From Novi Sad to the Streets: Youth Mobilizations and the Demand for Accountability
In recent months, images from mass protests in Belgrade and other cities in Serbia have flooded social media. The tragic trigger for these protests was the death of 15 people at the Novi Sad railway station. As expected, the interest in our country regarding the events in Serbia was high from the beginning. A deadly accident linked to the railway, which took place in a neighboring country just 20 months after the Tempe tragedy, has sparked a reaction from society, especially from the youth, and has caused a serious crisis of trust in the country’s institutions, quickly evolving into an open governmental crisis.
In fact, the resignation of the Serbian Prime Minister came just two days after the massive demonstrations held in our country on Sunday, January 26th. This resignation further drew attention to the developments in the neighboring country, sparking discussions and comparisons. There are many differences between the two cases, perhaps the most important being the duration and the systematic nature of the protests in Serbia. The actions, whether small or large, have not stopped for three months and have taken place regularly during this period. Despite the high level of interest, there is a lack of a well-documented analysis of what is happening in Serbia, and, most importantly, the voices and perspectives of the people in the neighboring country are missing.
Eteron Institute seeks to examine the developments in Serbia and shed light on the evolving social dynamics in the country, with a focus on the mass social movements, their characteristics, and their demands. For this purpose, we spoke with people of different ages and backgrounds who are participating in the protests and shared their perspectives with us.
The folder includes the following contributors:
Velimir Milošev, President of the National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS),
Milica Popović, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Cultural Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences,
Jelena Vasiljević, Senior Research Associate, Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade,
Miloš Djajić, Activist and President of the Steering Committee of the Center of Modern Skills.
You can find the folder “From Novi Sad to the Streets” here
Read the long read on Serbian protests in Greek at the following link
