Serbian elections: can protests wave steer Serbia back towards democracy?

The author argues that Serbia has transitioned toward autocracy, a process accelerated by the state's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The government is accused of using a state of emergency to bypass scientific advice, manipulate health data, and conduct an unofficial election campaign. This democratic decline is mirrored by deteriorating rule of law and media freedom. However, the document notes a rising wave of political mobilisation fueled by dissatisfaction with environmental degradation, specifically air pollution in Belgrade and proposed lithium mining by Rio Tinto in western Serbia.

• International monitors have documented a severe democratic decline in Serbia, with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Support (IDEA) stating the country "ceased to be [a democracy] in 2020."
• The Serbian government used the Covid-19 pandemic to accelerate authoritarianism by declaring a state of emergency that experts consider unconstitutional and deploying the army to patrol Belgrade.
• During the pandemic, the government prioritised political control over scientific expertise by ignoring the 2016 Law on the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases and forming a crisis headquarters dominated by politicians.
• The state's management of the pandemic involved the manipulation of health statistics and the suppression of journalists, including banning healthcare employees from releasing information.
• The ruling party is accused of running a "functionary campaign" during the 2020 elections, misusing public office and resources for political gain under the guise of crisis management.
• Environmental degradation has become a primary driver of public protest, specifically regarding air pollution in Belgrade and a controversial lithium mining project in western Serbia involving the company Rio Tinto.
• The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is described as using frequent election cycles not for democratic purposes, but as an instrument to maintain a clientelistic network and control resources for economic gain.

APA

Pejić, I. (2022). Serbian elections: can protests wave steer Serbia back towards democracy? Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/serbian-elections-can-protests-wave-steer-serbia-back-towards-democracy/

Chicago

Pejić, Irena. Serbian elections: can protests wave steer Serbia back towards democracy? Green European Journal, 2022. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/serbian-elections-can-protests-wave-steer-serbia-back-towards-democracy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pejić |first1=Irena |title=Serbian elections: can protests wave steer Serbia back towards democracy? |publisher=Green European Journal |date=24 March 2022 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/serbian-elections-can-protests-wave-steer-serbia-back-towards-democracy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{peji2022serbian, author = {Pejić, Irena}, title = {{Serbian elections: can protests wave steer Serbia back towards democracy?}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/serbian-elections-can-protests-wave-steer-serbia-back-towards-democracy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }