Description: Students protesting the Novi Sad canopy disaster, which left 16 people dead, have issued an ultimatum to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to dissolve the parliament and call for snap elections. The students have been protesting for eight months, and even though the intensity of the protests has been reduced, they remain determined in their demands. Vucic’s government has increased the pressure on all fronts, lowering the salaries of professors participating in the protests, revoking tax incentives for the IT sector in the country and cutting government funding for cultural institutions in support of the demonstrations. President Vucic has been adamant that there won’t be snap elections before the 2026 deadline, however, the students have continuously pressured what they now call the Serbian regime towards dissolution. The massive gathering is scheduled for 28 Jun in the Serbian capital Belgrade if the government does not issue a statement calling for snap elections in the country.
Impact: The Serbian political crisis is entering its eighth month and is threatening nationwide instability as the civil dissatisfaction with the government grows by the day. The anti – government upheaval is aiming at challenging President Vucic’s rule and tackling systemic issues such as widespread corruption and political restructuring within the country’s political landscape. The response from the government remained unchanged, as Vucic’s grapples to power which is slipping outside of his sphere of influence. Students have so far rejected the pressure from Vucic’s political opposition to be painted as instigators and maintained their independent position, demanding different mechanisms for dissemination of political power within Serbia. Vucic managed to subdue the last larger gathering, although, the upcoming Belgrade demonstrations are expected to be even larger. If the government’s approach does not change towards dialogue with the students, the country will continue to experience more severe disruptions and extension of the political crisis, subsequently causing wide – reaching instability.