Smiljana Milinkov, a prominent professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, issued a stark warning on June 18, 2026, stating that citizens in Serbia have entirely lost faith in law enforcement. Speaking during N1 Belgrade’s Newsnight broadcast, Milinkov asserted that there is an abundance of reasons for people to take to the streets daily and explicitly urged the public to join the upcoming student protest in Novi Sad on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
“Novi Sad is a broken and wounded city, but it remains a city of freedom,” Milinkov noted, emphasizing that local citizens are resilient, defiant, and determined to persist despite facing both literal and metaphorical blows from the authorities.
1. The Breakdown of Institutional Trust
According to Professor Milinkov, the most painful reality currently facing Serbian society is the complete dissolution of public trust in the police force. She argued that law enforcement has fundamentally reoriented its purpose away from public safety toward state enforcement.
Key Systematic Concerns Raised by Prof. Milinkov
[ SYSTEMIC BRUTALITY ] ──► EXCESSIVE FORCE
• Novi Sad has experienced a severe surge in excessive police violence
unleashed against peaceful civic demonstrators.
[ INSTITUTIONAL CORRUPTION ] ──► CRIMINAL LINKS
• Growing public suspicion point directly to systemic collusion between
organized crime structures and high-ranking police officials.
[ DEMOCRATIC COLLAPSE ] ──► LOSS OF LEGITIMACY
• Milinkov warns that a society where citizens fear or distrust the police
can no longer logically be classified as a functioning democracy.
“The police are not there for the citizens; they are operating against the citizens… We are witnessing various games and methods used to clear top police officials of responsibility, ‘ironing out’ the entire situation to frame it as mere business disputes rather than violent clashes between criminal syndicates.”
— Prof. Smiljana Milinkov, Faculty of Philosophy
2. Academic Purges and “Political Retaliation”
Shifting focus to the state of higher education, Professor Milinkov directly accused the administration at the University of Novi Sad of carrying out coordinated political vendettas against critical academic voices.
She stressed that anyone who raises their voice or offers a critical assessment of the country’s social ills risks severe professional or personal repercussions, including arbitrary detention, targeting by state-aligned media, or immediate job loss.
Recent Controversial Academic Removals
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ [ PROFESSOR VLADIMIR MIHIĆ ] ─────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ • Denied re-election to his academic title despite meeting every │ │
│ formal academic criterion and passing departmental procedures. │ │
│ │ │
│ [ PROFESSOR JELENA KLEUT ] ───────────────────────────────────────┤ │
│ • Blocked from academic re-election following her public stances, │ │
│ sparking major protests by the Independent Faculty Union. │ │
│ │ │
│ [ INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY ] ─────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ • The global network "Scholars at Risk" formally confirmed that │
│ Serbian professors are actively losing jobs due to political reprisal.│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
3. The Upcoming June 20 Student Protest
Amid these escalating academic purges and ongoing systemic corruption, student organizations have finalized plans for a major demonstration. Organized as a precursor to broader regional blockades, the upcoming rally is specifically designed to minimize security risks.
| Event Variable | Operational Plan / Details |
| Official Date & Time | Saturday, June 20, 2026 (Afternoon) |
| Key Directives | Designed to conclude fully before dark as a calculated precaution against plainclothes provocateurs and police overreach. |
| Broader Horizon | Leading into a newly announced, student-coordinated St. Vitus Day (Vidovdan) Protest scheduled for late June. |
The Independent Union of the Faculty of Philosophy recently staged an emergency protest directly in front of the University’s Rectorate building to challenge these dynamic personnel decisions. As professors and students unite, the upcoming weekend rally in Novi Sad is poised to become a critical battleground for academic freedom and institutional accountability in Serbia.
