‘Blood on your hands’: Serbian politicians exchange blows as tensions rise

At the heart of the dramatic political dispute is a deadly tragedy that unfolded in Serbia’s second largest city.

A brawl broke out in Serbian parliament between governing and opposition politicians who sparred over accountability for a deadly accident that occurred earlier this month in Serbia’s second largest city.

Fifteen people, aged between six and 74, died when a concrete roof collapsed at the station in Novi Sad on November 1, following extensive renovation work at the facility.

On Monday, during a parliamentary session that was scheduled to debate the 2025 national budget, the opposition displayed banners that read “blood is on your hands,” in attempt to shift the conversation to the Novi Sad incident.

Then, led by Radomir Lazovic of the opposition Green-Left Front party, the banners were placed on the speaker’s bench, prompting the Health Minister Zatibor Loncar to approach and start arguing, Reuters reports.

Ruling party lawmakers, opposition members, and some ministers fight during Monday’s parliament session. Picture: AP

The governing party also had banners that alleged the opposition wanted “war while Serbia wants to work.”

The disastrous scuffle between parliamentarians involved the opposition shouting: “killers, killers,” according to Reuters. With both sides involved in the fistfight, it took over the floor, knocking over members of the press.

The tragedy at the centre of the debate has resulted in public outrage, sparking regular nationwide protests demanding the resignation of the prime minister and the Novi Sad mayor, as well as the prosecution of those responsible.

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic described recent protests as “terror” and “brutal violence by certain political factors”, saying also that “we will defeat the thugs and bullies … we are not afraid,” Al Jazeera reports, as demonstrators blame the deaths on corruption and inadequate oversight of construction projects.

Former Construction Minister Goran Vesic and a former director of Serbian Railway Infrastructure, Nebojsa Surlan, are suspected of “a criminal offence against public safety”, the city’s Higher Court said.

Protesters are demanding action after a train station roof in Novi Sacollapsed last week killing 15 people. Photo: Nenad Mihajlovic/AFP.

Eight other suspects have been charged with a serious violation of public safety due to improper construction work and been detained over concerns of witness tampering and public disturbance.

The former acting general-director of Serbia Railway Infrastructure, Jelena Tanaskovic, resigned after the incident. Both Ms Tanaskovic and another suspect have been placed under house arrest with electronic surveillance for three months, RTS state broadcaster reports.

Mr Vesic, who stepped down three days after it occurred, later denied that he had been arrested, writing on Facebook that he had “voluntarily responded” to police.

The opposition welcomed the arrests.

China Railway International and China Communications Construction, France’s Egis, and Hungary’s Utiber were the consortium responsible for the works.

The renovations were completed just a few weeks before the roof collapsed.

-With AFP.