Protests in Serbia / Is Vucic weakening?

Mass protests by citizens in recent weeks in Serbia have led to the reinstatement of the law on expropriations and amendments to the law on the referendum, which were the main demands of the “Kreni-promeni” (Nisu-Ndrysho) initiative.

The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) acknowledged the political defeat and publicly stated that they did not listen enough to the voice of the people and that they would now change their approach to communicating with those who think differently. Few believe this, but it is clear that the Serbian authorities are trying to ease some of the pressure that citizens have so far exerted on the streets of Serbian cities, with the empty promise that from today they will have more attention to dialogue. with political opponents.

The Nisu-Change initiative states that after the official announcements of the authorities, they will stop further roadblocks and that they will consider further strategic steps. The “Environmental Uprising” movement believes that nothing is over until the lithium mine in Serbia is stopped and the Rio Tinto company is expelled. This move warns of the continuation of the protest.

Power is forced to make changes

The result of the protests so far is still quite large, says for DW Dragan Popovic, director of the Center for Practical Policies. “The fact that (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic met all the requirements under the pressure of the citizens is a great progress not only in politics but also for civic activism. “The state gave up its important goals because it was simply forced to do so.”

“I think the government was most intimidated by the potential of these protests,” Vesna Malisic, deputy editor-in-chief of NIN magazine, told DW. “The government was afraid of a great determination in the protests and what follows from these protests, and this is the mobilization of an even greater number of people. “The success of that protest is that it surprised the government, it surprised the opposition, it surprised the citizens themselves”, she says.

Falling Vuiqi??

Serbia is awaiting elections in early April, and one of the unknowns is how all the events surrounding the protest and the current SNS political losses will affect its position as President Aleksandar Vucic.

“On the one hand it will certainly affect, but there must be another party that will accept those voters who are disappointed with Vucic“, Thinks Popovic.

““The decline in the popularity of Vucic and the SNS should be capitalized on through the good work of the opposition, but I am not sure that the opposition will succeed in doing so.” Therefore, it will affect his position, but I think it is too early to say how it will affect the election result“, Emphasizes the director of the Center for Practical Policies.

Vesna Malisic points out that Vucic has tried various strategies in recent weeks, from sending bandits to cause incidents among protesters to trying to compromise the protest, and none of these ideas have succeeded.

“It could weaken his position. He connects this with the return of citizens to the political scene as important political actors. When this tower of power and authority begins to fall, it will be unstoppable. “Maybe four months is not enough for this, but this protest showed that Vuçiçi is declining”, she says.

Ecology and manipulations

The calculations for the fall of the government’s rating should also take into account the classic maneuver of Vuiqiiq, who blamed all the blame for the situation with the two mentioned laws on the Government of Serbia and its ministers.

The message to SNS voters is clear – Vucic is infallible and any problems that arise are the result of either the actions of the former authorities or the confusion of the current ministers and prime ministers. Even in this situation, government voters could see Vucic as the savior of the people from the evil moves of his closest associates, which Vucic would have prevented – if he had known earlier.

“The SNS is a party in which everyone, except Vucic and his family, is a consumer good“, Emphasizes Dragan Popovi.. “But I believe that in this case it will be more difficult.” “It seems to me that it has been much easier for Vucic when it comes to the fight against crime, or some more general topics. “While with these very specific topics, I think it has not been in a more difficult situation for a long time,” Popovic added.

The bad news for Vuçi. Is that a certain media opening is being seen on the way to the elections, thinks Vesna Maliiqi..

“Some people who have never appeared on national frequency television before, have now started appearing in these media as well. “I think Vucic is now drafting a strategy to get out of the current situation and stay clean himself, just as he escaped from the history of crime at the head of the government and remain as a supposed fighter against the same crime.” Malishiq.

Continuation of protests

The continuation of the protest is accompanied by numerous suspicions and unknown places, but what is clear at the moment is that certain groups and movements will try to keep the protests as a form of pressure on the authorities. Environmental issues remain at the forefront, although authorities claim that all environmental requirements have been met and that continuing the protest is “merely a simple policy”. How much they will manage to maintain the existing level will be known soon, but as Dragan Popovic points out, “people’s dissatisfaction is great, but mixed messages are already being sent.”

“At the moment when some want to celebrate the victory, while others continue with the protests, of course some of the citizens will stay at home, because people just do not react well to mixed messages.”

Vesna Malisic believes that we are already entering the weakness of all the protests so far, and this is the fact that different leaders are emerging who have different desires and ideas, up to how the protests should take place. I think the much needed energy will be wasted here because there is still a lot of time until the election. “But the continuation of the protest may surprise us, as the recent protests have surprised us,” said Vesna Malisic. / DW.

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