Serbia is currently witnessing a surge in strikes and protests across various sectors as the impending snap general election on December 17 draws near.
Farmers have escalated their protests, employing road blockades in different parts of the country. Simultaneously, postal workers have initiated strikes, and environmental activists disrupted a mining conference in Belgrade last week.
The farmers’ protest originated in the northern Vojvodina region, where demonstrators utilized tractors to obstruct roads. On November 14, routes to Zrenjanin, Belgrade, and Novi Sad were impassable.
Their primary demands centre around subsidies of €300 per hectare and an allocation of 100 litres of duty-free diesel fuel.
Despite Minister of Information and Telecommunications Mihailo Jovanovic urging Posta Serbia workers to return to work, they continue their strike. Jovanovic emphasized that the daily suspension of work would have “enormous consequences for the financial results of the business.”
The Serbian Military Union has voiced support for the striking Posta Serbia employees, emphasizing their pursuit of “dignified employment” in the 21st century.
Amidst these developments, two minor incidents involving individuals reportedly linked to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have occurred. In one instance, a group attempted to block the home of a farmers’ protest organizer in Bavaniste. Another group disrupted a meeting in Zrenjanin, suspected of being SNS supporters.
Environmental activists have also protested a closed-door conference on mineral resources in Belgrade, opposing potential government approval of the revival of a massive lithium mining project by international mining giant Rio Tinto.
The snap general election was prompted by months of protests following two mass shootings, with the SNS expected to secure victory. Analysts suggest that the election may serve to divert attention from questions about Belgrade’s involvement in a violent incident in northern Kosovo and could bolster the SNS’s performance in upcoming Belgrade elections.
