SERBIA: Farmers' Blockades & more – 17th Dec 2024

Dobar dan from BA! This is the Rorshok Serbia Update from the 17th of December twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Serbia.

More faculties in Serbia have joined the student-organized blockades that have been happening in the past few weeks, in protest over the deaths of fifteen people due to the railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad we reported on. Students demanded that the government publish all documents related to the recent railway station renovation, prosecute all those responsible for the canopy collapse, and dismiss all cases of wrongful protesters’ arrests, especially students.

As the number of blocked faculties rose, the government stated that they had released the documents the students requested, adding that they had addressed the rest of their demands. However, assemblies held at universities across the country painted a different picture, as students voted that their requests had not been met. Students also reported increased police violence on them, with the pro-government media portraying them in a bad light.

Farmers also staged protests blocking major roads with their tractors on Friday the 13th. They demanded an immediate reversal of what they described as unlawful government decisions. They received a notice in December about their farms being put under a passive status, which denied them access to any state agricultural subsidies for five years. The ones who received this notice were usually activists who participated in the student protests and also protests against lithium mining.

Additionally, the farmers called for criminal accountability and the removal of the Parliamentary Agricultural Committee Chairman, the Agriculture Minister, and the Prime Minister because they targeted them for their peaceful protests.

On Wednesday the 11th, part of the opposition in the Parliament submitted a request to dismiss Ana Brnabic from her position as Parliament Speaker. They accused her of violating the Constitution, as well as the laws and Rules of Procedure of the Serbian Parliament, by passing amendments to laws without opposition MPs present in the parliament.

Recall that during the debate for the state budget for twenty twenty-five, which took place in late November, a physical fight ensued in the Parliament, which led the opposition to leave the session. Brnabic ended the session without proper discussion and participation from the opposition MPs, which they deemed unconstitutional.

Going back to the topic of protests for a minute, CIVICUS - a global alliance of civil society organizations - said in their new report that the protests in Serbia over the years have worsened the country’s human rights situation. Published on Tuesday the 10th, the report titled People Power Under Attack twenty twenty-four aimed at monitoring the state of human rights worldwide.

When it comes to Serbia, the report focused on protests held in twenty twenty-four, mainly the protests against lithium mining and the ongoing student protests we mentioned earlier. CIVICUS noted that Serbian authorities tend to repress, using excessive force, with plainclothes officers who refuse to identify themselves making arrests. The report underlined that such situations raise concerns about protesters’ rights and safety.

Since we mentioned human rights, a new report by the Coalition Against SLAPPs, or CASE, published last week, names Serbia as the worst offender in the Balkans in terms of SLAPP numbers. SLAPP stands for Strategic lawsuit against public participation, which is a lawsuit that aims to intimidate, censor, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense.

In the Balkans, from twenty ten to twenty twenty-three, Serbia led with the number of SLAPPs, with fifty-six mapped. Croatia followed with fifty-five and then Bosnia with fifty-four. In twenty twenty-three alone, Serbia faced ten SLAPP cases. CASE mentions that both the number of SLAPPs and countries filing them is growing. The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network is currently facing four trials in Serbia related to SLAPP lawsuits, with three of them connected to the mayor of the country's capital.

Another report that inspected the state of civil society in Serbia was Digital Prison by Amnesty International, an NGO focused on human rights. Published on Monday the 16th, the report highlights that Serbian authorities are using surveillance technology to control and suppress civil society. This includes the use of spyware such Pegasus by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group, and NoviSpy, which is a newly identified domestic Android spyware.

Amnesty International said that the Serbian Security Agency, or BIA, has been using NoviSpy along with tools for data extraction from the Israeli company Cellebrite, primarily on independent activists, peaceful protesters, and journalists. With this data, the authorities target individuals, criminalizing their activism usually unfairly. They also noted that this type of surveillance is unlawful since it violates individuals’ right to privacy and personal data protection.

In some news about the economy, the Republic Geodetic Authority published on Thursday the 12th that apartment prices in Serbia rose by almost five percent compared to last year. The prices of resale apartments rose by around four percent, while the prices for newly built apartments increased by five percent, marking a record-high year-on-year increase.

However, even with increased prices, the number of apartment sales has been growing consistently in twenty twenty-four, with the northernmost region of Vojvodina accounting for around twenty percent of the sales in Serbia. The fewest apartment sales were seen in the south of the country.

On Friday the 13th, President Vucic announced that the US is planning on introducing financial sanctions against Serbia’s oil company NIS due to Russian ownership of Serbian oil giants Gazprom and Gazprom Neft. Vucic noted that he received a confirmation about the sanction’s introduction; however, he underlined that he still does not have official papers with details. The US has not commented on the matter so far.

Vucic said that the UK and the EU would likely follow the sanctions, meaning that the oil shipments through a pipeline in Croatia, which is in the EU, would stop. He also noted that Serbia would likely have to reduce Russian ownership of oil giants in Serbia to less than fifty percent, in order to prevent sanctions.

While on the topic of energy, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or EBRD, announced on Monday the 16th the approval for the construction of a solar-thermal power plant in the northern city of Novi Sad. The project will feature nearly 40,000 square meters, or around ten acres, of collector fields, seasonal heat storage, a heat pump, and an electric boiler. The EBRD stated that the project aims to provide an efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly supply of thermal energy to households, public institutions, and businesses in Novi Sad. The project is estimated at around twelve billion dinars, which is around a hundred million dollars.

Now for some cultural news. In preparation for the 150th birthday of the Serbian scientist Mileva Einstein, the Ministry of Culture purchased a valuable collection of documents belonging to her at an auction in London on Thursday the 12th. The collection consists of forty-three autographed letters from both Mileva and Albert Einstein, including the announcement of their marriage. With this purchase, the Ministry said that they intended to collect and preserve the legacy of prominent figures in Serbia’s history and culture.

The purchased documents will form the Personal Fund of Mileva Maric Einstein, which will be designated as a cultural asset. The ministry will store the documents in the State Archives of Serbia.

For our final story, Belgrade Fair is currently hosting the New Year Fair until the 30th of December. It features a large area for children's amusement. There are toys, magicians, fairytale characters, and workshops. Visitors will be able to enjoy a large range of stands offering decorations, souvenirs and gifts. On the festival grounds, multiple gastro corners will provide traditional holiday drinks and other treats and delights. Entry is free and the event will be open every weekday. For more information, check out the link in the show notes!

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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Do daljnjeg, zbogom!