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Serbia’s first spring parliamentary session descended into chaos on Tuesday when opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) set off flares and smoke grenades, disrupting proceedings in Belgrade.
The commotion broke out as the lawmakers engaged in a heated debate over the parliamentary agenda. Security personnel intervened to prevent a broader physical altercation as some MPs became involved in a brawl.
Speaker of Parliament Ana Brnabić called on MPs to return to their seats and resume the session. However, the disruption forced an adjournment.
The ruling coalition had proposed passing a series of laws offering concessions to students and youth before formally acknowledging the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević. His resignation, announced in late January, came after months of protests over the deadly train station awning collapse in Novi Sad last November, which killed 15 people.
Opposition MPs argued that passing new laws from a government whose prime minister had resigned was illogical. The disagreement escalated, with Brnabić getting drenched in water during the altercation.
Brnabić later reported that Jasmina Obradović, an MP, suffered a stroke during the incident and was fighting for her life. Another MP, who is eight months pregnant, experienced a severe shock.
“The woman is fighting for her life after you threw a flashbang at her,” Brnabić accused the opposition MPs.
Following the parliamentary chaos, protesters gathered outside the parliamentary building in Belgrade, blocking one of the city’s main avenues. Demonstrators expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the situation and demanded accountability.
Vučević’s resignation came amid rising tensions over the government’s responsibility for the train station disaster. He and Brnabić belong to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) led by President Aleksandar Vučić, who has promised an “urgent and extensive reconstruction of the government” in response to public demands.
