Geneva – The deadly collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy has triggered mass public mobilization in Serbia, with citizens demanding accountability for the tragedy, Swiss broadcaster Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) reported. The station—an integral part of a major railway project led by Beijing—has become a symbol of the fight against corruption and political cronyism.
According to RTS, the protest movement has the potential to bring down Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s regime, which has been in power for 12 years and is accused of authoritarian practices. Students have taken to the streets daily, blocking universities and denouncing corruption and impunity among the ruling elite.
The protests were sparked by the collapse of a newly renovated concrete canopy at Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people. Whistleblowers later revealed sensitive information highlighting corruption and negligence in the station’s reconstruction, fueling nationwide demonstrations that continue to this day.
A Project with Geopolitical Implications
The renovation of the Novi Sad station is part of the Belgrade-Budapest high-speed railway, a key project linking the capitals of Serbia and Hungary. It is also an essential component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at connecting China with Europe and Africa through extensive transport infrastructure.
Former Yugoslav states, along with Albania, have seized the opportunity to modernize outdated infrastructure using Chinese funding. The Belgrade-Budapest railway is largely financed by a €3 billion Chinese loan, but concerns remain about the project’s transparency. The contract was awarded without a public tender, raising suspicions that intermediaries and influence networks in Serbia and Hungary benefited from non-transparent deals.
Serbian and Hungarian leadership—Aleksandar Vučić and Viktor Orbán—have strengthened their alliance through this project, allowing companies with close government ties to profit. A Chinese consortium was tasked with constructing the 350-kilometer railway and renovating Novi Sad station, a central hub between the two nations.
The partially completed station was rushed to open before the 2022 Serbian general elections, with construction continuing for another two years. It was fully inaugurated on July 5, 2024, but four months later, its canopy collapsed, causing a national shockwave.
Escalating Protests and Political Fallout
Since the tragedy, the protests have intensified. Last weekend, mass demonstrations organized by students—who have blocked universities for over two months—drew tens of thousands of people. The movement has expanded beyond students, gaining support from farmers, lawyers, teachers, artists, pensioners, judges, and private-sector employees, who shut down the capital for 24 hours.
The parliamentary opposition is now calling for the formation of a technical government to oversee truly free elections.
“Vučić, who regularly engages in electoral fraud, refuses to accept this demand. Instead, he has proposed appointing a new prime minister—following the resignation of Miloš Vučević in January—or holding snap elections, but without a transitional government, which opposition parties reject,” RTS reported.
Meanwhile, students insist that it is not Vučić’s place to respond to them, but rather Serbia’s institutions, as their battle for accountability and transparency continues.
