The unprecedented protests against corruption in Serbia, alongside the months-long demands for institutions to do their job, reflect the deep distrust Serbian citizens have in their politicians. While distrust in politicians is also high in other countries in the region, no other country has yet reached the same breaking point as Serbia.
What do young people think about politicians? Here’s an overview of their views, expressed over ten years on the show PERSPEKTIVA. Sarah doesn’t trust them at all, Vernes believes politicians only need young people when it’s time to vote, and Marko claims politicians deliberately push away intelligent people.
Sarah
“I don’t believe them. Why? Because they haven’t given me any reason to trust them. Year after year, the same story repeats itself – their actions remain the same, perhaps even worse than before.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkaSUQk2uAg&ab_channel=RadioSlobodnaEvropa
Vernes
“The highest level of government only notices us during election campaigns, when they need votes for the presidency, parliament, and other positions that fill their wallets. And we, as a people, don’t know how to say ‘no’ or change our attitude. We don’t know how to say, ‘Wait a minute, that’s enough.'”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-bihac-mladi-bih/33240579.html
Marko
“I think it’s the goal of political parties and those currently in power to shut out intelligent people – those who could potentially do and change something. Sure, it might endanger them, but it would definitely make life better for all of us. Many people could speak out, but they fall into the shadows because they’re afraid to take action.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQuroNF1zfU&t=1s
Young people not only recognize corruption, broken promises, disregard for the law, and party-based employment but also see how politicians fuel division and hatred. Jovo believes this is why myths are propagated, Nadja claims the divisions are artificial, and both Marija and Jovo refuse to participate in this.
Nadja
“You see, it takes very little for all of us to be drawn into it – just one spark. And politicians use that spark to start a fire. These divisions are artificially created. I’m not saying we’re all the same, everyone has their own opinion, but this polarization is artificial. Politicians use it to rally people who blindly follow them, diverting attention from the real problems.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-u-podgorici/32824642.html
Marija
“There’s constant incitement by politicians, constantly stirring things up, provoking unrest. You need to have a clear, loud position and say ‘NO.’ I don’t want to be part of this. I have a neighbor who is Muslim, Hungarian, or black, and they are my friend. I don’t want to take part in your games.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/bosna-hercegovina-bijeljina-mladi-perspektiva/32764602.html
Jovo
“They influence our daily lives by recycling 90s-era nationalist themes, pushing myths about a new war, a new conflict.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perpektiva-mladi-crna-gora-problemi/32804765.html
Arman says that such politics disgust him, while Aldijan believes political affiliation is inherited.
Arman
“My peers and I are disgusted. We have such a negative perception of political parties. We do want to be involved in solving local community issues, we do want to have a say, but we don’t want to think about parties at all.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-mladi-bosna-i-hercegovina/31594661.html
Aldijan
“Political commitment in Montenegro is like a family tradition, inherited. If your family is Orthodox and identifies as Serbs, you vote for a party that promotes such politics. If your family is Montenegrin, you vote for Montenegrin politicians, regardless of what they do in the country, no matter if they steal or fail to invest in our system.”
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/perspektiva-mladi-bar/33273072.html
Trust in politicians is, therefore, extremely low. They know this, yet they persist. The protests in Serbia show that there is a way to hold politicians accountable, and that citizens should persevere till their demands are met. After all, one thing they cannot change is the people.
