What happens when access to jobs and public resources depends on political loyalty? This talk examines how clientelism shapes political conflict and protest mobilisation in contemporary Serbia. Focusing on the mass protests that followed the deadly Novi Sad canopy collapse in November 2024, it argues that the tragedy became a catalyst for broader dissatisfaction with a system widely perceived as unequal, politicised, and corrupt. Drawing on qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis, the talk explores how long-term clientelist practices create divisions between those connected to ruling party networks and those excluded from them. At the same time, it shows how shared experiences of exclusion can bring together diverse social groups and contribute to large-scale opposition mobilisation under competitive authoritarian rule.
When: Wednesday, 20 May 2026, 17:00-18:30
Where: Multifunktionsraum, Department of Political Science, NIG, 2nd floor, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna
Speaker: Valentina Petrović (Department of Political Science, University of Vienna)
Discussion and Moderation: Fabio Wolkenstein (Department of Political Science, University of Vienna)
