by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
NOVI SAD/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Political tensions remained in Serbia on Monday after tens of thousands of students and their supporters commemorated the 16 victims of a railway station disaster that sparked a nationwide anti-corruption movement and contributed to the electoral defeat of longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić.
Sunday’s remembrance marked two years since a concrete canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad, northern Serbia, killing 16 people and triggering some of the country’s largest anti-government demonstrations.
A week after the student-backed opposition defeated Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in parliamentary elections, mourners gathered in steady rain outside the station, carrying 16 wreaths and 16 red hearts in memory of the victims, including children.
People laid flowers, lit candles and observed 16 minutes of silence at 11:52 a.m., the exact time the canopy collapsed on November 1, 2024.
Unlike last year’s anniversary, when Vučić remained in power, participants expressed renewed hope that those responsible for the disaster would finally be brought to justice.
DEMANDS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
“It was a murder and a murder demands accountability and justice,” a student told mourners, promising that Serbia’s young people would work toward a more just society. “We will not forget them.”
The disaster became a symbol of alleged corruption, negligence and a lack of accountability in major infrastructure projects undertaken during Vučić’s rule.
The railway station had undergone renovation as part of a broader railway reconstruction project involving China and neighboring Hungary. Vučić and his political ally, former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, toured the renovated station in 2022.
An independent investigation by construction experts concluded that renovation work had been rushed under political pressure and alleged a “systematic degradation of construction standards.”
The experts said the Serbian state had violated its citizens’ right to life, adding to demands for criminal accountability.
INVESTIGATION STALLED
Although 13 people, including a former government minister, were charged in connection with the disaster, no trial had taken place as the investigation stalled.
Following their election victory, student leaders demanded a review of major investigations, including the probe into the Novi Sad collapse, and called for reforms of the police and judiciary.
The head of the European Union’s mission in Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, said the tragedy had “shook Serbia to its core” and inspired demands for transparency and accountability.
“May their memory keep inspiring a Serbia built on solidarity, public trust and rule of law,” he wrote on social media platform X.
The student-led movement has pledged to restore democratic institutions and combat corruption after 14 years of rule by Vučić’s SNS party.
SENIOR POLICE DETAINED
In a separate development Sunday, prosecutors ordered the 48-hour detention of Marko Kričak, a senior police official under Vučić, and another officer on suspicion of abuse of office in connection with a murder investigation unrelated to the railway disaster.
Kričak has also faced allegations of orchestrating violence against student protesters and personally threatening a female student with rape, accusations he has denied.
The arrests highlighted the pressure facing security and judicial institutions as Serbia prepares for a transfer of political power.
Sunday’s memorial was broadcast by state television RTS, unlike the previous year’s commemoration, following resignations among television officials after the election.
Commemorations were also held in other Serbian cities and towns, underscoring the lasting impact of a disaster that transformed a local demand for justice into a nationwide political movement.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
