Protests escalate in Serbia! EU criticises violence, Vucic accused of using criminal gangs to suppress demonstrators

Even criminal gangs are reportedly being used. Is this straining Serbia's relations with the European Union?

The situation in Serbia is tense: Every day there are new reports of police violence against demonstrators, arrests and allegations that the Western Balkan country's government is hiring criminal gangs against its civilian population.

Since a train station tent collapsed in the northern Serbian town of Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people, protests against the Serbian government have continued intact. The demonstrations were peaceful for a long time, but in recent days, violence has escalated on the streets of the capital, Belgrade, and other cities. The country's right-wing populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, now wants to act even harder against the protesters.

How is Brussels reacting to recent escalations in the EU candidate country?
European Union Ambassador to Serbia Andreas von Beckerath called in a statement “on all sides to reduce tensions”. Any suspicion of excessive use of force by police should be properly investigated.

Asked by the DW, the European Commission said it is closely monitoring the situation in Serbia. The EC's position is clear: “The right to peaceful demonstrations and freedom of assembly must be respected and authorities should protect participants in strikes from injuries or violence”, said Guillaume Mercier, a Commission spokesman. However, these statements are not enough for many politicians and observers. For months, they have called for a tougher stance against the Serbian government and President Vucic.

Critical by European Parliament

One of the critics is the Tonino Picula Eurodeput. As a rapporteur for Serbia in the European Parliament, it costs the country much time. The Croatian Social Democrat criticised Brussels on Wednesday, speaking of the N1 television station covering the entire Western Balkans, for failing to adopt a more unified and critical attitude towards Serbia. “The EU currently has neither the motivation nor the capacity to act differently towards Aleksandar Vucic's regime. Unlike Ukraine, the unity needed to exert pressure is missing here”, Picula said.

The strategic interests of both Brussels and Belgrade can also play a role here: In 2024, The EU signed an agreement with Serbia, providing access to Serbian lithium. Furthermore, Serbia has skillfully exploited its friendly relations with Russia, says Antigona Imer of the Centre for European Policy Studies, a group of headquarters experts in Brussels. Fearing a close approach to former Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime, Europe has been very soft: “This EU softening strategy has failed, it must now urgently use a different tone. ”

Only 40% for the EU

But even after the recent escalation of violence, The EU continues to operate the “method as usual works out” with Serbia and failed to clearly make the government responsible. “This is understood by a geopolitical perspective, but it gets problematic if it creates the impression that it goes at the expense of the basic values of Union”, Imer said.

The impression that creates undermines many people's trust in the EU, and trust in Serbia is already relatively weak: In a 2025 spring survey conducted by the International Republican Institute, only 40 per cent of respondents said they would vote for their country's EU accession. Meanwhile, more than half say they no longer believe that the EU is seriously interested in the Western Balkan states joining.

EU Serbia's most important economic partner

Not all experts consider Brussels' strategy towards Belgrade problematic: “I think it is too early to assess the EU's position on the issue”, says Nina Vujanovic of the Brussels-based research organisation Bruegel. The EU has signaled that it is monitoring the situation and should continue to do so.

Instead of putting pressure on it, Brussels should focus on economic incentives then the risk of leaving Serbia to Russia would be low: “Serbia has a much greater economic interest in implementing EU reforms than in approaching Russia”, according to Vujanovic. The country has long been economically linked to the EU: Over 60 per cent of Serbian exports go to the EU, and over 60 per cent of foreign direct investments in Serbia come from there.

Economic means can certainly put pressure on Vucic and his regime: The EU has promised Serbia a staggering 1.6 billion euros by 2027, but these funds are linked to implementing reforms. “The EU could cut these funds or delay their separation if it stipulates that a country is not meeting its” obligations, Vujanovic explains.

So far, Serbia, which has been a candidate for EU membership since 2012, seems to be far from implementing reforms needed for EU membership. An EU report on rule of law in Serbia, published in July, revealed, among other things, that strong political pressure continues on the judiciary and civil society associations. There are growing concerns about the safety of journalists in Serbia.

It is against this situation that all students and many other local citizens have been on the streets for months despite the danger of arrest or police injury. If violence continues during the protests, the EU could come under increased pressure to take a clearer stance on Belgrade. /DW/ Periscope.