Serbian Government’s Heavy-Handed Crackdown on Student Protesters Reveals Authoritarian Drift

In a stark reminder of the dangers posed by unchecked populist governments, Serbian authorities recently clashed with student protesters in Novi Pazar, revealing the increasing authoritarian tendencies of President Aleksandar Vucic’s regime. The students, who had been occupying a university building for months to protest official corruption and government mismanagement following a tragic infrastructure collapse, were forcibly removed in a predawn raid involving private security forces. Are Authoritarian Tactics Endangering Regional Stability? The incident unfolded when unidentified men—allegedly affiliated with a private security firm—and faculty officials broke into the state university facility between 3 and 4 a.m., forcibly evicting protesting...