SERBIA'S STUDENT-LED PROTEST TOPPLE ALEKSANDAR VUCIC IN HISTORIC WIN
Written by Michael Thervil
[SERBIA STUDENT PROTEST ALEKSANDAR VUCIC] After more than two weeks of student-led protest in Serbia, it appears that students have gained enough traction to oust the now former right wing Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his followers of the SNS (Serbian Progressive Party). Students across Serbia banded together in protest to demand a rapid change in when it came to justice on all college campuses. Serbian students also protested to demand further changes in the behavior of police agencies, the auditing of assets owned by public officials, transparency within the government, the freeing Press and Media organization from government controls, and the implementation of merit based hiring practices along with the depoliticization of public jobs. Former president Aleksandar Vučić was defeated in the streets as well as in the polls.
On the surface students are protesting governmental negligence and corruption. But on a deeper level Serbian students are both protesting and demanding that school textbooks should be free and for an increase in their ability to engage in innovation within educational institutions. When it came to entrepreneurship and farmers, students and non-students demanded that the government provide and significantly increase the amount of grants and subsidies for these sectors in Serbian society and decrease the number of jobs that rely on cheap labor. Protestors also demanded that doctors be present in every village to make medical care accessible to all Serbians regardless of their geographical location within the country.
Fair, accessible, and equitable Housing opportunities was another issue protesters demanded a change occur in as high taxes are seen as a major roadblock in many Serbians not being able to afford a home, especially those that fall within the younger age bracket. Increasing the government's role in ensuring food security for all Serbians was another social issue that demanded the government provide better coverage as 40-45% of all Serbians currently work for low wages. The lack of job security was a social issue that was heavily protested as well.
While former President Aleksandar Vučić was forced to concede his presidency of 14 years, there has been no students elected to take his place, nor has there been any student elected to any political office to date. While the world is observing the nation's protest now in real time, the spark that ignited the national protest started two years ago when a concrete canopy collapsed just outside the Novi Sad train station which led to the deaths of 16 people. While there was a design flaw that led to deaths, the discovered design flaw served as a doorway for Serbian citizens to investigate and bring to light the high level of corruption that ultimately played a vital part in how and why the canopy collapsed and the deaths that ensued as a result.
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