It was a particularly eventful week in Serbia! The week began with celebrations across the country following the historic victory of the student-led movement in Serbia’s parliamentary elections. After nearly two years of sustained protests, Serbian students had achieved what many had hoped for: an electoral victory that could bring about a significant change in the country’s political leadership.
To understand the significance of this moment, it is important to understand how the movement began. On November 1, 2024, the concrete canopy of the recently renovated railway station in Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people. The tragedy prompted widespread public outrage, with many Serbians questioning whether corruption, negligence and political interference had contributed to the disaster. What began as demands for accountability and justice for the victims gradually developed into a much broader movement calling for systemic governmental reform and an end to suspected entrenched corruption.
