Serbian President Vows Harsh Response to Protests

(MENAFN) Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic, has promised to enforce strict actions to bring back stability following a series of anti-government demonstrations that erupted into violence across the nation this week.

On Saturday, protestors in the western municipality of Valjevo ignited the offices of the governing Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) after three consecutive days of confrontations with riot control units.

Earlier in the week, activists in Novi Sad breached and vandalized another SNS building, resulting in more than 60 individuals sustaining injuries.

In a nationally broadcast speech on Sunday, Vucic condemned the unrest as “pure terrorism” and implied that the uprisings were being coordinated from outside Serbia.

”Our country is in grave danger… Unless we undertake tougher steps it is a question of days when [the protesters] will kill someone,” Vucic stated gravely.

The origins of the protests date back to 2024, when a fatal incident involving a collapsed railway station roof in Novi Sad claimed the lives of 16 people.

Citizens blamed governmental negligence and demanded snap elections in response to what they saw as deep-rooted corruption.

Vucic has continually claimed that the escalating violence is part of an effort to overthrow the current administration—an opinion echoed by Russia.

In June, the Kremlin described the protests in Serbia as a possible “color revolution,” expressing its belief that Serbian authorities could regain control.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Western countries to avoid meddling in Serbia’s internal matters.

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