After the chaotic events that unfolded during a parliamentary session on Tuesday in Serbia, it is becoming increasingly evident that the anti-government protests, which have been taking place primarily in Belgrade since November 2024, have a more serious objective than merely drawing attention to alleged state corruption in the Western Balkan country. The demonstrations have evolved into a ‘movement’ aimed at ousting the democratically elected government and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić from power.
Tensions, which had been simmering for months, erupted on Tuesday amid a vote on a bill to increase university funding during the first day of the legislature’s spring session. Opposition politicians, demanding that the Serbian government step down before proceeding with the agenda, boycotted the vote and engaged in actions that disgraced both the institution of parliament and democracy as a whole.
Smoke Bombs, Flares and Eggs
In what appeared to be a well-coordinated attack on the Serbian government, MPs from opposition parties threw smoke bombs, flares, eggs, and various other objects towards the seats of government representatives. They chanted anti-government slogans, making it impossible to present proposals. Eventually, opposition and government MPs clashed in fistfights and pushing around each other, making the scene resemble a session in a banana republic rather than a parliamentary debate in one of the region’s major powers and a potential future member of the European Union. Three politicians were injured during the incident, including one MP who suffered a stroke amid the chaos and had to be hospitalized in a life-threatening condition.
President Vučić called for criminal prosecution of all those who engaged in disorderly conduct during the session in an interview broadcast on Tuesday evening. Vučić described the opposition’s actions as ‘violent and hooligan-like’, emphasizing that such scenes had never occurred in the legislature since Serbia transitioned to a multi-party system.
Adding to the tensions, Interior Minister Ivica Dačić announced that there had been reports of a bomb planted in parliament. However, after a thorough search of the building, no explosives were found. He further stated that, in accordance with the law, all those responsible for the disturbances would be held accountable. The interior minister also pointed out that such acts of violence are not covered by parliamentary immunity.
An Endless Circle of Crises
A long series of crises led to Tuesday’s events, with Serbian politics plagued by repeated instability and frequent early elections in recent years. However, despite this, Vučić and his party, the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), have consistently secured electoral victories, most recently in December 2023. The main opposition party, Serbia Against Violence (SPN), was formed in response to mass protests that erupted in May 2023 following several mass shootings in the country, which ultimately led to the early elections in December 2023.
SPN quickly recognized an opportunity to capitalize on the unrest that began in November 2024 after the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, which tragically claimed 15 lives. Critics argue that government corruption and negligence contributed to the disaster, sparking large-scale anti-government demonstrations. These protests have intensified in recent months, with strikes and blockades paralyzing the capital, causing a significant damage to Serbian economy.
In response to the tragedy, Construction Minister Goran Vesić resigned in November, while prosecutors filed indictments against 13 individuals in December. Prime Minister Miloš Vučević also resigned in January, followed by Novi Sad Mayor Milan Đurić. In an attempt to address public sentiment, Vučić invited opposition parties to initiate a confidence referendum against him, citing a survey indicating that 52 per cent of Serbs wanted him replaced, while 61 per cent supported the anti-government protests. However, these efforts never materialized.
The government and Vučić have also sought to address some of the protesters’ demands, particularly those related to higher education reform—as most of the demonstrators are students. Last week, the government adopted amendments to the higher education law, which included a 50 per cent reduction in tuition fees for self-financing students at state-funded institutions. ‘The amendments to the Law on Higher Education increase the budget for higher education by 20 per cent, or by 12 billion dinars (approximately 100 million euros), which aligns with the fourth student demand. Moreover, additional funds amounting to 5.7 billion dinars have been allocated for salary increases for employees in higher education, effective from March,’ the government stated.
Regional Pattern of Destabilization Efforts
The proposed reforms were scheduled for discussion during Tuesday’s parliamentary session, but opposition parties sabotaged the debate, raising questions about their true motives and whose interests they serve. This is particularly relevant in light of recent revelations by Donald Trump and US billionaire Elon Musk, co-chair the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who exposed the globalist network of NGOs and media outlets involved in foreign interference, promoting progressive agendas, and attempting to undermine sovereigntist governments that refuse to comply.
Following Trump and Musk’s purge of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the subsequent exposure of billions in US taxpayer dollars spent on foreign meddling, Serbia launched an investigation into organizations linked to this network in the country. Authorities have been tasked with gathering information on potential abuses of funds and money laundering. Vučić has claimed that, over the past decade, Western powers have allocated approximately three billion dollars in efforts to remove him from power. Serbian Deputy Minister Aleksandar Vulin echoed the president’s concerns, accusing Western intelligence agencies of attempting to stage a colour revolution in Serbia.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Vučić, has also weighed in on the situation, placing it in a broader geopolitical context. Orbán stated that the current events should be viewed as part of a wider civilizational clash between globalist progressives and patriotic forces that prioritize national interests. He noted that since the globalists lost Washington—referring to Trump’s return to the White House—, efforts to destabilize Central Europe have intensified, with Slovakia, Serbia, and Hungary all experiencing attacks on their sovereignty.
‘Current events should be viewed as part of a wider civilizational clash’
Hungarian opposition parties and their affiliated media received nearly $7.2 million in illicit foreign funding through the Washington-based NGO Action for Democracy, which is closely linked to USAID and Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros. In his 2025 State of the Nation address, Orbán vowed to crack down on NGOs financed by foreign sources, stating: ‘Let us shut off the Soros network’s financial sluice gates; let the state bodies do their duty in protecting sovereignty.’ By Easter 2025 legislation modelled on the US Magnitsky Act will be introduced to block foreign funding for political activities. Orbán also appointed MEP András László as ministerial commissioner responsible for investigating USAID’s financial influence in Hungary.
A similar scenario unfolded in Slovakia in late January, where NGOs behind anti-government protests were not only linked to USAID and George Soros but also to the Georgian Legion, a volunteer battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico even sent a letter to Elon Musk, asking for additional information on NGOs in the country linked to USAID.
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