Year of protests could force Serbian strongman to the polls

Demonstrators incensed by a railway disaster now want an end to corruption, and the country's populist president is reacting badly, writes Fred Harter

- Fred Harter

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia's second biggest city, on the first Saturday of the month to mark the anniversary of a railway station disaster that killed 16 people.

Why it matters

Protests have rocked the country for a year and show no sign of stopping. Demonstrators first demanded an investigation but now want an overhaul of an increasingly authoritarian political system. They have drawn widespread support and made Serbia almost ungovernable.

Recap

President Aleksandar Vučić has been in power for 13 years and has staked much of his political legitimacy on large infrastructure projects. The deaths at Novi Sad station happened when a recently built concrete canopy collapsed, part of a refurbishment project to accommodate high-speed trains.

Commemoration