Building a New Democracy from Below? The Student-led Protests in Serbia Lecture by Kurt Bassuener

Since the collapse of the entrance to the Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024, which killed 15 people, a student-led protest movement demanding justice and accountability from the government of President Aleksandar Vucic has been ongoing and building public support. The movement now has involved students of several universities and a host of secondary schools, drawing solidarity from throughout Serbia – and indeed, the former Yugoslav space. The corruption pervading Vucic’s 12-year rule is widely recognized. The students have moved in the direction of developing a new social contract for Serbia, but have kept their distance from established political opposition. The question remains how the movement can achieve its aims without taking on or purpose-building a political vehicle. This talk will reflect on the possibilities as they stand on April 7, along with their wider implications in Europe.

Kurt Bassuener is the co-founder and Senior Associate of the Democratization Policy Council (DPC), where he has contributed extensively through policy briefs, papers, and studies. He has been involved in Bosnia and broader Balkan policy since 1997. In 2016, he began his PhD research at the University of St. Andrews, examining postwar power-sharing in Bosnia, Macedonia, and Lebanon. He holds an MA in European Studies from Central European University in Prague (1994) and a BA in International Relations from American University’s School of International Service (1991).

This is the part about the lecturer. I looked at the lecture description about Marteen Lemstra and I think that was of a similar length.