Friends of the Western Balkans – Ljubljana

On 1 November 2024, the concrete canopy of Novi Sad railway station collapsed, killing 15 people and injuring two. As the station had been recently renovated, the tragic event exposed yet another case of corruption and triggered mass protests in the Serbian town and subsequently in the rest of the country, calling for truth, justice and transparency. The mass demonstrations – unseen in Serbia in decades – are organised by students who have effectively kept their distance from political parties, including the opposition and have led to the resignation of Transport Minister Goran Vesić and Prime Minister Miloš Vučević. The situation is still evolving in Serbia, the proud Serbian students are not giving up and the protests are spreading beyond student organisations.

On 3 April eighty students and academics started a 1,300-kilometer “journey of hope” on bikes from Novi Sad to Strasbourg to claim the European institutions’ support for their struggle against corruption and the erosion of the rule of law. Meanwhile, President Vučić has given Đuro Macut, a doctor with no previous political experience, the mandate to form a new government.

The demonstrations follow a decade-long period of protests over different issues and show the dynamism of Serbian civil opposition that will probably grow even further and bring hopes that a change is indeed possible in the Western Balkan country. Against this evolving background, the Friends of the Western Balkans (FoWB) have decided to dedicate their seventh meeting to the political developments in Serbia and their implications for the region as a whole and the process of enlargement. Hence, the discussion focused on the peculiarities of the anti-corruption protests, the lessons to be learnt from the demonstrations and the role the Serbian opposition may play in the – hopefully – changing Serbian political landscape. We also explored the impact the events in Serbia might have on the neighbouring countries and the EU enlargement process.

Once again, the FoWB meeting was an opportunity for exchange between members of the European Parliament and members of European national parliaments from the Social Democratic family, as well as academics, activists and analysts, aimed at increasing mutual understanding while preparing the ground for accession. 

The Friends of the Western Balkan’s meeting was preceded by a meeting of the S&D Group’s Willy Brandt Program.

For more information regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact Julia Wild, Project Officer (julia.wild@feps-europe.eu).