Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced that on February 15, Serbia’s Statehood Day, or a day earlier, a national declaration on Vojvodina will be adopted during a planned gathering, reports RFE.
“Vojvodina is Serbia, forever. And there will be no surrender or retreat before those who seek to destroy our country,” Vučić wrote on Instagram on Friday.
He claimed that in recent weeks, there have been attempts to manipulate Serbian youth in the northern province, reviving initiatives for broader autonomy for Vojvodina.
“From declaring Vojvodina a republic, to introducing a separate Vojvodina language, to the idea of secession—these are the dangerous plans we are facing,” Vučić said, vowing to oppose such efforts through democratic and political means.
Student Protests and Government’s Response
The announcement comes amid continued student protests in Serbia, which have been ongoing for over two months. The protests were triggered by the collapse of a railway station roof in Novi Sad on November 1, which killed 15 people.
High-ranking officials from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have attempted to link the protests to alleged separatist aspirations for Vojvodina’s independence.
Outgoing Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, who resigned on January 28 after a student was brutally beaten by unidentified assailants, accused the opposition of using the protests to promote separatist agendas.
Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić also stated on January 13 that the protests are politically motivated and that some demands include separating Vojvodina from Serbia.
Opposition and Protesters Reject Government’s Claims
Opposition leaders and protest organizers have dismissed government accusations of separatism.
- Goran Ješić, a former Democratic Party (DS) official, stated that the ruling authorities are spreading false narratives to discredit the student movement.
- Marinika Tepić, an official from the opposition Party for Freedom and Justice (SSP), accused Vučić of fabricating the separatism narrative to distract from corruption scandals and the 15 deaths in Novi Sad.
“The government is falsely claiming that people are protesting to separate Vojvodina. They are doing this to divert attention from their responsibility for the deaths caused by corruption,” Tepić said in a statement on January 13.
Students’ Demands and Continued Protests
Despite government claims that demands have been met, students continue to blockade over 60 public faculties across five universities. Their demands include:
✔ Full transparency on the reconstruction of Novi Sad Railway Station.
✔ Prosecution of those responsible for the attack on student protesters.
✔ Suspension of legal actions against arrested demonstrators.
✔ A 20% budget increase for higher education.
The student movement has gained widespread support from professors, lawyers, farmers, pensioners, and other citizens. Meanwhile, the government maintains that all protest demands have been addressed and urges students to end their blockades.
As tensions escalate, the upcoming national declaration on Vojvodina could further deepen divisions within Serbia, fueling concerns over the government’s crackdown on dissent and its handling of political opposition.
