Students keep the pressure on ruling party in Serbia
Student protesters will take to the streets in Serbia this weekend in the first major demonstrations this year against President Aleksandar Vucic. Students have become a significant political force in Serbia over the last two years: in 2025, then-Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned after anti‑corruption protests led by students brought an estimated 100,000 people to the streets of Belgrade. Many Serbians remain frustrated with what they see as democratic backsliding since the Serbian Progressive Party came to power in 2012. The country is even at risk of losing more than $1.8 billion in European Union funds earmarked for aspiring member states that meet certain democratic reform goals — the bloc has criticized Serbia’s past crackdown on protests and continued ties to Russia. This new round of protests is certain to put additional pressure on Vucic’s party ahead of national elections scheduled for this fall.
Dems finally release election autopsy – but few are happy
“I am not proud of this product,” Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin wrote of his party’s autopsy over their 2024 election loss, after releasing it yesterday. It’s easy to see why: the report makes no mention of the party infighting over the Gaza war, omits any reference to former President Joe Biden’s age, and fails to even have a conclusion. There’s also no reference to former Vice President Kamala Harris’s media struggles (like her initial refusal to hold interviews or inability to make a distinction between herself and Biden). What it does say, however, is that the Democrats failed to make a strong enough case for why Harris should hold the top job. Given the furor around the report, and the critical reaction to its contents, it seems unlikely that the next presidential candidate will heed its advice – except for the part about clearly defining the next leader.
For more on what Democrats have (or haven’t) learned from the 2024 defeat, watch Ian Bremmer’s interview with former White House Chief of Staff (and potential 2028 presidential candidate) Rahm Emmanuel here.
