Parliament Speaker Argues Striking University Students Endangering Rights of Majority of their Peers

Serbian Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

Serbian Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic on Jan. 14 said she would request from the Committee on Education to convene next week for to obtain information and communicate it to the public about the rights of the majority of university students which had been endangered by their peers on strike.

“We must learn what happens if a student, due to the strike, misses exams and loses the right to budget funding. If they cannot qualify for the next university year due to the strike, who will be paying for student loans? As the state has nothing to do with this, then we shall let the plenum repay student loans. Who will cover the costs of their accommodation in Belgrade or Novi Sad if they miss on exams and lose the right to student dorms,” Brnabic told TV Happy.

The parliament speaker also said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had been often using social networks and public events to address the nation, because, according to her, it was the only defense against the campaign of lies, misinformation, false news, and criminalization. 

Brnabic also said she believed that in the past ten years, around EUR 450 million had been poured into the pockets of numerous non-governmental organizations in Serbia to work on destabilizing the country, under the guise of fighting for the rule of law, combating corruption and similar things.