Milica Kostin studies Political Science and Arsa Stojanovic, Biology. Both at the University of Belgrade. We met at the Rectorate, in the historic building in the city center that hosted them during the massive protests that, from November 2024 to June 2025, demanded political accountabilities for the tragedy at the Novi Sad station, where 16 people died due to a canopy collapse. In the courtyard, the horse they used in last year's marches is still there.
A few weeks ago, the place was the scene of clashes between students and police during a protest against the search of the university offices. The Police said it was for an investigation into the death of a student who fell from a window at the adjacent Faculty of Philosophy. The rector, Vladan Djokic, came out to the balcony with a megaphone and stated to the gathered crowd: "You can storm the university facilities, but you cannot storm people's conscience."
Milica and Arsa are two more members of this movement without clear leaders who, taking it a step further, put away the banners to focus on the parliamentary elections that Serbia is set to hold next year. Unless Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian president, decides to heed their demands and advance them. Because that remains one of their main demands, as well as demanding accountabilities for what went wrong in those works in Novi Sad.
"I believe that the main achievement we have accomplished has been to awaken many people", says Arsa in the noble hall of the venue. "The walks we took throughout Serbia, seeing the faces of all those people, because Belgrade is not the only important thing in this country," highlights Milica. "We managed to encourage different sectors of the population to carry out their own protests. Many people had become apolitical because they believed the country was finished," adds her companion.
From demonstrations, they moved on to direct political action, and that's where they are now. They explain that they already have an electoral list prepared, but they will not publish it until there is an official call. "We don't want to expose them until the campaign starts because we have already been attacked, as well as the people who showed us their support," says Milica. "When it is announced, we will also reveal what our program is," she adds. Because a maxim of the movement is not to join opposition parties, which they consider part of the system, which has earned them criticism.
Both have had problems with the Police. Calls in which someone tells them "come and give us information or we will come looking for you," assaults that required stitches or a report for carrying pesto sauce and pasta in the backpack. In addition to worse threats: "We know who you are, who your family is, and we are going to sexually assault you." Other colleagues have had to face more serious accusations such as going against the constitutional order or being detained for hours without explanation: "Of course, parents get scared. They don't want their children to be beaten."
"I think the most innovative thing has been to make it clear that the president's role is ceremonial. He is not the only one making decisions, we have a Parliament and a Government. He is not, as many people say, the one who pays pensions," says Milica satisfactorily. "We call him the one who must not be named," Arsa concludes, referring to Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter.