'Won't flee like Assad': Serbia President Vucic at war with foreign spy agencies amid mass protests

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić recently accused foreign intelligence services of attempting to topple his government.

The statement appears to be a denial of popular sentiment being against it, coming amid mass protests following a deadly rail station collapse that has fuelled anger over corruption and governance.

In a video posted on Instagram, Vučić vowed to stand firm, saying, “I will fight for Serbia and serve only my Serbian people and all other citizens of Serbia, I will never serve foreigners, those who seek to defeat, humiliate, and destroy Serbia.”

‘Won’t run away like Assad’

He dismissed comparisons made by critics to ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, stating, “If they think I’m Assad, and that I’ll run away somewhere, I will not.”

Opposition leaders have likened Vučić to Assad, who fled Damascus following a rebel advance, accusing the Serbian president of clinging to power amid mounting unrest.

Vučić dismissed the allegations, claiming the protests were part of a Western-backed effort to destabilise his government through “hybrid tactics.”

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“If they think I’ll surrender Serbia to foreign interests, they are mistaken,” Vučić said, promising to reveal details of alleged foreign funding to undermine his administration. “I will expose how much money was paid over the last four years to destroy Serbia and make it a vassal state.”

Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership, maintains close ties with both Russia and China. Vučić has pledged to preserve Serbia’s political neutrality and has refused to impose Western sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

Amid protests, a controversial legislation

The protests, initially sparked by a train station canopy collapse in the northern city of Novi Sad that killed 15 people on November 1, have grown into broader demonstrations against Vučić’s increasingly authoritarian rule.

Protesters blame the collapse on corruption and substandard renovation work tied to infrastructure projects involving Chinese state firms. Demonstrations have since spread to Belgrade and other cities, with university students joining the calls for accountability and democratic reforms.

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Amid the turmoil, Serbia’s parliament is debating a controversial bill to establish a “foreign agents” registry, modelled after Russian legislation.

The measure would require organisations receiving more than 50 per cent of their funding from foreign sources to register as foreign agents, raising concerns from civil society groups and international observers who warn it could stigmatise NGOs, curtail freedom of expression, and further alienate Serbia from the EU.