Never back down
Serbian students showed once again the strength of the movement, as Vučić goes to China.
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Never back down
The protest called by the Serbian students in Belgrade’s Slavija Square last Saturday was huge, showing once again the strength of the movement.
HOW MANY? According to the Public Assembly Archive, between 180,000 and 190,000 people showed up, making it the second-biggest protest in Serbia’s history.
NOPE. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and pro-government media downplayed the figures, but the pictures they used to do so don’t look too convincing.
FOCUS. It was the first protest after the students published their memorandum on Kosovo. The topics on stage, though, appeared to have stayed clear of nationalism.
After the protest, a fight erupted between a small part of the protesters and the police.
TRIP. Vučić, during a visit to China, signed a memorandum of support for the Global Security Initiative, China’s challenge to the US-led security order.
DEAL. In exchange, he announced Chinese investment in Serbia starting in July on AI, robots, cars, and energy for a total of €940 million.
SHAKY. Serbian President Vučić’s signature diplomacy style is playing all sides.
But as the US stance against China and the EU becomes more aggressive, it’s unclear how long he can keep going without stepping on anyone’s toes.
He’s back
Last Friday, Janez Janša was elected prime minister of Slovenia.
Right now, he’s busy putting together a list of ministers, which will need to be approved by parliament in the coming days.
REMINDER. Janša is one of the country’s best-known politicians, dating back to the independence movement from Yugoslavia in the 1980s.
In recent years, he has become more of a populist right-winger and an admirer of US President Donald Trump.
NEW MAJORITY. The parliament has a new centre-right majority, and it shows.
On 26 May, it voted to bury the remains of thousands of people – mostly Nazi collaborators – killed by communist partisans right after the end of WWII. The bodies will be buried in the Žale monumental cemetery in Ljubljana.
REMINDER. The issue has divided Slovenian politics for years, and it is extremely controversial. Rodolfo wrote about it here.
NOT SO FAST. Ljubljana has a powerful left-wing mayor, Zoran Janković. He said he is studying ways to oppose the decision.
New parties, same fight
Greece, the birthplace of democracy, has seen two new parties enter the political race.
Both are looking to capitalise on widespread frustration with PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his New Democracy party, which has held power since 2019.
NEWCOMERS. Maria Karystianou launched the “Hope for Democracy” party. A doctor, she emerged as a political figure after her daughter died in the Tempi train crash in 2023.
OLD FACES. Former Greek PM Alexis Tsipras also unveiled his new party, the “Greek Left Alliance”, launching his political comeback after losing for the second time to Mitsotakis in 2023.
WILL THEY MAKE IT? Right now, polls put Tsipras in second place, behind Mitsotakis and ahead of the main center-left party PASOK and Karystianou.
So far, it doesn’t look like they’ll manage to dethrone Mitsotakis, but the race is still long.
IN OTHER NEWS.
Belgium has opened an investigation into whether its citizens shot civilians in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the 1990s siege. Austria has opened an investigation as well.
The government of Kosovo, led by Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje, approved cash handouts and higher maternity benefits 16 days before the general elections. A true classic.
Around 52 per cent of all water in Croatia is lost because of leaks in the pipeline system.
Today we have a selection of YouTube videos for you, some dealing with the past, some looking forward.
Vidi TV is releasing a multi-part documentary about Josip Broz Tito and socialist Yugoslavia. The first episode came out a few days ago, with English subtitles. It looks promising.
Italo-Bosnian rapper doppelgangër released a song hyping up the Bosnian national team as the first World Cup match gets closer.
And that’s a wrap for this week! As always, if you’ve got thoughts, comments or suggestions, just reply to this email or leave a comment.
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Until next week, take care,
BB
Calling this a student movement papers over the quiet hand of the old guard. Vučić left for Beijing because the real choreography happens in the ministries, not on the plaza.