“Freed from Regime”. Shots from Serbia’s new student-led era

Belgrade – When the opening notes of Freed from Desire ring out, Slavija Square erupts with joy. For the first time, tens of thousands of Serbians can finally shout “Freed from Regime” – liberated from Aleksandar Vučić, who suffered a resounding defeat in the 25 October elections.

The 24-hour party in Belgrade following the Student List’s victory reached its climax on the evening of 26 October, at the very place where, over the past two years, students have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to mobilise an entire country. Slavija Square, the heart of the Serbian capital and the focal point of a movement that draws its strength from the people and finds its fullest expression among them.

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Everyone was at Slavija Square. Entire families, groups of friends, Belgraders and people who had travelled from other cities. But above all, young people. A new generation who – just when we all thought they were prisoners of their smartphones, incapable of tearing themselves away – demonstrated an ability to mobilise, protest and organise on a scale not seen for at least a quarter of a century.

Perhaps never before have young people shown such resistance in the face of two years of attempts at repression, and succeeded in bringing a list of their own representatives – professionals and experts – to win an absolute majority of seats in Parliament and finally change the country.

And let’s not just talk about the peaceful means by which they achieved all this. They experienced violence at the hands of the regime and the authorities. Yet they could remain steadfast in their principles without allowing the anger they felt – that of young people confronted with a profound sense of injustice – to escalate thanks to the millions of people who supported and protected them throughout those two years , never blaming them for decades of corruption, mismanagement and cronyism. The Serbian people chose to confront the root causes rather than condemn the reaction.

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Flags bearing the double-headed eagle against a red, blue and white background, fireworks, religious icons. Badges with the bloodied hand – the symbol of the Novi Sad tragedy – Popeye pins, stickers bearing the number 3, mockery of Vučić. Hands raised in the air in triumph, holding up the thumb, index and middle fingers. International hits from the 1990s and 2000s sung alongside folk songs, anthems celebrating Serbia and freedom, wild dancing. Yugoslav Army caps, Ferrari tracksuits, banners bearing claims on Kosovo. Smiles, shouts of joy, car horns, motorbikes screeching away.

Slavija Square is as heterogeneous as the Student List’s supporters, who span an enormous electoral spectrum – from progressives to traditionalists, from the radical left to centre-right liberals, and from nationalists to pro-Europeans. They are all united by one common denominator: the desire to put an end to the erosion of the rule of law and the corruption that blights people’s lives. The challenge now will be to turn this opposition to a common cause into a shared sense of purpose, so as to put the country back on its feet and move forward – even if divided, but on a level playing field and without autocrats.

For now, though, let us enjoy the celebrations and the joy of having witnessed a young generation that really can change its own world. We need that in Europe, beyond Serbia’s borders, too.