Serbia’s Parliament turned into a ring during the debate on the 2025 budget. Opposition MPs at the start of the session held up placards depicting bloody hands while chanting “Murderers, murderers”. The opposition blames the government for the collapse of part of the roof at the Novi Sad train station on November 1, when 15 people were killed and two injured.

MPs of the coalition, reacting, got up from their seats, moved towards their protesting colleagues and a fight ensued. Punches, cuffs, hair pulling and vulgar insults were heard. The police, who entered the hall following the order of the speaker of the Parliament, managed to prevent the generalization of the fight with difficulty.

The speaker of the parliament, Ana Brnabic, after temporarily interrupting the meeting, returned a little later and declared the end of the debate on the budget.

The opposition in a press conference called the decision of the Speaker of the Parliament a coup.

The President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vucic, in a post on Instagram, accused the opposition of trying to terrorize the citizens. He points out that the goal of the opposition parties was to prevent the budget from being passed “to prevent retirees from receiving increased pensions and public sector workers from seeing increased salaries.”

“It will not pass them. Serbia will not stop!” concludes Aleksandar Vucic in his post.