Brawl in the Serbian Parliament: causes and consequences

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The session of the Serbian Parliament, where the country’s budget was to be adopted, ended in a mass brawl. The protracted physical conflict involving almost all deputies started because of the refusal of the Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabić to include in the agenda the opposition’s request for a vote of no confidence in the government. The fight itself also exposed the depth of the contradictions that have been penetrating Serbian society more and more deeply lately. This has been obviously done to the delight of overseas “partners” interested in breaking up the monolithic nature of the local society.

The discussion of the draft budget for 2025 in the Serbian Parliament ended in a mass brawl between the representatives of the “ruling coalition” and the united democratic opposition. Security was called to the meeting room, but that did not stop the people’s messengers from punching, shoving, slapping, spitting, shouting provocations and displaying banners against their opponents. Ana Brnabić turned off the microphones so that the Serbian public on the broadcast recording could not hear what was happening in the meeting room. The reason for the brawl was the refusal of the Speaker of Parliament to include in the agenda of the session the issue of a vote of no confidence in the government after the tragedy in Novi Sad, put forward by a third of MPs.

Speaker of parliament Ana Brnabić
Photo by Belgradeforum

During Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević’s speech, opposition MP Marinika Tepić stood next to him and held up a sheet with a red palm print and the inscription “Your hands are bloody.” Other deputies blew vuvuzelas. A banner with the inscription “Yellow scum want war, Serbia wants jobs” (“yellows” is the nickname of the Democrats, the opposition) was hung over the conference hall gallery. There were periodic physical clashes between MPs from the “ruling party” and the opposition, as well as individual ministers. Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić said that what happened was a “disgrace to the house” of the Parliament, blaming the “Green-Left Front” of the coalition of Democrats for provoking the unrest, and blaming the odious leader of the united opposition Dragan Đilas who “opened” the fight. The President of the Parliament also commented on the consequences of the fight: microphones and furniture were broken, the screen was smashed, and the hall was covered with paint.

Interestingly, the meeting in the European Parliament of the EU-Serbia Stabilization and Association Committee, during which talks were to be held in Strasbourg on November 27 and 28 on the accession and relations between Serbia and the European Union, compliance of its foreign and security policy with the EU, democracy and freedom of expression, as well as on environmental protection and economic development, was canceled. Official Belgrade cited a “budget” meeting as the reason but it is obvious that the visit was canceled because the Serbian delegation includes the main “troublemakers” from the opposition, who were once again decided not to be allowed to use a serious platform for political statements.

Photo by Guillaume Périgois / Unsplash.com

The spirit of war that reigns in the Serbian politicos has spilled over into the streets. Deputies during the protest outside the Novi Sad court, as well as activists, were beaten during their detention. And protests against the dismantling of the old bridge over the Danube were met with clashes with youths sent by the authorities. Tension began to be felt in the capital city of Belgrade.

But maybe everything that is happening is just another play game? The version that the opposition is acting in collusion with the government is not without logic. So, Vučić and the “ruling” party are leading the country along the “European path”, from which they promise not to stray. The opposition wants the same. Serbian patriots who speak at least of neutrality or a turn to the East are in the minority. They have long since played no role in Serbian politics. We can assume that either the authorities or, even more logically, the West, are simply playing a political spectacle in front of the people. We should not forget that in the summer Serbia entered into protests against the opening of Rio Tinto lithium mines in the country, and generally turning the territory into a mining desert. Without wanting to rise any conspiracy theory, but the tragedy in Novi Sad overrode the resource issue and while the opposition is fighting in Parliament and gradually in the streets, Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović is talking about the lifting of the moratorium on the construction of nuclear power plants by the Parliament (and here the recent secret agreement with the French on the utilization of nuclear waste suddenly comes to mind), as well as reiterating the importance of lithium mining in Serbia. It is interesting to see that, both American and European politicians have repeatedly made the same statement. Coincidence?

Serbs are an impulsive and simple-minded people. The tragedy in Novi Sad managed to shift their attention. Yes, the authorities also remained “to blame for everything”, but Rio Tinto is hardly even talked about anymore. And, in the meantime, the “stick to the dog” was thrown in the right direction again since the other day, there was an explosion at a water canal in Kosovo but that is another story…