Protests escalates in Belgrade and Moscow accuses the West of seeking to destabilize Serbia
Protests escalated in Belgrade on Monday to denounce acts of fraud that opponents say marred the recent legislative elections in which the ruling nationalist right won, while Moscow accused the West of seeking to destabilize Serbia.
Hundreds of demonstrators initially blocked main streets in Belgrade before gathering in the evening in front of police stations to demand the release of protesters who were arrested on Sunday during confrontations that took place in front of the capital’s municipal headquarters.
On Sunday, demonstrators attacked the municipal building and tried to storm it before security forces were able to repel them.
The Serbian authorities announced that two police officers were seriously injured during the protest, while more than 35 people were arrested.
The Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic condemned the violence in the capital and confirmed that he had evidence that the protests were carried out by external incitement.
Moscow, an ally of Belgrade, accused the West of raising tensions in Serbia, as the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying, “It’s clear that the West as a whole seeks to destabilize Serbia”.
Zakharova likened these demonstrations to those that took place in Kiev and led to the rise of pro-Western supporters to power in Ukraine in 2014.
In turn, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday in a press conference that there are attempts by third parties, including from abroad, to stir up unrest in Belgrade.
The party of Nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic announced its victory in the legislative elections that took place on December 17.
Germany considered any fraud in the elections unacceptable for a country hoping to join the European Union, while Washington called on Belgrade to address the concerns of election observers, while the European Union said that the electoral process in Serbia requires tangible improvements and more reforms.
Internally, Vucic’s successes mainly revolve around the economy in one of the poorest countries on the European continent, with inflation reaching 16% in the spring before falling to about 8% in November.
For Vucic’s supporters, the president under his rule has established order and attracted billions in investments. Between 2012 and 2022, foreign direct investment in Serbia increased from 1 billion to 4.4 billion Euros.
In Belgrade, the demonstrators, most of whom are students from the “Borba” (Fight) organization, demand a review of electoral records, which, according to their opinion, are considered the origin of electoral fraud.
The elections sparked widespread criticism after a team of international observers, including representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned a series of irregularities, including buying votes.
Since then, hundreds of people have been demonstrating daily in front of the headquarters of the Serbian Election Commission.
Members of the main opposition list, Serbia Without Violence, began a hunger strike in an attempt to cancel the results.
