On Monday, protest movements were renewed in Belgrade to denounce acts of fraud that opponents say marred the recent legislative elections in which the ruling nationalist right won, while Moscow accused the West of seeking to “destabilize” Serbia.
Hundreds of demonstrators initially blocked main streets in Belgrade before gathering in the evening in front of police stations to demand the release of protesters who were arrested on Sunday during confrontations that took place in front of the capital’s municipal headquarters.
On Sunday, demonstrators attacked the municipal building and tried to storm it before security forces were able to repel them.
Students display a banner depicting Serbian anti-riot police units as they block one of the main streets during a protest in Belgrade, on December 25, 2023, a week after the parliamentary and local elections in Serbia. – Serbia announced plans on…
The authorities announced that two police officers were “seriously injured” during the protest, while more than 35 people were arrested.
President Aleksandar Vucic condemned the violence in the capital, and confirmed that he had evidence that the protests were carried out by “external incitement.”
Moscow, an ally of Belgrade, accused the West of raising tensions in Serbia.
RIA Novosti quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying, “It is clear that the West as a whole seeks to destabilize” Serbia.
Zakharova likened these demonstrations to those that took place in Kiev and led to the rise of pro-Western supporters to power in Ukraine in 2014.
Supporters of the opposition SPN coalition protest in front of the state election commission, in Belgrade
In turn, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday in a press conference that “there are attempts by third parties, including from abroad, to stir up unrest in Belgrade.”
The party of Nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic announced its victory in the legislative elections, which took place on December 17.
Germany considered any fraud in the elections “unacceptable” for a country hoping to join the European Union, while Washington called on Belgrade to address the “concerns” of election observers, while the European Union said that “the electoral process in Serbia requires tangible improvements and more reforms.” .
Serbia and Russia have historically close relations. Like Serbia, Russia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence.
Belgrade did not impose sanctions on Moscow because of its attack in Ukraine, but it condemned the Russian aggression at the United Nations.
Internally, Vucic’s successes mainly revolve around the economy in one of the poorest countries on the European continent, with inflation reaching 16 percent in the spring before falling to about 8 percent in November.
For Vucic’s supporters, the president under his rule has established order and attracted billions in investments. Between 2012 and 2022, foreign direct investment in Serbia increased from one billion euros to 4.4 billion euros.
In Belgrade, the demonstrators, most of whom are students of the Borba (Fight) organization, are demanding a review of electoral records, which, in their opinion, are considered the origin of electoral fraud.
“I was born in 2002 and did not think that I would have to fight for democracy in the streets, as my father did,” said Emilia Milinkovic, a student at the Faculty of Political Science.
The 21-year-old added, “But I have to do it.”
Milinkovic wears the badge of the Otpor (Resistance) student movement that participated in the protest against the authority of Slobodan Milošević in the early 2000s.
The elections sparked widespread criticism after a team of international observers, including representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned a series of “irregularities,” including “vote buying.”
Since then, hundreds of people have been demonstrating daily in front of the headquarters of the Serbian Election Commission. Members of the main opposition list, Serbia Without Violence, began a hunger strike in an attempt to cancel the results.
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2023-12-25 23:00:01
