Student activists running for local office in Serbia received death threats and threats of sexual violence this week, marking an escalation in intimidation tactics ahead of municipal elections scheduled for March 29.
An unknown caller using a hidden number contacted the brother of Roland Šipoš, a candidate on the "Glas mladih" (Voice of Youth) electoral list in the northwestern municipality of Kula, on the evening of March 6. According to N1 Info, the caller threatened death and made explicit threats of sexual violence against the candidate's sister.
After the brother reported the incident to police, the same individual called back, demonstrating awareness that authorities had been contacted and continuing the intimidation. Student activists from Blokada PMF Novi Sad published a recording of the threatening phone call on social media with a content warning, part of their effort to document what they describe as systematic electoral intimidation.
Representatives of the "Glas mladih" list stated that such threats have become a daily occurrence, characterizing the campaign against them as an organized effort to force their withdrawal from the electoral race. The student-led lists emerged from months of civic protests that followed the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 15 people and triggered the largest sustained demonstrations in Serbia since the fall of Slobodan Milošević.
The intimidation in Kula reflects a broader pattern of pressure facing opposition candidates across Serbia. In Smederevska Palanka, students have been forced to gather petition signatures multiple times after reporting that initial efforts were compromised. Activists have also documented incidents of students being denied entry to cultural events and facing workplace retaliation for political participation.
The timing places additional scrutiny on Serbia's commitment to democratic standards as the country pursues European Union accession negotiations. Brussels has consistently emphasized the need for free and fair elections, media pluralism, and rule of law as fundamental criteria for membership progress. Electoral intimidation targeting civil society candidates directly contradicts these requirements.
In the Balkans, as across post-conflict regions, the path forward requires acknowledging the past without being imprisoned by it. Yet the current climate suggests a political establishment unwilling to accommodate genuine opposition participation, particularly from a generation mobilized by demands for accountability following the Novi Sad tragedy.
Police in Kula have confirmed receiving the complaint but have not announced any arrests or identified suspects. The investigation's progress—or lack thereof—will be closely watched by international observers monitoring Serbia's electoral environment ahead of the March 29 vote.
The student lists represent an unprecedented phenomenon in Serbian local politics: organized, grassroots campaigns emerging from sustained civic mobilization rather than established party structures. Their ability to participate without facing violence or intimidation serves as a fundamental test of whether Serbia's democratic institutions can protect political pluralism beyond the rhetoric of EU integration.
