Serbia: Student protests or attempt at "colour revolution"? Serbian expert speaks to Caliber.Az

Judging by the alarming reports in the media, a wave of street protests may completely engulf one of the central countries of the Balkan Peninsula – Serbia. According to Serbian media, amidst student protests in the centre of Belgrade, Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević has resigned. Earlier, the news agency Tanjug also reported that the politician might leave his post.

Demonstrations in Serbia have been ongoing for over two months, triggered by the collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad railway station, which resulted in 15 deaths. The majority of protesters, primarily students, hold the authorities responsible for the tragedy, accusing corruption of leading to poor repairs at the station. They are demanding full disclosure of the documentation related to the station’s reconstruction. 

Initially, the protests focused on calling for a transparent investigation into the incident, but they later evolved to include political demands. Among these is the creation of a transitional government to prepare for early parliamentary elections. Some international analysts suggest that the protests may be an attempt at a "colour revolution," possibly instigated by certain Western forces.

A similar opinion was voiced by the Serbian leadership. The Happy TV channel recently reported that Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić openly accused the West of attempting to orchestrate a "colour revolution" in the country with the help of students.

"All they are doing is attempting a 'colour revolution,' I have no doubt about it. This is not a problem, we will wait until the last moment, when we will be forced to respond, when they start violently blocking highways," Vučić said, noting that foreign handlers had already instructed some students to go to major transport intersections and block traffic.

"We already know who is doing this and how. Some are coming from Western countries, while others are from the East, where they carried out dirty work for the Western intelligence network," emphasized the Serbian leader.

The sharp statements from the Serbian authorities regarding Western involvement in the current protests are not without basis. The West has long adhered to the "divide and rule" principle in the Balkans, with Serbia being a prime example of its interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. A key illustration of this is the ongoing pressure for Serbia to recognise the "independence" of Kosovo. In May 2022, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić publicly stated that the West was demanding Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence. This demand constitutes a clear violation of international law, a principle that is typically championed by the so-called "defenders of democratic values" in Europe.

Western pressure also plays a significant role in Serbia's pursuit of European Union membership. Belgrade applied for EU membership in 2009 and has been a candidate since 2021. However, a major obstacle to Serbia's accession is its firm refusal to recognise the "independence" of Kosovo. Serbian politicians view the conditions for EU membership as blackmail that undermines the sovereignty of the country. This sentiment was clearly expressed last week by Serbian lawmaker Dragan Stanojević in an interview with Russia 24, where he stated, "From the European Union, we only get blackmail. Blackmail that actually destroys the sovereignty of the state, destroys our culture, our traditions, and, essentially, destroys the family."

A similar opinion was expressed in an interview with Caliber.Az by Serbian political analyst Stevan Gajić.

"Serbia is a candidate country, and for negotiations to continue, the EU demands formal recognition of Kosovo, which is impossible. So, in essence, the process of European integration is a mechanism of blackmail and nothing more. In other words, we must lose our statehood to join the EU. That is the absurdity of the situation," said the political scientist, noting that despite the current Serbian government's position on Kosovo, Vučić enjoys certain support from the West.

"The President of Serbia is pursuing a pro-Western course, for example, selling weapons to Ukraine.

On the other hand, it was with Vučić's rise to power that the West achieved its main goal — dismantling Serbian institutions in Kosovo and Metohija. In northern Kosovo, despite the entire region being under NATO occupation, we still had our courts, police forces, and Serbian communities, and Albanian security forces could not enter.

As for the likelihood of a 'colour revolution' in Serbia, it already happened in 2012. Since then, EU flags have appeared in all of our state institutions, something that had not been seen before," said Gajić, adding that the current protests in Serbia are decentralized in nature, as they are purely student protests with specific demands that will have to be met.