Scuffles and fistfights between ruling party and opposition lawmakers broke out in Serbia’s parliament on Monday, weeks after a deadly rail station roof collapse that ignited tensions in the Balkan state.
The opposition wanted to discuss who is responsible for the crash that killed 15 people at the station in the northern city of Novi Sad on Nov. 1, while governing officials, who have a majority in Serbia’s legislature, sought to adopt a bill on next year’s state budget.
The opposition displayed a banner showing a red handprint reading “blood is on your hands,” while the ruling party responded with a banner accusing the opposition of wanting “war while Serbia wants to work.”
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Scuffles erupted when the two sides tried to grab each other’s banner.
Serbia’s parliament speaker Ana Brnabic was quick to accuse the opposition of wanting to come to power by force with help from outside.
“There is not a hint, not a grain of doubt that these are people who are well organized, who were trained quite well, I believe paid well, to create chaos in Serbia and destabilize our country,” she said.
Serbia’s autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that the “daily bullying” and “the savage behavior” of the opposition would not be tolerated.
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“I want to reassure the citizens and tell them that we will respond to their rudeness, rudeness and arrogance with even more work in the future.” he said. “Today they tried to prevent pensioners from receiving their increased pensions, public sector employees from their increased salaries. They won’t succeed.”
Opposition leader Dragan Djilas said the speaker had “shut down” the parliament by “refusing to allow a debate on who’s responsible for the rail station tragedy.”
“She started with that when she refused to put on the agenda the request of more than 80 members of the opposition for a debate on confidence in the government because of the murder and crime in Novi Sad,” Djilas said.
The collapse of the concrete roof raised tensions across the Balkan county, fueling widespread anger toward the government and protests.
The BBC reported that more than 20,000 people took to its streets and squares during one demonstration – the biggest protest seen in the city for decades. Last week, prosecutors ordered the questioning of 11 people in connection with the disaster, the BBC reported.
Serbia’s former construction minister was among those arrested, according to the BBC. Goran Vesic resigned in the days following the collapse, but he denied any culpability.
“I cannot accept guilt for the deaths,” he said, “because I, and the people who work with me, have not an ounce of responsibility for the tragedy that occurred.”
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The rail station, a major hub, was recently renovated as part of a Serbian-Chinese partnership. Critics allege that corruption, poor oversight and inadequate construction work contributed to the tragedy.
The collapse became a flashpoint for broader dissatisfaction with Serbia’s authoritarian rule, reflecting growing public demands for transparency while the country undertakes large infrastructure projects, mostly with Chinese state companies.