site.btaSerbian Students Meet MEPs after Protest Marathon to Brussels

The Serbian students who undertook a marathon to Brussels to raise awareness among European institutions about the situation in Serbia following six months of anti-government protests, have begun meeting with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), as seen on several social media profiles. During the meetings, the students presented their demands and shared their views on the situation in the country.

"What the students from Serbia are doing is commendable. Their persistence, determination, and courage are something we should all admire and look to as an example," said Slovenian MEP Irena Joveva to regional TV channel N1.

On November 1, 2024 a concrete canopy collapsed at the train station in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. The tragedy sparked a wave of public outrage across the country, including protests, acts of civil disobedience, and blockades. As part of these protests, students shut down around 60 university faculties across Serbia. Protesters claim the tragedy was a result of corrupt practices that led to substandard renovations at the station. They are demanding political and criminal accountability, anti-corruption measures, and the depoliticization of state institutions.

At the beginning of May, the students called for early general elections and said that they would support a list of candidates who have not previously been involved in the country’s political life.

On Monday evening, the students were ceremonially welcomed in Brussels, having departed from Novi Sad on April 25.

Over the next two days, the students are scheduled to meet with the Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and the Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef.

The student marathon to Brussels was preceded by a bicycle march by another group of students who also departed from Novi Sad and arrived in Strasbourg on April 16.