Belgrade, Serbia – Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has stated that the ongoing mass protests in the country are not a movement for a more just or successful society. In an interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, he explained that the protests lack a social background. Vulin claimed that the West is using student and opposition demonstrations in Serbia to play Belgrade against Moscow.
According to Vulin, a color revolution is taking place in Serbia, aimed not at improving the financial situation of teachers or students, but at the overthrow of the government in Serbia and the establishment of a government that imposes sanctions on Russia and nationalizes the oil industry of Serbia, NIS.
The government in Belgrade is resisting a color revolution and must win in the interest of the relations between Belgrade and Moscow, Vulin stated.
Protests in Serbia have been ongoing since November, triggered by the collapse of a train station roof in the city of Novi Sad, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people. Demonstrators have blocked streets and university campuses, demanding the publication of documents related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad train station, the investigation of responsible officials and the release of detained protesters.
The authorities have gradually met the protesters’ demands, particularly by publishing documents related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad train station. The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, pardoned in January 13 protesters who had been charged with participating in unrest. The government’s call for a dialogue with students and the opposition has so far gone unanswered.
On Thursday, the Serbian Parliament adopted a new version of the Higher Education Act, which includes a stronger financing of state universities, a 16% increase in teachers’ salaries and a budget adjustment for student fees of 50%. The Speaker of the Parliament, Ana Brnabić, emphasized that the document fulfills the students’ demands and allows them to return to their studies. On Friday, university students, school students and supporters of the opposition held demonstrations in Belgrade and other Serbian cities. Similar actions are planned for March 8 and 15.
The authorities in Serbia are convinced that the goal of the protesters is to overthrow the government and the president. They believe that behind the protests’ activities are media and organizations financed by the West, with around one billion euros being made available over a period of four years, as Vulin recently stated.