Will Serbia’s mass protests unseat the president?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 6 May 2025
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Serbia’s citizens have been protesting for over six months, taking part in demonstrations around the country in reaction to their government’s alleged corruption. Though the country’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, has attempted to appease them, the movement shows no sign of slowing down.
Situated in the Western Balkans, Serbia has had a long history of conflict; from the Ottoman Empire to the dissolution of Yugoslavia, but the ongoing civil unrest comes at a crossroads moment for President Vučić. Serbia is awaiting approval to join the European Union yet remains closely tied with the Kremlin.
As the Serbian government seeks to solidify its place in the world, protestors continue their calls for transparency and accountability. This week on The Inquiry we ask “Will Serbia’s mass protests unseat the president?”
Contributors: Gordana Andric, Executive Editor at Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Belgrade, Serbia Dr. Andi Hoxhaj OBE, Lecturer in Law and the Director of the European Law LLM pathway programme, King’s College, London Ivana Randelovic, Senior Programme Officer for Europe at Civil Rights Defenders, Belgrade, Serbia Dr. Helena Ivanov, Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, Belgrade, Serbia
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Daniel Rosney Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: James Bradshaw Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Srdjan Stevanovic via Getty Images
Transcript
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| 0:30.0 | across the UK. |
| 0:31.3 | So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds |
| 0:34.1 | where you'll find plenty more. |
| 0:36.1 | Welcome to The Inquiry with me, Tanya Beckett, on the BBC World Service. |
| 0:42.2 | One question, four expert witnesses and an answer. |
| 0:48.3 | It was a fatal accident that cost the lives of 16 people |
| 0:53.2 | and plunged the country into months of demonstrations. |
| 0:57.3 | On November 1st, in Serbia's second biggest city, Novi Sad, the catastrophic collapse of a roof |
| 1:04.4 | canopy caused glass and concrete cascade down with deathly consequences for many travellers below. |
| 1:13.0 | The newly renovated train station is an important link in the planned fast line between |
| 1:19.2 | Budapest and Belgrade. It's reopening a key political boost for the country's president. |
| 1:26.9 | The government called the collapse a terrible tragedy, |
| 1:30.5 | but for many Serbs it was just the latest sign that their government was failing its people. |
| 1:36.2 | There were allegations of corruption and legal cover-ups. |
| 1:41.6 | Students erupted in protests across the country. |
| 1:48.2 | Within months, the unrest had spread to 400 of the country's cities and towns. |
| 1:54.1 | A demonstration in March saw the gathering of over a third of a million people. |
| 1:59.1 | This week on the inquiry, we're asking, |
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