Anomalies in Belgrade: behind the scenes of the protests

Serbia has been in a delicate geopolitical position for years, suspended between the
Western influence of the European Union, of which it has been a candidate for
membership since 2012, and historical ties with Russia. The government, led by
President Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), has been in
power for more than a decade and has often been accused of corruption,
authoritarianism, and eroding democratic freedoms, such as press freedom and
judicial independence. Internal tensions erupted following the tragic collapse of a bus
shelter at the Novi Sad train station on November 1, 2024, that left 16 people dead, an
event many attribute to negligence and mismanagement related to opaque
infrastructure projects. This incident triggered a wave of protests that have been
demanding transparency, accountability and a radical change in the way the country
is governed for months, culminating in one of the largest popular mobilizations in
recent Serbian history on March 15 in Belgrade.