Serbia’s political landscape just hit a new level of chaos. What started as a parliamentary session quickly spiraled into a full-blown disruption. Opposition lawmakers, furious over government policies, resorted to throwing smoke bombs, flares, and even eggs at their colleagues. Not exactly your typical parliamentary procedure, is it? In the middle of a crucial vote on funding for university education, chaos broke out, injuring at least three lawmakers, one of whom is in serious condition. This isn’t just a bad look for Serbian democracy—it’s a sign that the country’s political system is unraveling.
The cause of this mayhem? The opposition has had enough of what they see as a corrupt and incompetent government. The proposed law that would boost funding for universities was the straw that broke the camel’s back. But the opposition didn’t just disagree with the bill—they declared the session itself illegal. They insisted the parliament should first confirm the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and his government, which had already been in hot water due to months of anti-corruption protests.
But this wasn’t just about a simple policy disagreement. Opposition members weren’t just waving banners—they were blowing whistles, clashing with security, and throwing anything they could get their hands on, from smoke bombs to water bottles. When the government’s opposition becomes this frantic, it’s a clear sign the political crisis has hit a tipping point.
The tragic irony here is that the incident started over a relatively mundane issue: university funding. But as with many political crises, the underlying cause runs much deeper. The government’s corruption problems have been festering for months, and the collapse of a concrete canopy in January that killed 15 people only added fuel to the fire. Prime Minister Vucevic, under mounting pressure from both the protests and political rivals, resigned in January. Yet, his government remains embroiled in accusations of corruption, and the opposition is showing no sign of letting up. This isn’t just a protest—it’s a rejection of a political system that has long been seen as broken.
In the aftermath, parliamentary speaker Ana Brnabic didn’t mince words. She accused the opposition of behaving like a “terrorist gang.” But such inflammatory language misses the point: the violence in the Serbian Parliament is merely a symptom of a much larger issue. With protesters in the streets, lawmakers at each other’s throats, and a prime minister who was forced to resign over corruption, the message is clear—Serbia is in a political tailspin. This is not just about smoke bombs and brawls in parliament; it’s about a government that’s lost the trust of its people.
With tensions escalating, it’s hard to imagine how this political crisis will resolve itself without a serious reckoning. If the Serbian government doesn’t find a way to address both the opposition’s concerns and the growing public unrest, it risks plunging further into instability. Serbia is at a crossroads, and the choices its leaders make now will determine whether the country can begin to heal or if the turmoil will only deepen.
Serbia: The uprising that lasts for months in the whole country has reached the parliament today
pic.twitter.com/IAQUqmTJPj— Aleksandra Tomanic (@AleksTomanic) March 4, 2025
BREAKING: Mayhem in the Serbian parliament!
Several members throw smoke bombs, leading to major disruption and even a brawl during the session! pic.twitter.com/LAr2y7cJQm
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) March 4, 2025
Sources:
https://news.sky.com/story/serbia-smoke-bombs-thrown-in-parliament-as-three-mps-injured-13321299