
Mobilization is underway among members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) for their rally in Jagodina this Friday.
Many employees at local public enterprises are reportedly being pressured to attend the rally, with threats of dismissal if they refuse.
A similar situation is unfolding in Gornji Milanovac, where local public companies are facing intense pressure. The municipal leadership is demanding that as many employees as possible attend the SNS rally on Friday.
Bojan Savkovic from the citizens’ association Uzinat said that, despite the long-standing practice of coercing attendance at SNS rallies in Gornji Milanovac, an increasing number of employees in public enterprises have chosen to speak out. They report experiencing “tremendous pressure,” especially those on fixed-term contracts.
“They are compelled to attend these rallies, primarily as a condition for keeping their jobs. Their contracts will not be renewed if they refuse the order. However, the situation is somewhat different for those with permanent contracts, who feel more emboldened and are refusing such orders,” Savkovic explained.
He added that some private companies in Gornji Milanovac are also pressuring their employees to attend the SNS rally and show their support.
He believes that the SNS is acting out of desperation and that its efforts are in vain, stating, “Students and the discontented people in Serbia have already seen through these tactics. I view this as yet another desperate move.”
An N1 reporter said social media is buzzing with information that those who are not being coerced through their jobs but are still being organized to attend the rally in Jagodina, will be paid as much as 15,000 dinars (1 Euro – 117 Dinar).