"The European Union should abandon the idea that Vučić is the guarantor of the region's stability. He may have been once, but now that he is in serious trouble, he could become a risk," the German press assesses.
"It's been a week since mass protest in Belgrade, but the students' fight against Vučićeva government is not finished. There is suspicion that his security forces used special weapons. If it turns out to be true, it could completely change the situation," Welt assesses.
The German newspaper presents an extensive analysis of events from Serbia, written by journalist Tatjana Om. She herself was a direct witness of what happened in Belgrade during the tribute to the victims from Novi Sad. This is how he describes it:
"But then the silence is suddenly interrupted by a sound, about a hundred meters away, in Kralja Milan Street. A sound that forces hundreds to flee in panic. They run towards Trg Slavija, through the crowd standing there. People are crushed, pressed against the walls of buildings, falling. After a few minutes, the situation slowly calms down, among other things, because many managed to keep their nerve. We keep hearing the call not to panic." DW reports.
The article recalls that the moment was captured on numerous videos and that "those who were directly affected by the sound describe it as a low-flying jet heading towards them, causing pain." It is assessed that "there is a suspicion that sound weapons were used either to disperse the crowd or to cause mass panic" and reminds that "the use of such weapons is prohibited in Serbia".
The German journalist also states that all this caused great debates in the public. He then concludes: "Students and their protest are currently somewhat overshadowed by that discussion. Last Saturday was the peak of their fight against the Vučić system, but it is not over yet. 'This is not a sprint, this is a marathon,' said one speaker last week. However, if it is proven that the security authorities used sound weapons, the situation could change faster than many currently believe. The marathon could become a half marathon."
The Balkan Spring of the European Union
The fact that the protests in Serbia and North Macedonia are now caused by corruption is the reason why the movement is so broad, Tageskeitung estimates. "Corruption sounds harmless. A few bills here, a small favor there. But corruption was also on a massive and violent scale in the former Yugoslavia for a long time, even without the two deadly events in Novi Sad and Kočani."
"Politicians of the successor states of Yugoslavia wanted to remove political corruption from the time of communism, and they themselves became corrupt politicians and officials. For years, one could watch how trust in the state melts faster than a glacier during climate change," writes the German newspaper.
"At the same time, trust in the European Union has declined. Frustration and fear are piling up not only in Serbia and Macedonia, but also in Croatia, because the lack of independence of the judiciary continues to flourish almost unhindered, even in one EU country. The fact that corruption in Southeastern Europe is no longer ignored - despite all the tragedy of the event - finally offers prospects for a future worth living there," says the Tageskeitung. And he concludes: "If the EU consistently faced corruption, it could experience its own Balkan spring."
Deep alienation of citizens from politicians
"The failure of the state and corruption are mobilizing the citizens of Serbia and Romania, but the images from the protests cannot be different: in Serbia, young people are marching across the country, cheerful and non-violent, and just a few hundred kilometers to the east, in Romania, frustrated citizens are gathering around right-wing extremist parties," writes the Swiss Noye Zircher Zeitung.
"If we take a closer look, both phenomena have similar roots: it is a deep alienation of citizens from a political class that does not achieve what it was elected for and from institutions that can be bribed. Something is brewing in the Balkans," says the author of the article, Andreas Ernst.
"What can Europe do? Not much," the Swiss journalist believes. And he states: "First of all, there are several things he should not do. In Romania, he should not support the questionable exclusion of right-wing extremist Calin Djordescu from the presidential elections. That non-transparent verdict further increased distrust in the judiciary and politics, and thus the influence of extremists. Neo-fascists should be eliminated at the polling stations."
As far as Serbia is concerned," the author states, "the EU should abandon the idea that Vučić is the guarantor of the stability of the region. Maybe he once was, but now that he is in serious trouble, he could become a risk. (…) With Bosnia and Herzegovina to the west and Kosovo to the south, Serbia borders two crisis areas. Vučić, through his allies in Republika Srpska and in the north of Kosovo, has direct influence. Europe and the US (to the extent that they still care) should be on their guard. An open crisis in the neighborhood could give Vučić an excuse to stop the civil movement process."
In the end, the Swiss paper comes to the following conclusion: "Responsibility for greater democratization in Romania and Serbia lies with the citizens of those countries themselves. The last years have shown that the EU's influence in the region is constantly declining. This has increased political risks, but at the same time, personal responsibility and civic spirit have also increased. The protests in the Balkans ultimately show that Romanians and Serbs are emancipating themselves."
A fire broke out in places on the Adriatic coast in the area of Piska and Marušić, east of Omiš in Croatia, and the fire is spreading in the direction of houses. Extinguishing the fire is made difficult by the storm
The Israel-Iran war has grabbed the headlines, but thousands of people in Gaza are losing their lives, homes and dignity every day - without any attention. The humanitarian disaster deepens, while hostages and civilians struggle to survive, completely forgotten
The Human Rights Watch organization warns that the European Union and Great Britain are increasingly treating the Western Balkans as a "warehouse for migrants". In Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the announcement of possible deportations from Great Britain, the issues of security, camp capacity and political will to sign such agreements have been reopened.
The war between Israel and Iran enters its second week. Donald Trump is weighing whether the US should intervene militarily, European officials are negotiating with Iran's foreign minister, and Serbia is evacuating its citizens.
The European Parliament, on the initiative of right-wing parties, voted to form a working group that will examine the financing of non-governmental organizations from the European Union budget. The decision was initiated by right-wing parties
Can the students and the opposition make up for 51 votes in the repeated elections at polling station number 25 in Kosjerić? Is it an impossible mission or another attempt that changes everything
The Serbian Government elected the commander of the "White Eagles", Dragoslav Bokan, as the president of the Board of Directors of the National Theater. Why not read "Aco Serbs" instead of "Your hands are bloody"?
What will Vučić do when his second presidential term expires in 2027. The Constitution does not provide for a third. Maybe he won't go into political retirement
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