I'm John Bachelor with Ivana Stradner, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy,

who helps me

understand a part of the world.

I've never been.

I've been reading about it all my life, of course, because it's the beginning of the

crisis of the 20th century, the Western Balkans, and Serbia especially.

When last we talked, Ivana, the people of Serbia continued their protests routinely against the leadership because of corruption.

In that case, it was Chinese builders who had constructed something that fell on students and killed them,

and they wanted accountability in the capital in Belgrade.

What's happened since?

So the protests continuing?

Has there been any answer to the people's complaint? So what we are seeing right now in Serbia is the

continuation of massive protests that has been around for more than a year. But there is also a bigger

picture out there, which is that President Wuchch has been in power

for a very long time. And basically, there is no feasible opposition because just like Putin,

as soon as he came to power, he destroyed pro-Western opposition himself as a pillar of stability

and strengthened the far-right group so he can tell

the European Union, hey, if you don't want me, the alternative is even worse. And he has

strengthened very close ties to Russia, China, Iran, at the same time, he has tried also to develop

ties with the United States and European Union because he only needs their money.

He is not there for any moralistic or idealistic or strategic reasons other than to remain in power, which is his only thing.

Students are continuing with protests.

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