This episode is produced by the REUNIR Horizon Europe Project. Host Prof. Tobias Schumacher welcomes Dragana Đurica, Secretary-General of the European Movement in Serbia.
Against the backdrop of Serbia’s recent legislative elections and the unexpected victory of the student-backed electoral list, they discuss how a citizens- and student-led movement managed to challenge and defeat nearly 15 years of increasingly authoritarian rule under Aleksandar Vučić. They explore the factors behind this democratic breakthrough, the prospects and challenges of transforming Serbia’s political system, and what lies ahead for the country’s relations with the European Union, Russia, China, and its Western Balkan neighbours. They also examine the EU’s role in these developments and whether this political turning point offers Brussels a renewed opportunity to support democratic reform and reinvigorate Serbia’s European path.
