Political economy, authoritarianism and bottom-up resistance : reflections on Serbian students’ protests

Isailović, Ivana (author)

This contribution attempts to make sense of the year-long student led protests in Serbia. For the past year, students have been protesting in support of the rule of law, against state capture and corruption, mobilising a broad coalition bridging class, urban/ rural and religious divides. In the process, students have emerged as the main political actors, organising a bottom-up, grassroots democratic resistance to the authoritarian regime and its political economy, and providing transformative practices and guiding principles for a more democratic, just and distribution of power and resources. The essay engages with the political economy of these protests - all the material, political and economic conditions - that shaped them, and their meanings. It offers reflections on their features and strengths; the reactions of domestic institutions, which for the most part have resorted to intimidation and police violence; and the evolution of the EU’s position, which, from relatively supporting the regime, is increasingly pointing out its dysfunctions. Finally, it describes the political economy of authoritarianism that students are resisting, in which domestic laws are bypassed and breached, considerable power is given to corporate interests, and corruption, state capture and ensuing inequalities are high. At a time when democratic values are eroding in the Global North, and power concentration and inequalities are rising, the student led movement offers a glimmer of hope and, perhaps, valuable lessons.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Serbia, rule of law, the political economy of authoritarianism, European Union, state capture, social movements
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.03 - Other scientific articles
• Organization: PF - Faculty of Law
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 30.12.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 213-232, 269-270
• Numbering: Letn. 85
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180348
• UDC: 323.233-057.875(497.11)
• ISSN on article: 1854-3839
• DOI: 10.51940/2025.1.213-232
• COBISS.SI-ID: 270394627
• Publication date in RUL: 06.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav
• Shortened title: Zb. znan. razpr.
• Publisher: Pravna fakulteta
• ISSN: 1854-3839
• COBISS.SI-ID: 223437312

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Politična ekonomija, avtoritarizem in odpor od spodaj navzgor : refleksije ob protestih srbskih študentov

Abstract

Ta prispevek poskuša osmisliti leto dni trajajoče študentske proteste v Srbiji. Študenti že vse leto protestirajo v podporo vladavini prava, proti ujetju države in korupciji, pri čemer mobilizirajo široko koalicijo, ki presega razredne, mestno-podeželske in verske delitve. Gibanje je študente uveljavilo kot pomembne politične akterje demokratičnega odpora od spodaj navzgor, zasidranega v lokalnih skupnostih, usmerjenega proti avtoritarnemu režimu in njegovim politično-ekonomskim temeljem. Ob tem avtorica poudari prakse in načela, ki jih gibanje razvija kot možne usmeritve za bolj demokratično in pravično ureditev ter pravičnejšo porazdelitev moči in virov. Avtorica obravnava politično ekonomijo protestov, tj. materialne, politične in ekonomske razmere, ki so proteste oblikovale, ter njihov širši pomen. Analizira njihove ključne značilnosti in vire moči; odzive domačih institucij, ki so se večinoma zatekale k ustrahovanju in policijskemu nasilju; ter razvoj stališča Evropske unije, ki se od razmeroma podpornega odnosa do režima vse pogosteje osredotoča na njegove disfunkcionalnosti. V sklepu oriše politično ekonomijo avtoritarizma, proti kateri študenti usmerjajo odpor: sistematično obideno in kršeno domače pravo, krepitev korporativnih interesov ter razširjena korupcija in ujetje države, ki poglabljata neenakosti. V času, ko na globalnem severu razpadajo demokratične vrednote, koncentracija moči narašča, neenakosti pa se povečujejo, študentsko vodeno gibanje ponuja drobec upanja in morda tudi dragocene lekcije.

• Keywords: Srbija, vladavina prava, politična ekonomija avtoritarizma, Evropska unija, ujetje države, družbena gibanja