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"Fourth Slavija": As Vučić counts people from China, students have already counted problems and have an idea how to solv

"Fourth Slavija": As Vučić counts people from China, students have already counted problems and have an idea how to solve them

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Students in Serbia have presented solutions for societal problems, demonstrating political maturity beyond mere protest.
  • The "Fourth Slavija" event was framed as a pre-election rally where students offered concrete programs for healthcare, education, and other sectors.
  • Authorities are accused of denying repression and attributing violence to others, while students claim the government is trying to downplay the protest's significance through exaggerated police numbers and false claims.

Students in Serbia have demonstrated a significant level of political maturity, moving beyond simple protest to offer concrete solutions for the country's problems. The recent "Fourth Slavija" event, described by some as a pre-election rally rather than a protest, saw students present detailed programs addressing critical sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, justice, and culture. This shift from merely highlighting issues to proposing actionable plans has been noted as a sign of growing political awareness.

There is that kind of political maturity that the students have brought. There is no promise of an easy solution, just that we need to come 200,000 and we, I don't know, conquer institutions, Vučić gets on a plane and flees to China, I don't know... That doesn't happen, and that is political awareness and the articulation of some anger and need for justice and change in Serbia.

— Stevan RistićDirector of the weekly Vreme, commenting on the students' approach to protest and societal issues.

Stevan Ristić, director of the weekly Vreme, commented that the students' approach signifies a political awakening, rejecting easy promises and instead articulating anger and a desire for justice and change in Serbia. He noted that their demands are now shared by a broader segment of the population, indicating a growing public appetite for reform. The students themselves stated they don't have all the answers but possess a program and solutions, presenting a serious message of having conducted thorough analyses of societal issues.

He said - I don't have answers to all the questions, but we have a program, we have solutions. So that is a serious message that the students have not wasted time, but have a serious analysis of what troubles this society and know how to fix it. It will be difficult for the authorities to find some serious political answer, I expect repression to grow.

— Đorđe VlajićJournalist commenting on the students' proposed solutions and potential government reaction.

Journalist Đorđe Vlajić suggested that authorities may struggle to provide a serious political response and anticipates an increase in repression. Conversely, the government, including Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić, has denied repression, blamed violence on the opposition, and claimed victory over a "colored revolution." President Aleksandar Vučić, speaking from China, has been actively engaged in downplaying the protest's scale, questioning the number of participants and accusing opponents of spreading falsehoods.

To celebrate victory over a colored revolution.

— Ana BrnabićPresident of the Serbian Parliament, responding to a question about why people gathered during the student rally.

Students, however, argue that Vučić is using "mathematical acrobatics" to minimize the protest's impact. Disputes also extend to the number of police officers deployed, with students claiming a disproportionately large police presence was used to counter a small group, creating an exaggerated image of disorder. They attribute the clashes that occurred after the peaceful gathering to criminals and regime supporters, while the government maintains that the protesters exhibited violent behavior.

It's such a shame, it's such a lie, but I have no problem, here there were three million, but I'm only interested in who they can sell such a lie to? Can they sell such a lie to their fanatics, because they are not ashamed when they lie so boldly?

— Aleksandar VučićSerbian President, questioning the credibility of claims about protest attendance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.