Brawl erupts in Serbian parliament amid heated dispute

The Serbian parliament recently erupted in conflict, with ruling and opposition party members engaging in physical altercations and fistfights during a night session. This followed a roof collapse at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad, which resulted in 15 deaths and has exacerbated tensions in the Balkan region.

The opposition party sought to discuss the responsibility for the deadly incident in Novi Sad on November 1st, while the ruling party used its majority in parliament to try to pass a bill concerning the national budget for next year. The opposition displayed a banner with red handprints and the words "Your hands are stained with blood," to which the ruling party responded with a banner accusing the opposition of wanting "war, while Serbia wants work."

The two sides clashed in parliament over the banners. The train station, reportedly a major transportation hub, was recently renovated as part of a Serbian-Chinese cooperation project. Critics argue that corruption, poor regulation, and inadequate construction were the causes of the tragedy. The collapse has sparked widespread public anger and protests against the government and has become a focal point for discontent with Serbia’s autocratic rule.

Serbian Parliament Speaker Brnabić accused the opposition of attempting to seize power by force with the help of external forces. She stated, "There is no doubt that these people are well-organized, well-trained, and I believe they are well-paid, with the aim of creating chaos in Serbia and destabilizing the country." Serbian President Vučić stated on social media that he would not tolerate the opposition's "daily bullying" and "barbaric behavior."

Vučić also said, "I want to assure the citizens that we will respond to their rudeness, impoliteness, and arrogance with even harder work in the future. Today they tried to prevent pensioners from receiving increased pensions and public sector employees from receiving increased salaries. They will not succeed." Opposition leader Đilas stated that the Speaker's refusal to debate the responsibility for the accident has effectively "closed" the parliament. Đilas claimed that the Speaker's refusal to put the request of over 80 opposition MPs for a debate of no confidence regarding the government's murders and crimes in Novi Sad on the agenda is the beginning of "closing" the parliament.