Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Serbia’s Protests Escalate Despite Vučić Ruling Out Re-Election
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
BELGRADE/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – A tense political and security standoff continued Friday in Serbia as riots erupted in Novi Sad, where supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) clashed with anti-government protesters, hurling flares and firecrackers and prompting police intervention.
The violence marks a major escalation in nine months of unrest triggered by the fatal collapse of a renovated railway station roof in Novi Sad last November that killed 16 people — an incident protesters say underscores deep-seated corruption and negligence within the government.
President Aleksandar Vučić, flanked by Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, told reporters that 16 police officers and around 60 SNS supporters were injured. The increasingly authoritarian leader accused unidentified foreign powers of orchestrating the unrest, vowing arrests.
“Persons who violated the law will be apprehended … Tonight, we have averted a catastrophic scenario planned by someone from abroad,” Vučić said.
Vučić also confirmed he will not seek another term in the next presidential election amid mounting pressure from protesters demanding early polls.
CLASHES SPREAD
Footage aired by private N1 TV showed flares and firecrackers thrown from the direction of SNS offices at demonstrators, some of whom had bloody faces and claimed Vučić’s supporters used sticks and truncheons.
Opposition Move-Change movement said, “Attacks on people with pyrotechnic devices violate their right to life and protest.”
In Belgrade, riot police blocked protesters from approaching parliament, while in other cities — including Kragujevac, Čačak, and Niš — demonstrators rallied outside SNS offices.
The unrest comes at a sensitive time for Serbia’s foreign policy.
Vučić’s government has maintained close ties with Russia and an often cooperative relationship with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, both of which could be tested if a new, more Western-oriented administration emerges after early elections, observers say.
WHAT’S NEXT
Moscow and Budapest have yet to comment on the escalating crisis officially.
Diplomatic observers say the European Union could step in to mediate between Serbia’s government and opposition, given the country’s EU membership aspirations and the risk of further instability.
Any leadership change could shift Serbia’s foreign policy balance — potentially cooling its alignment with Moscow and altering its special partnership with Budapest.
Protest organizers have vowed to continue nationwide demonstrations until early elections are called and anti-corruption reforms are implemented.
Security analysts warn that further clashes are likely unless both sides commit to dialogue, raising concerns of a prolonged political crisis in the Western Balkans.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Russia has sent a sanctioned cargo ship to resupply its air base in Syria, signaling that Moscow intends to preserve one of its most important military footholds in the Middle East despite the fall of longtime ally Bashar al-Assad, according to U.S. officials and satellite images reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Israel moved another step closer to early elections after the coalition’s bill to dissolve the Knesset passed its first reading late Monday night by a vote of 106-0, with no lawmakers voting against the measure.
President Donald Trump said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to halt attacks after a day of rising tensions in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened renewed strikes on Hezbollah’s Dahiyeh stronghold in Beirut if the Iranian-backed terror group continued firing on northern Israel.
A divided federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Trump administration’s policy restricting transgender military service is likely unconstitutional, delivering a legal setback to the Pentagon while leaving parts of the policy in place.
Authorities in Vietnam’s Gia Lai Province have detained two Montagnard Christians on accusations of “undermining national unity” in the latest case involving ethnic minority believers in the communist-run nation, Christians told Worthy News on Monday.
Hungary has plunged into an unprecedented constitutional and political crisis after President Tamás Sulyok refused to resign following the expiration of an ultimatum issued by Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
The U.S. Department of Justice is temporarily backing down from its plan to launch a $1.77 billion “anti-weaponization fund” after a federal judge issued a short-term restraining order.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com