Srebrenica Genocide
@2:22 awesome map
. . . .voluntarily without armed conflict.. . .
It is a bit weird how much this has come from nowhere in a way. Not so many months ago there was fear of the country becoming increasingly galvanised against Kosovo !!
I don`t give a flying f... for Vucic.
My problem is that, at the moment, NOBODY from his opponents is worthy enough to replace him. Actual opposition leaders are ``same shit in different package``. Period!
Well, that's true. The opposition is fractured and ineffective. But there is an idea floating around about creating a technocratic government made out of trained professionals who are all experts in their field (transportation, agriculture, economy, trade etc.) I for one, support that idea wholeheartedly.
@@predragpesic5953 You have to know what you want before hand so if Vucic steps down who do you want in power ? because the opposition battles each other at that point.
Are you really so certain of this. Forgive me, but my first reaction is that it sounds VERY cynical - which always works in favor of nationalists who prey on cynicism.
You may be right ... But it's always wise to question these thoughts.
@@Robespierre-lI you are right and he is wrong and sorry to be blunt but dumb. No one is as bad as him least of all because they didn't have the time to build their own criminal infrastructure to support them. If they turn out bad, they will be easier to replace and it's better to keep rotating equally bad options than let one fester
How you can have opposition when he took all the media
The system will fall ❤
Why all of sudden this bcaume so popular on RUclips ??
Serbian government fell, but the dictator Vučiċ as a president remains in power and continues to exert control over other institutions, legislative, executive and judiciary.
A few corrections: Prime minister resign has not yet been adopted by the parliament, so the government is currently working like nothing happened. Vucevic is still the prime minister and he works in full time.
- The role of the government and parliament in Serbia is only fictitious, all decisions are made directly by Vučić. So the story of the resignation of the prime minister should not be pushed, because Vučić will soon form a new government with a new prime minister, even more obedient and irrelevant. (not to repeat that the old one is still officially working).
- Vučić is a master of deception, spin, hate speech, targeting opposition members, media abuse, threats to citizens through intelligence services, hearings, beatings, lies and fraud.
- For a decade, he has been keeping the people of Serbia in fear of losing their jobs. For example, if you are a private businessman they will send you an inspection to fine you or close the company. If you say something publicly against the government, tomorrow you will receive the most terrible falsehoods and targeting by the state media, threats of beatings by parastatal beaters, etc.
- The main success of these protests is that the people of Serbia have been freed from fear, Vučić and his lies have been unmasked and there can be no return to the old ways. Wizard of Oz tricks no longer scare anyone.
Alekxedra Vučič doesn't have strong army to repelled and suppressing the Europeans send activists. He should act decisively before they overthrow him.
We can talk all day about causes like philosophical, historical, political and other perspectives or unfortunate deaths by that roof collapse etc...
But at the end of the day, the fact that prices of basic commodities like food, home chemicals and other basic stuff have at minimum doubled in the last year and its now even higher than in the Germany and most of the Europe. Is the bottom line that shows that this government is not able or unwilling to do its primary job. To make life of its citizens BETTER and not worse.
So, what is the point of having government ... if it folds to this cartel of biggest retail merchants. I would understand if it's some sort of military industrial complex that puppeteers government like in USA, but pesky Balkan RETAIL Merchans... it's pathetic.
How much money do you get from USAID?
FREEDOM FOR BOSNIA AND SERBIA