In Serbia, protests regarding the tragedy in Novi Sad are in full swing. The authorities are demanding the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, the resignations of the Prime Minister of Serbia and the mayor of Novi Sad are also awaited.
The tragedies that Serbian society has gone through in a very short time show that the system does not work in any sphere of society, so citizens seek justice on the streets. However, for more than a decade, the rebellions have not brought any changes.
The interlocutors of "Vremen" agree on one thing, because they are aimless.
Research associate of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory Dejan Bursać tells "Vreme" that the answer to the main question is unclear - what do you want to achieve?
Photo: Milica Vučković/FonetBelgrade, November 11. Gathering of citizens for a protest in "Corruption kills"
"I would say that activists have perhaps a greater chance of success in this political framework than political parties, and we saw that with the example of the protests against Rio Tinto in 2021 and 2022." There were concrete and achievable demands", says Bursać.
As he explains, regime change is not necessarily the ultimate goal for activists. They can focus on a clear goal, which can attract the attention of a large number of citizens, if it is reasonable.
"Vučić uses confusion, he immediately said after 'Ribnikar' and after the disaster in Novi Sad - do you want elections or a referendum on the impeachment of the president?" Although the latter does not exist in our Constitution. He immediately goes to the electoral arena because that is how he will lure his opponents. Then they focus on Vučić and the protests are diluted and defocused," says Bursać.
Also, he adds, he delegitimizes the organizers because he says, you see, they don't care about the victims in Novi Sad in this case, they care about changing the government.
"This is the expected approach of the regime, which they have been playing by for a long time. When you learn to focus your requirements and ask for them in a reasonable way, then maybe there is a chance that the goals will be achieved", says Bursać.
What is the goal?
It raises the question, in this particular case, is the goal of achieving responsibility for the collapse of the Railway Station in Novi Sad?
"Or is it a maximalist goal of regime change?" I don't see a change happening in the near future, because of all the other structural implications that support this regime", says Bursać.
From the perspective of the opposition, he adds, I guess they have realized by now that they will not overthrow the regime by gathering 100.000 people on the street and standing there for several hours.
"But maybe the synthesis of numerous situations in which the opposition succeeds in defeating the regime, will." Maybe it's time for the opposition to try some long-term strategy, without it being all short-term euphoria and hopelessness. So after a defeat, one falls into apathy", says Bursać.
When it comes to activism, it also indicates that the responsibility is often shifted to the citizens.
"People are the same everywhere. Human nature everywhere responds to similar stimuli. I would say that every failed activism is the fault of the organizers. Who have not studied enough how to mobilize citizens, to animate them", says Bursać.
Serbia as a beacon of activism in the region
Although the search for justice on the street sometimes seems hopeless, Banja Luka social psychologist and analyst Srđan Puhalo tells "Vreme" that Serbia, in relation to the entire region, acts as a beacon of struggle against the authorities.
"Even though everything is sometimes presented as a bunch of losers who rebel non-stop and lose every time, I think that all these defeats lead to victory. Don't put up with the current situation, unlike us in Bosnia and Herzegovina, unlike Montenegro, Macedonia... Croatia is a story by itself", says Puhalo.
Photo: Zoran Mrđa/FonetNovi Sad, 17.11.2024.
Blockade of the intersection near the railway station in Novi Sad, which was called for by youth activist organizations, STAV and SviĆe, demanding responsibility for the fall of the railway station canopy, when 15 people died and two were seriously injured.
The interlocutor of "Vremena" adds that despite the fact that there are currently no results, he sees that people in Serbia are the only ones who permanently go out on the streets.
"Even compared to Romania, Bulgaria, which are not much more organized countries, you have had actions for years, in which, admittedly, you spend some leaders, but you are still looking for a solution.
It is impossible that no one else has problems, except Serbia. The others in the region seem to have come to terms with the situation", Puhalo believes.
Ideological schizophrenia
Another part of the story, he says, is why these struggles are not successful.
"What I see as Serbia's problem is that it does not know what it wants from itself. She is divided, we can even say schizophrenic. The stomach wants to go to the West, and the heart wants to go to the East. They want democracy, but some would also like a king", says Puhalo.
It's as if the priorities can't be arranged, he adds, and things are constantly being reassessed.
"In the whole range of ideologies, there is no way to crystallize a clear picture of where Serbia wants to go."
Because if you look at public opinion polls, you are anti-European. And it seems to me that Serbia is currently much more European than Montenegro, Bosnia and Macedonia in the sense that the forces for Europe are much stronger than anywhere else", says Puhalo.
In such a situation, he emphasizes, a lot of energy is directed in many directions and there is no focus.
Photo: Nenad Mihajlović/TanjugNovi Sad, May 8, 2023 - Protest scheduled by part of the opposition. Several thousand citizens in a protest walk called "Everything must stop".
"And so it seems to me, from Djindjic's government to now." Another thing that is very important is that your playground of political struggle is strange. There are no clear rules, or they change during the game.
You don't have referees who follow the rules and enforce them. There are no democratic elections, free media, the judiciary is ineffective", says Puhalo.
Small victories are not taken for granted
Despite all this, the spark of civic activism lives on.
"You have lithium, you have Novi Sad, it's not just a spark, it's a very heated thing. I think that Vučić now, as many holes as there are on the ship, does not have enough fingers on his hands to plug them", says Puhalo.
As one of the key problems of the region, he points out the lack of a role model, a model by which changes would take place.
"But changes need time, perseverance and focus." In the end, we all have the problem that people who are disappointed and angry leave us.
They do not stay in the country to fight. There is no way we will reach a critical mass that will be angry, powerful and big enough to make a change. We lack a model of success and hope that something can change", says Puhalo.
He points out, however, that there are small victories, only the government covers them up and presents them as defeats.
"Small successes are not celebrated, they are taken for granted. Instead of rising to a certain level to restore self-confidence, hope and faith that it can be done", concludes Puhalo.
