On this protest day, Belgrade is a powder barrel, but is as important as the president reacts – now and tomorrow | Brent Sadler

From the streets of Belgrade, the cracks in President Aleksandar Vučić's almost less long authoritarian grip on power have become impossible to ignore. After more than four months, the frustration with the regime seems to have reached the breaking point after more than four months.

The country is preparing for a massive protest against state protest today, since thousands of students and citizens are preparing for the Serbian government. Many residents describe the capital as “under siege”, whereby the authorities implement extreme measures from which critics claim, serves to prevent people from participating in the demonstration.

The State Railway Company, Srbijavoz, abruptly exposed all inter-city train services and cited anonymous bomb threats as the official reason. There were also reports that buses were canceled between cities, and even rumors that farm tractors and trucks were used in the capital on barricade key roads. These unprecedented measures have triggered criticism, whereby many people argue that the government essentially blocks Belgrade in order to suppress the protest movement.

Despite these efforts, convoys from students and supporters have found alternative ways from all over Serbia to reach Belgrade. Many groups that have not been defeated by the government's tactics have triggered days on foot or by bike and determined to be part of what they expect to be a historical rally.

At the same time, western diplomats call on the leadership of Serbia to ensure that the protest remains peaceful and that the safety of the participants is guaranteed, and warns that all attempts to suppress the demonstrations could escalate the tensions domestic and internationally.

In stark contrast to the appeals of the diplomats for calm, Vučić and his government have framed the meeting on March 15 as a powder barrel, which is ready to explode. Days have warned threatening that clashes are inevitable and themselves indicate that the demonstrators could attack the police or try to storm the parliament violently.

This relentless drum beat of alarmist rhetoric from the government was used to justify a stubborn reaction, whereby a strong police presence and preventive security measures circling Belgrade. These actions not only serve to increase the tensions, but also to send a clear message of intimidation, to paint the demonstrators as a threat to national stability and at the same time to strengthen the control of the government.

The trigger for all of this was the fatal collapse at the end of last year of a concrete canopy at the renovated main train station in Novi Sad, 50 miles northwest of Belgrade, which demanded the life of 15 people. The tragic incident triggered mass protests in Serbia and became a symbol of something that is far deeper: a system in which corruption, inefficiency and political crony are deeply rooted.

While demands on widespread corruption are widespread, they are often difficult to prove because critics refer to opaque government contracts, political patronage and lack of transparency as worrying signs. Nevertheless, the judiciary is generally considered compromised, the press is constantly attacked, and civil society is faced with harassment. In this environment, protests are no longer just on certain symptoms – they make a desperate call to the future free exception of the grip of autocrats and their buddies.

The unexpected outbreak of the outrage of the students is not just about a single incident – it reflects the deep frustration of a generation, which feels abandoned and betrayed by the same political elite, which has been based for too long. What we are experiencing now is an unprecedented wave of opposition from New Age, which is reinforced by the creative use of social media and the snowball by the cities and villages of Serbia.

The extent and persistence of these protests signal that the country is on a crossroads, whereby Vučić is once considered inviolable and is now facing a real challenge for its authority. Despite the widespread unrest, the West continues to set the controversial head of Serbia under the banner to keep the country on the “EU path”. And maybe for good reason.

As much as there is to criticize Vučić's rule, there is no clear or sustainable alternative if its leadership is staged. The political opposition is fragmented and often focuses more on the fights than on a coherent vision for the future.

But the EU is still committed to Vučić as if it were a sensible partner who overlooks critical problems that should trigger alarms. It makes a blind eye on his close relationships with Vladimir Putin, the growing Chinese economic border in relation to the Serbian infrastructure and the fact that the Serbia energy giant, despite the supposed EU sanctions, in the possession of Russian interests.

This obvious contradiction in the EU directive raises questions about the true commitment of the block for its values ​​and its long-term strategy in the region, especially when pragmatic alliances seem to have priority over the ideals of democratic government and geopolitical stability.

On the one hand, the behavior and the Lockdown tactics of the Serbian government project an atmosphere of impending turbulence. On the other hand, the demonstrators are strengthened by moral support from abroad in their commitment to non-violence.

Many people in Belgrade are confident that the day takes place peacefully and opposes the threatening predictions of violence. In view of the tense structure, all eyes will observe how the authorities react and whether freedom of assembly is confirmed in practice.

While Serbia's relationship with Moscow can be seen as part of the efforts to reconcile his historical relationships with Russia with the efforts of the EU and NATO membership, this also raises questions about the real priorities of leadership. After the rule of Vučić, Serbia has increasingly recorded authoritarian tendencies. These actions only deepen the suspicion of his long -term priorities and intentions. If the story has taught us something, overlooking in the Balkans often leads to unintentional and far -reaching consequences.

• Brent Sadler is a former CNN journalist and founder of the 24-hour news broadcaster CNN in Belgrade, Serbia based on the CNN company 24-hour news channels N1

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