Serbia has unexpectedly become one of the most dynamic battlegrounds for democratic resistance in Europe. Once a cautionary tale of nationalist authoritarianism, the country now shows signs of becoming a positive regional harbinger: a laboratory of civic resilience, youth mobilization, and institutional pushback.
This debate examined the paradoxes, surprises, risks, and opportunities emerging from Serbia’s year-long protest wave, its student-led democratic awakening, tensions with EU institutions, and Serbia’s place in a world where authoritarian ‘strong men’ are on the rise.
The discussion was designed to confront uncomfortable questions, provoke analysis, and offer a forward-looking debate on Europe’s democratic trajectory.
Vladan Đokić is the University of Belgrade's rector.
Discussants:
Sanja Bojanić, University of Rijeka/IWM visiting fellow
Filip Ejdus, University of Belgrade
Misha Glenny, IWM Rector
Michael Ignatieff, Central European University/IWM visiting fellow
Ivan Krastev, IWM Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow
Hedvig Morvai, ERSTE Foundation
Paul Stubbs, Institute of Economics, Zagreb/IWM visiting fellow
Ivan Vejvoda, Austrian Institute for International Affairs
