Serbia’s president has called for the MPs responsible for chaotic scenes seen in the country’s parliament on Tuesday, which left three ruling party members injured, to be “punished.”
A parliamentary session descended into chaos after opposition lawmakers threw smoke grenades and used pepper spray inside the building, adding a new layer of political tension to the Balkan country, which has been rocked by month-long protests.
Lawmakers had been scheduled to vote on a law to increase funding for university education, but opposition parties claimed the ruling majority also planned to approve dozens of other decisions.
Opposition argued that the session was illegal because the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević had not been confirmed by parliament and demanded that no voting take place.
Vučević stepped down in January as political unrest intensified, fueled by mass protests against the ruling coalition led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The protests were triggered by the collapse of a concrete roof at the main railway station in Novi Sad, southern Serbia, in December, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people.
The protesters see the incident as a symbol of the alleged culture of systematic corruption that pervades the governing party.
Speaking later on Tuesday, Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić said: “Today is a difficult day for Serbia and every normal citizen of Serbia.”
“This has not happened since the establishment of a multi-party system in the last 35 years,” he said, referring to the time when Serbia transitioned from a one-party system to a multi-party democracy following the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Describing the opposition MPs behavior as “thuggish and hooligan,” he said: “I demand criminal legal responsibility; we will not rest until those who did this are held accountable.
“We are waiting to see what the prosecution will do. We will not rest until the people who did this are punished.”
Vučić said that MP Sonja Ilić, who is eight months pregnant, and her baby are fine, and that MP Jasmina Obradović, whom he visited, is stable after suffering a stroke.
When asked how it was possible that the opposition MPs brought in smoke bombs, he said that they did it covertly because now they are made of cardboard and plastic, suggesting that the materials stopped them from being picked up by security controls.
“They brought them in their underwear,” he claimed.
Vučić and his ruling SNS have maintained a firm grip on power over the past decade, stifling dissent and civil liberties in the country, while at the same time, formally seeking European Union membership.
The parliamentary session, which was adjourned, will resume on Wednesday.
Lawmakers had been scheduled to vote on a law to increase funding for university education, but opposition parties claimed the ruling majority also planned to approve dozens of other decisions.
Opposition argued that the session was illegal because the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević had not been confirmed by parliament and demanded that no voting take place.
Vučević stepped down in January as political unrest intensified, fueled by mass protests against the ruling coalition led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The protests were triggered by the collapse of a concrete roof at the main railway station in Novi Sad, southern Serbia, in December, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people.
The protesters see the incident as a symbol of the alleged culture of systematic corruption that pervades the governing party.
‘Thuggish and hooligan’
Speaking later on Tuesday, Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić said: “Today is a difficult day for Serbia and every normal citizen of Serbia.”
“This has not happened since the establishment of a multi-party system in the last 35 years,” he said, referring to the time when Serbia transitioned from a one-party system to a multi-party democracy following the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Describing the opposition MPs behavior as “thuggish and hooligan,” he said: “I demand criminal legal responsibility; we will not rest until those who did this are held accountable.
“We are waiting to see what the prosecution will do. We will not rest until the people who did this are punished.”
Under Serbian law, parliamentary deputies enjoy immunity from prosecution but can lose it if they commit serious crimes.WATCH: Opposition lawmakers let off smoke grenades in the Serbian parliament
— Ajeet Kumar (@Ajeet1994) March 4, 2025
CREDIT: SERBIAN PARLIAMENT pic.twitter.com/T08Nz2X7ug
Vučić said that MP Sonja Ilić, who is eight months pregnant, and her baby are fine, and that MP Jasmina Obradović, whom he visited, is stable after suffering a stroke.
When asked how it was possible that the opposition MPs brought in smoke bombs, he said that they did it covertly because now they are made of cardboard and plastic, suggesting that the materials stopped them from being picked up by security controls.
“They brought them in their underwear,” he claimed.
Vučić and his ruling SNS have maintained a firm grip on power over the past decade, stifling dissent and civil liberties in the country, while at the same time, formally seeking European Union membership.
The parliamentary session, which was adjourned, will resume on Wednesday.
