Serbia’s opposition party Serbia Centre (SRCE) has called on Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Šapić to resign if he has lost the support of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), following his claims that factions within the party are obstructing the city’s public transport system.
In a statement issued on Thursday, SRCE’s Belgrade branch said Šapić’s remarks about “rat channels” and interest groups within the SNS sabotaging the work of the city administration amounted to a public admission that Belgrade is not being governed by institutions, but by competing party factions fighting for influence and control over public funds.
The party questioned whether Šapić’s statements confirmed that he no longer enjoys the backing of the ruling party.
“If senior SNS officials and party councillors are openly and privately accusing him over the sharp increase in public transport costs and the diversion of public money to private companies, it is clear that he no longer has the political legitimacy to lead the city,” the statement said.
SRCE urged Šapić to clarify whether he intends to resign following what it described as a loss of political support.
“The city cannot remain hostage to internal power struggles within the SNS. If he is unable to control the very party structures he accuses of sabotage, the only moral and political option is to step down,” the party stated.
The opposition group also questioned whether Šapić himself belongs to one of the rival factions within the SNS, noting that he joined the ruling party after previously leading his own political movement.
SRCE further argued that ongoing internal conflicts within the ruling party are harming Belgrade residents, pointing to overcrowded public transport, concerns over vehicle safety, and repeated incidents involving trams and buses.
The statement concluded by calling for an end to what it described as the “destruction of Belgrade,” arguing that citizens should no longer bear the consequences of internal disputes within the ruling party.
