Adriana Zaharijević und Jana Krstić: How Did a Fight Against Corruption Become a Struggle Over Education? — Chronology of Pressure, Balkan Talks, 23. Mai 2025, https://balkantalks.org/chronicle-of-serbias-student-and-academic-uprising-2024-2025/
Largely unnoticed in Western Europe, the conflict between the government and universities, students, and professors in Serbia continues to escalate. Since the end of last year, civil society in Serbia has been staging mass protests, mainly against widespread corruption and the collapse of constitutional institutions. (Snežana Stanković, here at Debatte, already outlined how the EU is involved in these events with its “lithium pact” and arms trade, in her pick on February 3.) The protests are mainly led by students. In December 2024, almost all public faculties in the country backed the students’ demands, fearing that the very existence of science and the education system itself was at stake. Teachers have organized and networked nationwide.
Since March, the government has been cracking down relentlessly: the Ministry of Education, dubbed the “Ministry of Revenge,” is simply refusing to pay teachers and university professors most of their salaries. Peaceful protests are being hijacked by agents provocateurs to damage the reputation of the demonstrators, and the government is stirring up fears of violent clashes. University professors are now required to teach 35 hours per week, which makes research almost impossible. They often no longer know how they will make a living. Many are facing dismissal, and the accreditation system is in danger of collapsing. Since May 8, the government has been planning a new law on higher education that is expected to drastically restrict freedom of research and teaching.
Our Serbian colleagues appeal to the international community not to ignore the repressive measures in Serbia, but to stand in solidarity with the students and professors and their demands for transparency, accountability, and academic independence.
↗ https://balkantalks.org/chronicle-of-serbias-student-and-academic-uprising-2024-2025/