Tens of thousands protested in Belgrade on May 23, demanding early elections and an end to President Aleksandar Vučić's rule. The student-led rally, triggered by a 2024 train station collapse that killed 16, led to clashes with police, who used tear gas. At least 23 people were detained. The protests come amid EU warnings that democratic backsliding in Serbia could jeopardize about €1.5 billion in funding.
Belgrade anti-government protest
- ▪On May 23, 2026, Serbia's state railway company canceled all trains to and from Belgrade
- ▪Tens of thousands of people protested in Belgrade, Serbia on May 23, 2026
- ▪The main anti-government rally was held at Slavija Square in Belgrade
- ▪Serbian police estimated the crowd size at 34,300, while a monitoring group estimated around 100,000
Train station canopy collapse
- ▪Protests following the Novi Sad station collapse forced then-Prime Minister Milos Vucevic to resign in January 2025
- ▪The collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024 killed 16 people
- ▪The anti-government protest movement was triggered by a deadly concrete canopy collapse at a Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024
Corruption allegations
- ▪Many Serbians blamed the Novi Sad station collapse on alleged graft-fueled negligence during renovations carried out with Chinese companies
- ▪Protesters accuse President Aleksandar Vučić's government of corruption, mismanagement, and suppressing critics
- ▪Prosecutor Bojana Savovic told the protest crowd that a state with selective law implementation "becomes a mafia organization."
Student movement demands
- ▪The anti-government protests are led by a student movement using the motto "Students win."
- ▪Protesters demanded early elections and an end to the rule of President Aleksandar Vučić
- ▪The student movement plans to challenge President Vučić in elections that could be held between September and November 2026
Police crackdown tactics
- ▪The Council of Europe has criticized Serbia's government for arbitrary arrests, excessive force, and police allegedly protecting masked attackers
- ▪President Aleksandar Vučić stated in an Instagram video that the protesters "have shown their violent nature."
- ▪After the main rally, clashes erupted between some protesters and riot police near the Serbian presidency building
- ▪According to Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, 23 people were detained and some police officers were injured in the clashes
EU funding warnings
- ▪The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner reported that the rights situation in Serbia has deteriorated since April 2025
- ▪Serbia is formally a candidate for European Union membership but maintains close ties with Russia and China
- ▪An EU official warned that democratic backsliding could cost Serbia approximately 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in funding
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