Belgrade, Serbia – The Prime Minister of Serbia, Miloš Vučević, belonging to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), tendered his resignation today in the wake of a violent attack on protesting students in Novi Sad. Reports indicate that at least one student sustained serious injuries during the incident.
Having assumed office in May 2024, Vučević revealed that his decision to resign was supported by President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, stating that his arguments were accepted. Prior to his resignation announcement, Vučević delivered a speech denouncing societal divisions and criticizing protesters for escalating tensions in the preceding months.
Following Vučević’s resignation, it was also announced that Milan Đurić, a member of the SNS, would step down from his position as the mayor of Novi Sad. Đurić had previously served as mayor from 2012 to 2022.
According to local media outlet 021 in Novi Sad, a group of students were attacked while putting up posters to promote a planned protest on February 1. The assailants, reportedly wielding baseball bats, emerged from the headquarters of the ruling SNS, causing multiple injuries among the students. One student was severely injured and required hospitalization, with reports indicating a dislocated jaw as a result of the attack.
This recent act of violence occurred shortly after a joint press conference by Vučić, Vučević, and Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić, during which they assured that student demands would be addressed and called for a de-escalation of tensions amidst widespread protests across the country.
The attack on the students in Novi Sad is the latest in a series of incidents targeting protesters in Serbia, triggered by a tragic incident at the Novi Sad railway station on November 1, where 15 individuals lost their lives. An earlier attack on students at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in November set off a wave of student blockades at universities nationwide.
In a televised appearance in late December, President Vučić acknowledged the existence of an extremist faction within the SNS, referred to as “the loyalists,” believed to include football hooligans recruited by the ruling party in recent years. This revelation has added a layer of complexity to the ongoing unrest and tensions within Serbia.