Anomalies in Belgrade: behind the scenes of the protests

Author: Jacopo Romanelli - International Journalist - Italy Serbia has been in a delicate geopolitical position for years, suspended between theWestern influence of the European Union, of which it has been a candidate formembership since 2012, and historical ties with Russia. The government, led byPresident Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), has been inpower for more than a decade and has often been accused of corruption,authoritarianism, and eroding democratic freedoms, such as press freedom andjudicial independence. Internal tensions erupted following the tragic collapse of a busshelter at the Novi Sad train station on November 1, 2024, that left 16 people dead, anevent many attribute to negligence and mismanagement related to opaqueinfrastructure projects. This incident triggered a wave of protests that have beendemanding transparency, accountability and a radical change in the way the countryis governed for months, culminating in one of the largest popular mobilizations inrecent Serbian history on March 15 in Belgrade.