As Serbia's all-powerful president, loyal media outlets followed his every move for years. His TikTok outbursts led the evening news. But on October 25 he lost the election to the Student List, and since then, a lot has changed.
Vucic complained at a press conference, before fewer microphones than usual, that the winners were practising "revolutionary terror." He threatened: "If they continue to terrorize those who think differently – beatings, destruction and all the rest – and the state authorities do nothing, we will be forced to organize ourselves." Vucic regards the immediate resignation of the general director of the Serbian state broadcaster RTS as an example of this "terror." Senior RTS editors have also been dismissed. On Monday, a small group of protesters invaded the Informer TV station. Thousands of complaints have been lodged against Informer over the years for its demonization of Vucic critics.
Now, journalists' associations are calling for its license to be revoked. Tabloid media outlets loyal to Vucic have already changed their tone. Unlike Informer, they no longer refer to the Student List as "terrorists" and "mercenaries." The List, which emerged from the student revolt, is made up of professors, activists and artists.
In the election on October 25, it won 53% of the vote, leaving Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) trailing with just 39%. Since then, things have moved fast. In many cities, citizens peacefully removed portraits of Vucic from municipal buildings.
The public prosecutor's office for organized crime has launched investigations, including into electoral fraud. A special commission is examining the work of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, which critics say did Vucic's bidding, and persecuted his opponents. The accusations against him are old ones: that he and his system kept the media under tight control; that state contracts were only awarded to companies loyal to the regime; and that Vucic, his party, and the Serbian state had links to organized crime.
The catalyst for the revolt was the collapse, two years ago, of the concrete canopy on the newly renovated railway station in Novi Sad. The accident is believed to have happened as a result of poor workmanship and corruption in the awarding and execution of the renovation contract. Those who were celebrating in the streets a few days ago are already growing impatient.
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