Serbia

Serbia formally bid farewell to Ratko Mladić without a state funeral. Yet the state arranged the transport of his body, the military took part in the ceremony, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church officiated the service, and ruling-party structures organized “spontaneous” gatherings along the route. The funeral thus became a political event and an opportunity for the authorities to instrumentalize a dead body to send messages to both domestic and international audiences.

Serbia (claims it) did not take part in the war in Bosnia. Yet it provided military assistance, handed refugees back into the hands of those they were fleeing, and took part in the killing of civilians. Responsibility did not stop at the border.

Local elections taking place in ten Serbian municipalities were meant to be routine. Instead, for the first time in years, they are competitive and uncertain, as the seemingly untouchable SNS faces a credible challenger. All eyes are now on them as a dress rehearsal for the general elections expected within a year.

The wave of anti-corruption protests that began at the end of 2024 is unprecedented in its scope in Serbia's democratic history. The ways students used popular digital platforms deserve credit for this.

The Kosovo war of 25 years ago serves as a reminder that frozen conflicts and bilateral disputes cannot be swept under the rug for long. In the current geopolitical environment, they will blow up in Europe’s face          

A basic explainer on the legal, technical and political aspects of the Rio Tinto lithium mine project in Western Serbia by our Environment and Energy Coordinator.

The monument to the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty has been the subject of numerous criticisms, both because of its astronomical price and its over-dimensioned size, the location and controversial aesthetics. What does the monument to Stefan Nemanja say about the memory politics that the regime of Aleksandar Vučić wants to promote?

Although the topic of public monuments has not ceased to be the subject of various disputes in the last thirty years, it became even more current in Serbia recently when the construction of a megalomaniac bronze figure of Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja was decided and started in front of the former railway station in Belgrade.