Student protests have support not only from university management, but also from the public.
The European Commissioner for Expansion Marta Kosová called on Saturday all the parties in Serbia to “refrain from further tension”. In the country, students have persisted protests against corruption for several months, TASR reports according to AFP.
The protests began after the collapse of the roof structure at the railway station in Novi Sad from November 1, 2024, in which 16 people, mostly students, died.
“I am closely watching the situation in Serbia and I call on everyone to refrain from more tension,” wrote the Slovenian European Commissioner on the Platform X.
“In order to get from a political blind alley and a split in society, Serbia should intensify efforts to combat corruption and move in the reforms of the rule of law,” Kosova added.
Students have strong support
Students in Serbia, supported by part of the public and the leadership of some universities in the country, are blocking the state Terrazhon RTS in Belgrade and the RTV (Radio-Televizija Vojvodine) in Novi Sad, recalls AFP.
Both broadcasters accuse the demonstrators of deliberately installing their protests and demanding them to cover them within the public interest. They also call for a transparent choice of media regulatory authority members.
At the same time, Kosová expressed concern about the fact that “the Rector of Belgrade University faces charges of a crime”. AFP recalls that Rector Vladan Djokic, who supports students in protests, was summoned by police last week. According to Kosova, the EU demands from Serbia “almost exactly the same as protesters in Serbia”.
