Resolution of one year student movement in Serbia

One year has passed since students across Serbia began protesting in the aftermath of the tragic accident of the 1st of November 2024. The European Students’ Union (ESU) reaffirms its solidarity with the young people of Serbia who have decided to march in the streets in pursuit of a fairer and more transparent future.

Throughout this year, Serbian students have been peacefully protesting by occupying higher education institutions, demonstrating resilience and perseverance as they call for accountability, transparency and a democracy grounded in the rule of law.

However, despite the peaceful nature of these protests, we have witnessed unacceptable repercussions: intimidation, aggression and even arbitrary arrests of protesters. Such actions are inconceivable in a democratic society and cannot be ignored.

Previously, ESU has explicitly called for:

• institutions to monitor and investigate all breaches of academic freedom, acts of violence and political persecution against protesters, including students, and to ensure their safety both on and off campus;
• respect for the universal rights of peaceful assembly, protest, and freedom of expression;
• the fostering of open and respectful dialogue to address the issues raised;
• respect and support for the democratic aspirations of Serbian youth, including their commitment to transparency and public accountability;
• avoiding placing student protests within a forced geopolitical or historical narrative that does not reflect their reality.

ESU continues to stand firmly by these principles and after a year in which students have maintained their courage and determination, ensuring their safety has become not only an institutional responsibility but an absolute priority. This leads to the urge for the national authorities to put an end to the violations that happened. 

As ESU mentioned before, in the Statement regarding the Wave of Student Protests in Europe, students participation in shaping a democratic society should be upheld, therefore  ESU continues to firmly call for:

• the European community to unequivocally condemn the unjust and undemocratic force used by authorities against students, academics and wider civil society standing up for democratic values in Serbia;
• the European Parliament and Commission, the Council of Europe, the European Higher Education Community and other relevant actors of the international community to condemn the unlawful persecution of student protesters, to take meaningful steps to support affected students and to explore consequences for public authorities violating academic freedom and the rights of students
• the immediate resignation of those who are responsible for ordering or enabling the use of violence to suppress student protests, or who engage in the intimidation, blackmail or coercion of students to prevent them from exercising their democratic rights.

The students of Serbia have shown Europe that hope, solidarity and the desire for change can endure by leading the biggest student movement in the past 20 years. ESU remains by their side, with the same clarity, determination, and solidarity.