"I get more than 200 direct death threats a day." Serbian President Vučić said in an interview a few days ago. He said enduring death threats has become part of his job, and he's used to it.
Serbia has been in turmoil recently, with successive shootings and demonstrations in the capital, Belgrade, and a tense situation in Kosovo. On May 27, Vučić resigned as party chairman at the congress of Serbia's ruling party Kadima in the central Serbian city of Kragujevac and announced the formation of a new political movement.
Vučić's resignation has sparked international speculation about Serbia's political stability. But some analysts point out that Vučić was not forced to resign, but wanted to win more supporters, form a stronger ruling group at home and resist external pressure.
Two shootings spark protests, and the opposition takes the opportunity to attack
In early May 2023, two mass shootings in Serbia killed 18 people, including several children, and injured dozens more.
The shooting sparked some popular discontent. Over weekends since May, tens of thousands of people have gathered in front of the National Assembly building in central Belgrade to demand that the government take measures to combat crime and corruption, ensure public safety and social order, increase government control over violent terrorist content on the Internet, and reduce the impact of violent and extreme content on young people.
Some opposition parties and social groups also took the opportunity to criticize the Vučić government's ability to govern and legitimacy, demanding changes and a reshuffle of the cabinet, otherwise weekly protests will be organized.
In response, a rally called "Serbian Hope" was held in Belgrade on 26 May. According to Serbia's New Yugoslavia News Agency, about 200,000 people, government officials, high-profile athletes and public figures from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary participated in the rally, including about 10,000 from Kosovo. Rally participants stood for hours in the rain, greeting Vučić with applause and cheers.
At the rally, Vučić called on the protesters to dialogue with the authorities and present their views. At the same time, he said that the cabinet would not be dissolved and a transitional government formed, because the government can only be elected.
Turmoil Resumes in Kosovo The Kosovo authorities have been questioned by the outside world
Another major destabilizing factor in the situation in Serbia is the question of Kosovo. Last July, the Kosovo authorities demanded that identity documents and license plates issued by the Government of Serbia be replaced, and tensions began on the ground. In protest against the practices of the Kosovo authorities, ethnic Serbs, including municipal officials, judges and some 600 police officers, resigned from the Kosovo "government".
On 23 April this year, Kosovo held local elections in four predominantly Serb municipalities in the north, which were boycotted by local Serbs. With a turnout of only 3.47 per cent and only 13 Serbs voting, Albanians were elected mayors. Regarding the election results, the Serb population said that it was unacceptable and illegal.
On 26 May, escorted by the Kosovo police, three elected mayors attempted to enter the municipal hall building and clashed with Serbs protesting in front of the building. In the city of Zvecan, the Kosovo Police used blast bombs and tear gas to drive away local residents gathered in front of government buildings, causing many injuries.
On 29 May, the NATO-led Kosovo Peace Implementation Force was deployed to three cities where protests were concentrated in an attempt to prevent a recurrence of the conflict. However, demonstrators clashed again with the Kosovo Police and NATO peacekeepers, injuring more than 50 demonstrators and more than 40 NATO servicemen.
The tense situation in Kosovo is a source of concern for the international community. Several countries issued statements condemning the Kosovo authorities' imposition of Albanian mayors and calling for a de-escalation of the situation. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Scholz on June 1 called for the reholding of local elections in four predominantly Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo. The leader of the Kosovo authorities, Viyosa Osmani, subsequently indicated that Kosovo was ready to hold new elections.
Political analysts believe that the international community's condemnation of the Kosovo authorities shows the determination of all parties to resolve the Kosovo issue through dialogue, and that the conflict will only slow down the progress of the agreement between the Serbian and Kosovo sides. In addition, there is little chance that a police-civilian conflict will evolve into a military conflict.
Some analysts believe that the collective condemnation of Europe and the United States reflects that they no longer support or acquiesce in the unilateral actions of the Kosovo authorities, and expect Seko to conduct normalization negotiations under the leadership of the EU.
On the other hand, NATO's involvement in the Kosovo war and the long-term stationing of troops in Kosovo since then has made its condescending "mediation" posture somewhat credible, and the international community still needs to listen to its words and deeds.
Vučić resigned as party leader Can Serbia stabilize
Vučić's decision to resign as chairman of Kadima has sparked speculation, but the decision has been planned for a long time.
Vučić was elected president of Kadima in 2012, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Serbia from 2012 to 2014, Prime Minister from 2014 to 2017, and for the first time President of Serbia in May 2017. In April 2022, Vučić again won the presidential election, starting his second five-year term on May 31.
As early as March this year, Vučić said in an interview with local media that he planned to resign as chairman of Kadima in May and form a new political movement.
On May 26, Vučić said that he would become the president of the people, and would unite more people to increase Serbia's unity and political capacity to overcome the crisis in Serbia in the next two to three years. At present, there is no official name for this political movement, and Vučić called it the "People's and National Movement" that day.
The "People's and National Movement" has Kadima at its core. Vučić is likely to be the leader of this political movement and attract more supporters through this political movement, especially young people and moderates.
Although Vučić resigned as president of Kadima, he is still a member of Kadima and has a solid position as president, and the recent protests and the situation in Kosovo will not have a great impact on the domestic political situation in Serbia.
Moreover, this decision will not bring about a fundamental change in Serbia's foreign policy. Observers believe that Vučić will remain committed to developing friendship with all parties, adhere to the policy of non-alignment, and actively cooperate with all countries, including China, in the political, economic, cultural and other fields while continuing to seek to become a full member of the European Union.
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Source: "Wu Zhiguan see" WeChat public account