How Serbian youth in exile ignite change among diaspora Serbs

A slogan saying “We are waiting for answers” © Isidora Petković

Important note:

This article was originally written in early March, amid a growing wave of student protests in Serbia. Since then, many other events have taken place, such as Serbia’s largest-ever rally on March 15, which brought over 350,000 people to the streets of Belgrade; the attack on university dean in April; and the arrival of student activists in Brussels this Tuesday, after their 18-days ultramarathon aimed at drawing attention from European Union. As of this writing, six activists and students remain imprisoned since March, being described by the European Parliament’s envoy for Serbia, Tonino Picula, as “political prisoners”. The outcome remains uncertain.

GRONINGEN, the Netherlands, March 2 (The Glass Room) - On a gloomy night in the northern city of Groningen, Minja Tomic is not only awaken by the exam she has the next day, but also by the news of the protests that have shaken the political establishment in Serbia and brought her friends to the front lines.

Protests have drawn thousands to the streets of Serbia over the past few months after the roof of a recently renovated train station collapsed in the second-largest city, Novi Sad, killing 15 people and sparking a younger generation’s fight against corruption.

“Corruption is deeply rooted in the country that the only way to get rid of it, it is to cleanse it out completely,” said Tomic, a psychology student at the University of Groningen who left Serbia five years ago to seek higher education and a career.

Serbia ranks 105th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2024, placing it among the lowest-performing countries in Europe and showing the challenges facing the country that is still awaiting membership in the European Union.

Isidora Petković, a human rights activist and a student at the University of Belgrade, started protesting since the beginning of the movement and helped her friends and colleagues who marched from Belgrade to Novi Sad to reach people from small villages.

“We would pass by small villages and then we would like say hi to other people and they would be waiting for us to give us a food or a hug or respect. So that's how we, let's say, woke up almost whole Serbia,” Petković said.

The students' four demands from the government include the publication of documents for the station's renovation, an increase in the budget for higher education, the prosecution of those who attacked students and professors during the protests and the withdrawal of charges against protesting students.

Protests in Serbia © Isidora Petković

So far, Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned at the end of January and 13 other people were convicted in relation to the roof collapse.

President Aleksandar Vučić posted yesterday an apology on Instagram for calling a reporter from the public broadcaster RTS “an imbecile”.

In his statement, the president calls the blockades “unconstitutional and illegal” and rejects the demands of the protesters, claiming that the protests were being supported by foreign forces.

From the scandals of the Milošević era to the present day, Serbia remains divided between Russian influence and European ambitions.

According to Ana Bosnić, a lecturer at Utrecht University, the narrative surrounding the protests is “deeply polarized,” with opposing perspectives constantly circulating. However, she explained that people remain united. 

“Most videos bring tears to my eyes - I can’t believe how wonderful everyone is, how generous, kind and welcoming. People are united, helpful and brave for everything they are doing, and they inspire us all,” she said.

Supported by hundreds of teachers, actors and lawyers, the student-led protests are also encouraged by the Serbian diaspora abroad.

Minja Tomic has shown her support during a demonstration in Amsterdam in January and has joined the Serbian community in the Netherlands via WhatsApp, which regularly donates to Serbian students and organises demonstrations in different cities in the Netherlands. Ana Bosnić is also actively involved in these efforts.

They both are currently planning their participation in the upcoming demonstration in Utrecht this weekend.

Tomic hopes that she will be able to return to her home country after the system change.

“Because home is where happiness is, home is where my family is, home is where my friends are, home is where my culture is waiting for me, it just might take a little bit more time but it is extremely worth it.”