Human rights activist: Elections only chance to ease crisis in Serbia

“We saw what our last elections looked like; we witnessed various criminal offences. We’ll see how citizens react this time. I am not sure what things will look like after the elections, if they even take place,” Todorovic said.

Her comments came after Belgrade hosted Pride, which her organisation helped organise. She praised the peaceful character of the march, calling it a success not only for the LGBT community but also for Serbian society as a whole. “The only incident involved two Turkish nationals who reported being attacked. It happened near the illegal camp set up in front of Serbia’s National Assembly,” she noted.

Todorovic criticised the police’s role in securing the Pride event, saying the LGBT community has long complained about police conduct. “We have a police force that was never purged of those who committed war crimes. It’s irresponsible to say Pride is protected by the same police that beat students, not every officer does. But ultimately, we must fight for these institutions,” she said.

Referring to a recent protest in Novi Sad and the police response, she said the country is entering “a new phase of repression,” and opposition groups must seek allies “wherever possible, both at home and abroad.” But she added that genuine dialogue has long been absent. “For 13 years, instead of dialogue, groups were lured into meaningless talks. Those were bitter lessons,” she remarked.

She also underscored the importance of monitoring the European Union’s stance. “The EU remains the only actor consistently reacting to the situation. We may not always like its words, but it’s vital because we claim to be on the European path. Students walked to Brussels, not Moscow,” she pointed out.

With opposition groups and even student organisations preparing to contest elections, she argued the campaign has effectively already begun. “From the moment elections were demanded, the race started. Everyone who announced their participation is already campaigning. The SNS certainly is, and the students will have their own list. For me, that means the campaign is underway,” Todorovic concluded.