Over 100 European NGOs have signed a statement expressing solidarity with the Serbian people and criticising the EU’s response to the escalating repression of the anti-corruption movement.
In the statement, coordinated by the European Civic Forum and the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), the NGOs argue that the EU’s failure to act decisively has contributed to the deepening distrust among Serbian citizens towards the European path, weakening the enlargement process as a whole, and discrediting the EU’s external policy.
It comes as Serbians participate in a general strike on Friday 7 March and just days after the EU’s enlargement commissioner, Marta Kos, failed to acknowledge the movement which analysts call the biggest in the country in decades, leading to the anger of many Serbian citizens on Twitter.
The protests, which have spread to at least 245 cities and towns and have drawn tens of thousands of people onto the streets, are deeply embedded in Serbian society with broad support from trade unions, farmers, the bar association, private businesses, and self-organised citizens.
In the statement, the organisations express their solidarity with the struggle of the Serbian people, highlighting that the repression of the movement is part of a broader trend of attacks on civil society in Europe.
A systemic effort to silence critical voices
The mass protests were sparked by the tragic collapse of the newly renovated train station in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, which claimed 15 lives and left two others seriously injured. The incident laid bare the authorities’ systemic corruption and negligence, which is why the protestors are demanding systemic change in addition to the government taking responsibility for the tragedy. The Serbian government has responded to these legitimate expressions of grief and outrage with increasing repression against civil society.
The scale of state violence and intimidation is deeply alarming. Dozens of attacks on protesters have been documented, including vehicles being driven into crowds and the brutal assault of a female student by ruling party activists. Those who express support for the movement — students, professors, activists, and independent voices — have been accused of acting on behalf of foreign interests and face threats, surveillance, police interrogations, and losing their job.
An authoritarian playbook
The Serbian government’s actions are just the latest escalation in a long trend. For over a decade, Serbia’s political leadership has steered the country away from democratic values and the commitments required for EU integration. In Serbia, civic space — the operating environment for civil society — is rated as “obstructed” by the CIVICUS Monitor, underscoring the longstanding challenges faced by those committed to this path. The signatories of the letter highlight how these trends are “part of an authoritarian playbook” that many have witnessed in their own countries.[1]
Read the civil society statement!
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Media Contact
Benjamin Goodwin, ECF Communications and Campaigns Officer: bgoodwin@civic-forum.eu
About the European Civic Forum
The European Civic Forum (ECF) is a pan-European network of nearly 100 associations and NGOs across 29 European countries. Founded in 2005 by our member organisations, we have spent two decades working to protect civic space, enable civic participation and build civil dialogue for more equality, solidarity and democracy in Europe.
About the Balkan Civil Society Development Network
The Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) is a regional network of local civil society development organisations (CSOs) from the Balkan region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Turkey).
[1] For more on the decline on civic space in Europe, you can read the European Civic Forum’s 2024 Civic Space Report: https://civic-forum.eu/civic-space-report-2024