Thousands of pro-Serbia government supporters gathered in Belgrade to show their support for President Aleksandar Vucic, marking a turning point for the pro-Vucic movement. The rally came amid ongoing unrest sparked by allegations of corruption and corner-cutting by Vucic’s government.
Thousands of Pro-Serbia government supporters rallied in Belgrade.
Located in Southeastern Europe, Serbia is a landlocked country bordered by Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With a population of approximately 7 million people, the official language is Serbian.
The capital city is Belgrade, which is also the largest urban area.
Serbia has a diverse geography, with mountains, forests, and rivers covering about 60% of its territory.
In recent months, unrest has gripped Serbia, with demonstrations sparked by the collapse of a railway station canopy that killed 15 people. The incident, which occurred in November, was blamed on alleged corruption and corner-cutting by President Aleksandar Vucic’s government.
Aleksandar Vučić is a Serbian politician who has served as the President of Serbia since 2017.
Prior to his presidency, he held various government positions, including Minister of Defense and Prime Minister.
Born on March 5, 1970, in Belgrade, Serbia, Vučić graduated from the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Law.
He rose to prominence within the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which he led as party president until his election as President.
Vučić has been instrumental in Serbia's EU accession negotiations and has maintained a complex relationship with Kosovo, a country that declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
A rally marked a turning point for the Pro-Vucic movement.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of supporters gathered in front of the National Assembly in Belgrade to show their support for Vucic. The rally, which was promoted as the launch of a ‘Movement for the People and the State,’ aimed to ‘save‘ Serbia from forces working to ‘destroy‘ the country.
Aleksandar Vucic accused foreign powers and media of interference.
In a speech at the event, Vucic claimed that foreign intelligence agencies were funding the student-led protests, which he said threatened Serbia’s peace and stability. He also criticized national broadcaster RTS, describing it as a ‘key participant’ in an attempted ‘colour revolution‘. The president did not specify which countries or powers he was referring to.
The demonstrations that followed the Novi Sad incident last November were sparked by allegations of corruption and opaque procurement procedures used by the government for infrastructure projects. The collapse of the railway station canopy, which was part of a high-speed line from Belgrade to Budapest in Hungary, had been considered a key part of Vucic’s flagship project.
Serbia has struggled with corruption for decades, ranking among the most corrupt countries globally.
According to Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) , Serbia scored 37 out of 100 in 2020.
The country's judiciary and law enforcement agencies are often criticized for their lack of independence and effectiveness.
Bribes and kickbacks are common in government contracts, while public officials frequently abuse their power for personal gain.
In recent years, several high-profile corruption cases have been exposed, leading to widespread protests and calls for reform.
Record-breaking protests in Serbia were recorded last month.
Last month, hundreds of thousands of people descended on Serbia’s capital, making it the largest protest ever recorded. An independent monitor estimated that up to 325,000 people may have gathered, although this figure is not officially confirmed.
