Brussels is closely following the current developments with student protests in Serbia and urged all sides to refrain from violence, European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier said on Monday.
Serbians, mostly young people and students, have been protesting in Belgrade, Novi Sad and other major cities for about two months now.
They are demanding justice for the victims of the deadly collapse of a train station roof, which killed 15 people in November 2024.
“We follow closely the current domestic political situation in Serbia and we encourage all political actors to engage into dialogue and refrain from escalating tensions,’’ Mercier told reporters.
A new academic semester was due to start in Serbia on Jan. 20, but the independent trade union of education workers announced a strike.
Also a large number of basic and secondary schools were expected to take part in it.
The Serbian government has said it was negotiating with the union, although the protest action in Belgrade has so far not been called off. (RIA/NAN)