Protesters attack government offices in Serbia
President Aleksandar Vucic has said “no civil war” will be allowed and that “no one is stronger than the state, even with foreign support”
Fresh clashes between anti-government demonstrators and police have erupted in Serbia after offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) were set on fire. President Aleksandar Vucic has condemned the unrest, earlier stating that it was being fueled from abroad.
New clashes began on Wednesday in Valjevo, about 100km west of Belgrade, after videos of police using force against protesters spread online. The footage spurred rallies in several cities, with opposition groups accusing authorities of heavy-handed tactics.
Clips posted online showed masked demonstrators throwing flares and stones at empty SNS offices, breaking windows before flames broke out inside. Firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze.
Riot police were deployed in Belgrade and other cities on Saturday night as videos showed protesters hurling flares at officers and police vehicles.
Vucic described the violence as “an expression of total weakness” and promised to “punish the bullies.” ”Alongside all the bad things happening to our country and to us, there is one good thing – all the masks are off. People see everything: the protesters’ nervousness and hysteria are growing, and the violence is becoming more obvious, because they have nothing left to offer,” he said in a video message on Saturday. “The time of accountability has come, and everyone who burned and destroyed will be held responsible and punished for their crimes.”
He added that “no civil war” would be allowed and that “no one is stronger than the state, even with foreign support.” Vucic argued earlier this week that the unrest in Serbia was largely fueled from abroad, drawing parallels with the “color revolutions” seen in other countries. In a related statement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed the European Union is seeking to topple the governments of Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia because they prioritize national interests over alignment with Brussels.
The unrest has “far exceeded civilized protest,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said, adding that Moscow ”cannot remain unresponsive” to events in “brotherly Serbia” and expressed confidence that stability would be restored.
Student-led protests first broke out in 2024 after a railway station roof collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Protesters alleged government corruption and demanded early elections.
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EU leaders want to overthrow three European governments – Budapest
Brussels is pushing for regime change in Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has claimed
The European Union is attempting to topple the governments of Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia for prioritizing national interests over alignment with Brussels, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has claimed.
He made the comments in a Facebook post on Thursday after phone calls with Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and Serbia’s top diplomat, Marko Duric. According to Szijjarto, they agreed to strengthen their stance on sovereignty and pledged mutual solidarity amid what they described as growing external pressure.
“Brussels has ceased to be a factor in world politics. The fact that Europe has been excluded from the Alaska talks proves it,” he wrote, referring to Friday’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
Kiev’s backers in Europe have repeatedly called to be included in any talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the US, insisting that “a European power” should be “in the room” to guarantee that the security interests of Kiev and the EU are “safeguarded.” Unlike the EU, which continues to support Ukraine’s war effort, Szijjarto said Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia have prioritized national interests and resisted pressure from Brussels, favoring peace talks over military involvement.
“This obviously frustrates the mainstream liberal political leaders, and as a result, the pressure is increasing on governments that are supporting peace, following national interests, and not subordinating to Brussels,” the diplomat said.
It’s “clearer than daylight” that “external intervention experiments to destabilize and overthrow governments are taking place in Central Europe against the patriot Slovak, Hungarian, and Serbian governments,” he added.
Szijjarto criticized recent polling in Slovakia, which suggested citizens “only trust revolution,” and accused Brussels of trying to undermine Hungary’s elected leadership by supporting the opposition Tisza Party. He also referenced recent clashes between protesters and police in Serbia, implying that external forces were stirring unrest to destabilize the government.
According to Szijjarto, these “are all different chapters of the same scenario in Brussels: they want to clean up the peace-party, patriot, national-interest governments,” aiming to replace them with puppet governments so Brussels “can get a seat.”
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