Serbia is struggling with large-scale corruption. Discontent with president Aleksandar Vučić’s government is growing, and student protests are becoming increasingly larger. Investigative journalist Stevan Dojčinović talks about the ongoing struggle against corruption and the fight for a transparent democracy, along with GroenLinks/PvdA Member of the European Parliament Thijs Reuten and Professor Comparative Governance Antoaneta Dimitrova.

For weeks, tens of thousands of people in Serbia have been taking to the streets to protest against corruption within the Serbian government. The student-led protest movement was boosted by farmers, actors and educators, in the most recent show of public anger over the collapse of a train station roof that killed 15 people.

Serbia is also in the international spotlight. President Vučić values his relationship with Russia. At the same time, Serbia seeks to become a member of the EU. While Brussels is concerned about the growing influence of Russia and China in the Western Balkans, negotiations are currently stalled because of the lack of alignment with the foreign policy of the EU.

What direction will the future of Serbia take? Investigative journalist Stevan Dojčinović has been uncovering corruption in Serbia for over fifteen years. This evening he will tell us about his battle for a transparent democracy. How is it to be a journalist in a corrupt state? And how does he foresee the future?

Dojčinović is the head of the Serbian organization Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK). KRIK has faced legal consequences for its investigative journalism, and has even been sued for complaining about being sued.

About the Freedom Lectures

Freedom is something that we in The Netherlands typically take for granted. In the series, De Balie has welcomed freedom fighters like Iranian filmmaker Niloofar Azimian, Egyptian writer and activist Nawal el Saadawi, Ugandan LGBT activist Frank Mugisha, Hungarian journalist Veronika Munk and French philosopher Didier Eribon. We share their stories, spread their message and learn from their struggle. The Freedom Lecture is supported by Vfonds.

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