German media outlets have been reporting on the recent unrest in Serbia, with footage from Novi Sad and Belgrade being featured on public broadcaster ARD. The reports focus on the escalation of clashes between pro-government groups and protesters.
Student Protests Escalate into Violence
The Tagesspiegel‘s Andrej Ivanji writes that after nine months of largely peaceful, student-led protests, clashes have turned violent. The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that around 70 people were injured on the second day of confrontations in cities like Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Niš. The student movement has called for protests under the slogan “Serbia, wake up!”
According to the reports, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is on a “confrontational course” with the students. Instead of relying on police, the regime is using its own “activists and sympathizers” to confront demonstrators. These groups are described as having a similar appearance—”thick necks, wide shoulders…often with tattoos, black shirts and hats”—and critical media have identified many of them as criminals with extensive police records.
Vučić’s Role and the Call for Civil War
The articles note that President Aleksandar Vučić appeared at his party’s headquarters during the protests and encouraged SNS members to “confront the demonstrators,” acting as a party leader rather than a head of state. This led prominent journalist Milan Ćulibrk to state that Serbia no longer has a president.
The student movement’s Instagram account directly accused Vučić, writing: “Instead of simply calling early elections, Vučić is plunging the country into civil war.”
The Rheinische Post adds that while Vučić has blamed his critics for the clashes and threatened to “clean the streets of hooligans,” student activists, the opposition, and independent media claim the riots were “orchestrated by thugs of the ruling party.”
International Implications
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports on an international dimension to the clashes, noting a specific incident in Bački Petrovac, a town with a Slovakian majority. There, a group of SNS supporters reportedly destroyed a photo exhibition at an annual Slovak event. In response, the Slovakian People’s Advocate has requested an investigation into the police’s failure to prevent the attack.
