Novi Sad (Serbia) (AFP) – For years, Serbia’s leaders boasted of launching a building spree across the country that had touched off a new era of prosperity in the Balkan country. But following the deaths of 14 people after a roof collapsed at a train last week, a new tide of anger has been unleashed at authorities. That public ire has largely focused on reports of alleged shortcuts made with building projects, reports that have left many with a new sense of vulnerability.
On Tuesday evening, more than 20,000 protestors rallied in the city of Novi Sad outside the train station where the fatal incident occurred. Many in the crowd chanted “Prison, prison!” while waving signs that read: “How many more dead children?” “We’ve been unhappy as a people for a very long time,” Djordje Mitrovic, 30, told AFP at the rally. “We don’t live well. We don’t feel well…And now we don’t feel safe either.”
Amid mounting public pressure, the country’s Construction Minister Goran Vesic resigned Tuesday, citing his ministry’s oversight of development projects. Vesic refused, however, to “accept the guilt for the deaths of 14 people.” The central railway station in Novi Sad underwent three years of renovation that was completed in July, though Serbia Railways said the collapsed outdoor roof had not been part of that work. The construction was handled by a Chinese consortium comprising China Railway International Co. Ltd and China Communications Construction Company Ltd. The authorities have vowed to investigate.
– ‘Land of cranes’ –
After years of war in the 1990s followed by attempts to kickstart Serbia’s economy, the Serbian Progressive Party led by President Aleksandar Vucic was elected into office more than a decade ago, promising a new era of stability in the country. In the decade that followed, the promised renewal was most visible in the string of projects Vucic and the party launched across the country — including bridges, roads, and a massive waterfront development in the capital Belgrade. Vucic often boasted of transforming Serbia into “a land of cranes.”
But following the fatal accident in Novi Sad, analysts have warned that Vucic’s political trump card is now at risk of turning into a liability. “When a part of a building that stood for 50 years collapses shortly after renovations, the safety of newly constructed, extended, and restored public structures becomes a matter of common sense,” sociologist Dario Hajric told AFP.
After the roof’s collapse, people have taken to both streets and social media questioning the safety of several new projects set to open in the coming years — including an underground metro network and bridge in Belgrade. “Today, as we walk around the city, we have to consider whether something might fall on our heads,” opposition figure Stevan Babic told reporters. “It is a direct result of corruption, rigged tenders, and crony connections,” added Ana Oreg, a member of parliament and Novi Sad resident.
– ‘Accountability’ –
Vucic visited Novi Sad late Tuesday shortly after the protest, insisting that the government has taken all necessary steps to punish those responsible for the railway station tragedy. “No one will escape accountability if they made a mistake,” Vucic vowed. Since the accident, prosecutors in Novi Sad have questioned over 50 individuals, including Vesic and officials from Serbian Railways. The prosecutor’s office has also gathered documents as part of its investigation into what caused the disaster and who might be responsible.
Ultimately, however, the transparency of the probe may serve as the true litmus test when it comes to regaining public trust. In findings published earlier this year, Transparency International warned that Serbia was “witnessing a democratic decline, with its autocratic government using special laws to limit transparency in large-scale projects.” Many observers are worried that officials will now duck responsibility for the train station accident. “The authorities don’t need the truth but rather a version of reality in which they bear no blame,” said the sociologist, Hajric.
© 2024 AFP
