The opposition of Serbia under fire for the protest of smoke and Bengal in Parliament

The cleaners had scrubbed the debate chamber before the parliamentarians arrived for Wednesday’s session at the National Assembly of Serbia.

Small smoke pumps, egg yolk spots and a white fire extinguishing powder had retired from the banks and tables after the chaos of the previous day.

The police had also been on the scene.

They were gathering evidence of possible criminal charges against the parliamentarians who had sunk the Parliament in a pink and black smoke fug while they deployed banners accusing the government of corruption.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic labeled the “hooliganism” scenes. He said he was “seeking responsibility, criminal law” that will be applied.

Three female parliamentarians were injured. One of them was beaten on the back of the head by an object, although it was not clear who threw it, and another apparently suffered a stroke.

The EU said a Parliament should be a place for democratic debate and that I was very worried.

The parliamentarians of the opposition party were shameless.

The co-leader of the Green Left Front, Radomir Lazovic, had left a fire extinguisher from his seat in the camera.

He described the intervention as “an answer to violence that has been perpetrated against Citizens of Serbia for 13 years.”

That covers the period in which the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has been in power.

Under Vucic’s leadership, which previously served as Vice Prime Minister and Prime Minister, the party has been a winning election machine.

The SNS has been victorious of no less than five parliamentary elections since it formed a government coalition in 2012.

His opponents claim that he has more to do with the domination of the Media Party and State Institutions of Serbia than their policies.

But Vucic has successfully projected a strong and effective leadership image that attracts a great proportion of Serbia’s electorate, particularly outside the main urban areas.

It has resisted many protest movements over the years. All of them have struggled without evicting the president or his party.

But the current series of demonstrations, demonstrations and blockages is presenting an unusually complicated challenge.

The effusion of indignation began with the November disaster at the Novi Sad train station, when a concrete canopy collapsed in the recently renewed installation, killing 15 people.

The station was part of the government’s flagship infrastructure project: the high -speed railroad that joins the capital, Belgrade, with Budapest in Hungary. The fatal failure in such a high profile site caused anguish and anger, and fueled the suspicions that official corruption was behind the collapse.

Students have been leading the calls of transparency and responsibility, with daily vigils of 15 minutes by the dead. But workers, from lawyers to farmers, have also been organizing strikes and blocking roads.

“Everyone has a reason to be unhappy,” says analyst and journalist Bojan Elek. “Terrible salaries, bad working conditions: everyone had something to add to the enormous dissatisfaction in the population.

“But students have been the key cohesive factor.”

What students have not been is political. They have maintained opposition parties and NGOs away from their increasingly elaborate events, which have seen them take care of the centers of the city of Novi Sad and Nis in recent weeks.

Elek describes this as “a good movement”, but points out that “at some point, politics will have to go into play.”

What could be not clear. The opposition parties are atomized, without any party capable of challenging the SNS and the absence of a credible coalition.

At least they have joined in their calls to establish a technical government after the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic at the end of January.

This could, suggest, establish an electoral environment that reduces the domination of the media and media organizations of SNS.

VUCIC has rejected that idea as an opposition attempt to overthrow a legitimately elected government. You can appoint a replacement prime minister or call the new elections, despite the fact that previous surveys were held in December 2023.

Meanwhile, protests continue. Students promise their biggest event so far in Belgrade on March 15.