Will Serbia's Government Fall?

Will the Serbian Government fall? Since November 2024, Serbia has been rocked by massive student-led protests demanding political change. Sparked by the tragic collapse of Novi Sad station’s newly rebuilt canopy, which killed 15 people, the unrest has rapidly escalated into a nationwide movement. The incident exposed alleged corruption and poor infrastructure management, leading to resignations, arrests, and public outrage. Despite government crackdowns, the protests have expanded beyond students to include farmers, academics, and lawyers, marking Serbia’s largest demonstrations since the fall of Slobodan Milošević in 2000. Now, with Prime Minister Miloš Vučević stepping down and increasing pressure on President Aleksandar Vučić, many are asking: could this be the moment that forces a change in Serbia’s government?

For over a decade, Vučić has dominated Serbian politics, overseeing economic growth but facing accusations of media suppression, corruption, and election manipulation. While the protests focus on deep systemic reforms rather than outright regime change, history suggests mass movements can topple even the strongest governments. Will the demonstrators succeed in reshaping Serbia’s political future? Or will Vučić, armed with state control and a fractured opposition, withstand the pressure? As tensions rise and the world watches, the answer could define Serbia’s future for many years to come.

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*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
00:45 Serbia, Popular Protests and Government Stability
01:33 Serbia: Location and Population
02:19 The Emergence of the Republic of Serbia
03:15 The Rise and Fall of Slobodan Milosevic
04:49 Serbia after Milosesivc
06:04 The Rise of Aleksandar Vucic
07:26 President Vucic: Supporters and Opponents
08:52 The Student Protests in Serbia
10:11 Will the Vucic Administration Fall?

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#Serbia #Vucic #SerbianPolitics

[JamesKerLindsay]

Over the past few months, Serbia has been facing mass protests. But while this has seen the prime minister resign, the country’s president, Aleksandar Vucic, shows no sign of stepping down. So, what do you think? Should he stay or should he go? Are these protests the beginning of a more significant movement that will eventually force him from office? Or will he find a way to maintain control? As ever, let me know in the comments below.

[ImCrazy]

You have no idea how much this means to me and many others 👏 we are desperate for change and end to corruption. And we need others to see what has been going on here for the last 13 years! Thank you for talking about this 🙏

[miljki]

As a Serbian, thank you for this well informed and unbiased video, it really means a lot!

[la.dragana]

The Prime Minister Vučević hasn't resigned officially. His resignation was a TV spectacle designed to show SNS fans that concessions were made. Ministers who have resigned though escaped to Trieste, Italy.

[timor]

Absolutely brilliant video. Thank you so much Prof.
Your channel is brilliant at bringing what the news media relegaetes to "minor" stories to the forefront.

[mihailonovkovic]

Amazing overview, objectively briefed the story, and pointed key objectives, as someone stated in the comments before me, only error was that student march was from Belgrade to Novi Sad.

Two things that you should know, and that have missed to point out.
First is that this is the first mass protest that is not being led by any political party or political organisation.
Second point is that this is the most peaceful protest in modern Serbian history.

[petarsavic]

as a young Serb from Kosovo who has been following your work for some time now, I want to tell you that you are in a recent clip about the situation in Kosovo and now about the rest of Serbia, I must say that you are one of the most professional and objective political analysts on YouTube. During the years of following various YouTubers who are engaged in political analysis, I almost always encounter the neglect and satanization of Serbia and its traumatic and sad but not so distant past, especially in the area where I am from, but I am glad that, unlike the others, you manage to provide your viewers with an insight from another angle that is not mainstream in the West.

[aleksandarjelenkovic]

As a student in Serbia thats going on these protests, I can say that even the opposition is part of the leading party. We don't want to take down the leading party, we want to take down the corrupt system that allowed this to happen.

[austinsmith]

Trump says he wants to make the MAGA Strip with Netanyahu, and you post your weekly Friday video on Serbia?

Thank you, James. Most people would have chased the clicks for money. I appreciate your integrity and insight into Belgrade

[azrafchowdhury]

I think the Serbian government will fall, and all I can hope for is that the Serbian people get a leader that supports them and their interests. Also, the President shouldn't underestimate the power and voice of students as just last year Bangladesh student protests forced Sheikh Hasina out. Another fascinating video, Professor James.

[polishhussarmapping]

I didn't manage to get here before Serbs lmao

[tomjongjoni]

As an Albanian I come in peace to say even though our past interactions between us I'm Proud of Serbian people keeping that balkan spirit of fighting back against their oppressor your ancestors would be proud hopefully we as Albanians stand up as well and maybe we can be the generation to either become the United Balkan Brotherhood or inspire the next generation to become the United Balkan Brotherhood they have divided us for far too long selling us fear the Balkans could be the leaders of the world we don't need anyone but ourselves

[VelikiHejter]

Some corrections to this otherwise good analysis:
1. Slobodan Milošević never presented himself as Serbian nationalist, he called himself a socialist. The truth is that, just like his successor Vučić, he actually had no ideology, he was an opportunistic populist and a fraud.
2. Bombing actually prolonged Milošević's rule. We were ready to topple his regime in 1999, we basically destabilized it in 1996.
3. Murders in Novi Sad are not the only deaths connected to SNS corruption. We had mass shootings, traffic accidents, criminal executions, and fatal beatings that directly implicate mismanagement of government resources.
4. Protests that students started are neither political nor anti-corruption. There are 4 simple demands that can easily be summed into one. For institutions to start doing their jobs. Because Vučić is interfering in the functioning of the judicial branch of government he has no authority over.
Lastly, not a correction, but an addendum. Last week we went to Novi Sad, I have bronchitis to prove it, and the next week we are going to Kragujevac. Support for student protests can not grow, basically, the only ones that do not support students are his corrupt propaganda and oppression apparatus, people who profit from his corrupt rule, and even the police and the military are more and more openly supporting students. The question is, why doesn't he relent and fulfill student demands? The answer is that corruption that led to deaths is directly connected to the top people in his regime and, if they fall, they will happily become protected witnesses, thus he knows that if he relents he will spend the rest of his life in prison. That is what happens when you base your political party on interests instead of ideas...

[Imaginary_mike]

I have been living in Belgrade for three years now. I ask Serbs who should come to power and they cannot tell me a single name. To me, this looks very strange. Changes must start from the very top - a new person comes and changes the system step by step, year by year. It is impossible to change everything at once.

[unamisthekgb]

9:55 - 9:59

Small correction, they marched from Belgrade to Novi Sad

[IvicaKB]

This is not far from the truth, but it still does not touch on responsibility of European Union and U.S.A. government in destabilizing Serbia and not allowing it to be free country.

[gocabogdanovic]

Odlicna analiza, ja sam iz Srbije, i slazem se u potpunosti, hvala vam na iscrpnoj i tacnoj analizi

[Qeder]

Safe to say everything is back to normal in Serbia. No protests no changes that's how we like it. Normal people prevailed again against NGO's

[vckmesz]

Thank you prof. James! As a Serb following the international reaction to our protests, I can confidently say that this is the ONLY treatment of the topic that doesn't portray us Serbs as this unruly mass of emotional protesters who don't like our stern but fair father Aleksandar Vučić. Thank you for providing us the dignity of actually explaining who Vučić is, why he is hated here and not reducing it to "Oh they want to join the EU / BRICS". That's super important! For well-meaning foreigners who want to further understand why Vučić is so hated here, please Google "Vucic Belivuk New York Times" for an NYT article about Vučić's criminal collaborator who (get this) fuckimg ATE PEOPLE. He is just the public face of a cartel, an ordinary mafioso, a kingpin. The EU love him bcs interrupting the drug trade that moves through Serbia would cause a spike in organized crime in their liberal paradises, and that's a death sentence for Schengen.

[miljanmatovic]

This is like the fistt ever objective description of Serbia I have ever heard... great job