Serbia in flames, Vučić calls the National Security Council

2025-08-19 12:18:49Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Serbia in flames, Vučić calls the National Security Council
Protesters block the building of the justice institutions in Novi Sad

Serbia has experienced high tensions over the past week as anti-government protests escalated into violence in major cities. In Belgrade, police used tear gas to break up groups of demonstrators, while hundreds were arrested and dozens injured.

Demonstrators attacked and destroyed the premises of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Palilula and Zemun, and after police intervention and their removal, President Aleksandar Vučić also visited one of these facilities.

Vučić praised the police and declared that "the state is stronger than any protest," while Interior Minister Ivica Dačić denied the use of violence by the police.

Meanwhile, Vučić has convened the National Security Council today.

The decision-making body, composed of the president, prime minister, ministers of defense, interior affairs, and justice, as well as heads of intelligence services, examines issues important to Serbia's national security.

At the last session held on August 2, Vučić announced that Serbia does not recognize the decision of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the president of the Republika Srpska entity, Milorad Dodik, describing it as "political and anti-democratic", and emphasizing that this decision endangers regional stability.

The protests, led mainly by students, began after the collapse of part of the railway station in Novi Sad, which caused the deaths of 16 people, fueling civic anger against corruption and poor government management.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, called for calm and respect for the right to peaceful assembly, underlining that "the Serbian state must respect human rights standards and the rule of law."


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