Executive Summary

Serbian protests, ongoing for more than six months, have spread to more than 400 cities across the nation and are likely to continue. On 15 March 2025 alone, an estimated 325,000 people gathered in Belgrade in one of the largest protests in Serbia’s history.* The situation is complicated by allegations of government use of directed energy weapons against civilian protesters, claims of U.S. involvement in instigating the protests, Russian assistance, and civilian grievances against the business interests of a child of the U.S. president.

In an effort to restore political calm, the parliament on 16 April formally approved the formation of a new government; Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned in January. However, a heated parliamentary session, marked by opposition lawmakers setting off smoke bombs and flares in the chamber, highlighted the depth of societal polarisation and the ongoing fragility of Serbia’s political institutions. 

This report will explore the ramifications and outlook of the internal crisis in Serbia. It can be described as an ‘’assembladge’’ of various factors: corruption scandals, controversial deals, and tragic accidents have all contributed.

*Background: Societal discontent began mounting by mid-2024, with significant protests erupting as early as July 2024 over a controversial lithium mining deal signed with the European Union. The unrest intensified dramatically following the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people and left one severely injured. While the cause of the collapse remains under investigation, the tragedy acted as a catalyst, triggering widespread outrage and pushing the protests into a sustained nationwide movement. 

Images Sourced From: Emilija Knezevic, Insajder, European Western Balkans, NewsMax Balkans, Dejan Krsmanovic