By Armin Sijamić
Protests have been ongoing in Serbia for months. Students and other dissatisfied citizens are demanding that the authorities investigate and prosecute the case of the canopy collapse at the railway station in Novi Sad, and Richard Grenell, Donald Trump's special envoy, does not like it.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is trying to quell the protests through various political maneuvers, although they are gaining momentum day by day. It seems that analysts in Serbia are right when they say that this is an indication that citizens have lost their fear of the regime and that the number of dissatisfied people will grow in the future.
In another political trick by the authorities, Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and Novi Sad Mayor Milan Đurić resigned yesterday. It took them two months to do so, which indicates that the reasons stated in their resignations are not true. First, they could have done it immediately after the canopy collapse. Second, the students did not ask for it. What's more, they are being asked to work and fulfill demands.
The day before, Richard Grenell, Trump's special envoy for special missions, posted on social media platform X. The American official stood behind the authorities in Belgrade, implying that the student protests were violent.
Grenell's Support
“It is always important to be able to raise your voice and be heard. But everyone must condemn violence and stick to peaceful demonstrations. The democratic process must be respected. We do not support those who undermine the rule of law and forcibly occupy state institution buildings. If you don't like the law or the leader, then work to change them – but don't resort to violence,” Grenell wrote, along with a video showing peaceful student protests in Serbia.
A few days earlier, his boss, President Donald Trump, pardoned individuals who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, an event that also resulted in fatalities. Before and after Grenell's statement, physical attacks on students in Serbia were recorded, some of which led to serious injuries. Students were hit by cars, beaten with sticks and fists, while pro-government media targeted them with claims that they were foreign mercenaries aiming to overthrow Serbia.
Part of the public in Serbia reacted to Grenell's words with indignation. Some opposition members and public figures told him not to interfere in Serbia's internal affairs, and the social media platform X added to his post that the platform's users consider his claims to be inaccurate and that users state these are “the most peaceful protests in the last thirty years”.
Grenell's move is not surprising. Media outlets have repeatedly written in detail about his close relationship with the current political leadership of Serbia. However, what is concerning is the fact that Western officials stand behind their favorites regardless of their policies. At the same time, citizens are asked to exercise their right to democracy and to bring the so-called "Western Balkans" closer to the West.
Support from Washington and Brussels
The change of government in Washington seemed not to affect Vučić, although he was prepared for that scenario by arranging investments with members of the Trump family.
Vučić has had the support of the United States and the European Union in the past, regardless of the consequences of his policies in Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, or Bosnia and Herzegovina. US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill, part of the Joseph Biden administration, has been particularly supportive.
In recent days, German media have also reported that official Berlin also stands behind Vučić, and consequently behind his close associates within and outside Serbia, and that this will remain the case as long as official Belgrade remains committed to the project of lithium mining near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Despite many warnings that supporting Vučić will leave Serbia and the surrounding countries far from the European Union, the West is not changing its plan, all due to Serbia's alleged distancing from Vladimir Putin's Russia.
The authorities' treatment of the Serbian opposition guarantees that the country will not reach democratic standards, and experts warn that the extraction of lithium and other ores will lead to an ecological disaster, so Serbia and the surrounding countries will not meet European Union standards in that way either.
Grenell's "Special Missions"
As part of his new role, Grenell could once again deal with the Balkans, after serving as Trump's envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, when Belgrade pressured for some form of recognition of Pristina, and for Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti to agree to the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities.
After his term ended, Grenell remained close to the authorities in Belgrade, from whom he received an award, and his media appearances were aimed at defending Vučić and blaming Kurti for all problems.
If Hill's support for Vučić was conditioned by the desperate state of the opposition in Serbia, especially the part that sincerely wants to lead the country towards the West and build peace with its neighbors, Grenell's support could go a step further, as it clearly has elements of a personal relationship and support from the top of the Trump administration through lucrative economic deals.
And therein lies the greatest danger for Serbia and the region. Support for authorities who have personal and economic ties with officials of major powers, while the opposition is suppressed in the country and normal political life is prevented, can be a prelude to any decision and unforeseeable consequences for this part of the world.
In times of escalating confrontation between major powers and violations of international law around the world, any small country does not need a government that its citizens cannot control and that will conduct policy away from public view, while making deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars behind the scenes. Grenell's support for Vučić in the dispute with the students suggests that such an outcome is also possible.
When Grenell was appointed by Trump as envoy for special missions, American media reported that his primary task would be the issues of Venezuela and North Korea. Grenell's stance on peaceful student protests in Serbia indicates that he has other parts of the world in mind as well.
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