Why the Serbian protests have become a European issue (and what does Djokovic's betrayal have to do with it)
For nearly a year, Serbia has been experiencing a period of protests that shows no sign of abating. The protests began last November, following the Novi Sad tragedy : the collapse of a shelter at the recently renovated station killed sixteen people and lifted the veil on corruption and mismanagement of public works. What initially appeared as a cry of pain from the university community quickly transformed into a mass movement : students, faculty, workers, and entire families took to the streets demanding transparency, institutional accountability, and, above all, new elections.
The country's streets are the beating heart of a mobilization that is silent in Western Europe 's eyes, but extremely powerful within the Balkan region. The marches in Belgrade demonstrated this: on March 15, hundreds of thousands of people staged the largest demonstration since the protests against Slobodan Milosevic , while on June 28, according to independent international observers, over 140,000 citizens occupied the capital's squares in a massive rally. For months, the watchword has been peaceful resistance, refusing to respond to provocations, and showing the civil face of a generation that rejects complete delegation to traditional politics.
Yet, from July onward, the repression intensified : arbitrary arrests, intimidation, disproportionate use of force. The point of no return came in August, with clashes between police, protesters, and groups of ultras close to the government. In Vrbas, Novi Sad, and Belgrade, smoke bombs, bottles, and stones were thrown, marking a sharp escalation that undermined the peaceful nature of the protest . Despite everything, the students declared they would not abandon the square, convinced that popular pressure was the only weapon left against a system perceived as authoritarian and colluding with criminal interests.
On the political front, President Aleksandar Vucic , in power since 2012, has repeatedly ruled out early elections, branding them part of a plot orchestrated from abroad to destabilize Serbia. But behind his refusal lies the fear of a defeat that could pave the way for legal proceedings for constitutional violations and widespread corruption. Meanwhile, the social divide is deepening: even Novak Djokovic , the country's national symbol and sporting pride, has found himself in the government's crosshairs after expressing support for the students. Labeled a traitor and forced to move to Athens with his family , the former world number one tennis player has become a symbol of the personal toll dissent can take.
But what is most striking is the ability of this generation of young people to translate frustration into concrete political action: not just hashtags and social media posts, but the occupation of public space, direct confrontation, and resistance to fear . The Serbian squares are a reminder that democracy in Europe still depends on the active participation of citizens and that the Balkans, far from being a forgotten periphery, remain a crucial laboratory for measuring the strength of the rule of law and the very future of the continent.
These squares force us to look beyond Serbia's borders and reflect on the role of young people in Europe today. In an era when dissent seems confined to social media, the choice of thousands of students to put their lives on hold, facing arrest, intimidation, and violence to demand accountability and transparency has a political significance that transcends the Balkans . It is not only a protest against a government perceived as corrupt and authoritarian , but proof that the younger generation no longer accepts the normalization of the abuse of power.
Serbia shows that the streets, with all their burdens of effort and risk , remain the most powerful tool for building communities, challenging silence, and forcing institutions to respond. Europe, often distracted or inclined to view the Balkans as a problematic periphery, cannot afford to ignore this energy. Because what's at stake isn't just the fate of Belgrade, Novi Sad, or Valjevo , but the democratic stability of the entire continent.
If the new Serbian generations manage to transform protest into political change , break the inertia, and imagine a different future, then we will be faced with a strong signal: that European democracy is not an immobile legacy, but a daily achievement. And that young people, when they choose the road and not the scroll, can still shift the axis of history.
Luce
