He is a professor of political science specializing in Europe and the Middle East. He has lectured extensively in the UK and, more recently, in the UAE and Turkey. Additionally, he has held visiting appointments across Asia, Europe, and North America. As a consultant, Branislav has conducted research and delivered expert services to a wide range of clients, including government entities and non-governmental stakeholders. His work focuses on governance regimes, institutional transparency and accountability, and prospects for increased citizen participation. In his role as an expert witness (registered in the EU, UK, and US), Branislav provides reports and testimony in legal proceedings related to asylum, refugee, and immigration matters. His country expertise includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Finally, Branislav is also interested in AI policy and governance, especially in the societal impact of AI technologies and how they can be regulated to ensure ethical and equitable outcomes.
Topic: Youth Protest in the Age of Authoritarianism: Generation Z and Narrative Resistance in Serbia
Abstract
This study examines the 2024/25 student protests in Serbia as a case of youth-led, narrative resistance against authoritarianism. At the core is Generation Z, coming of age under a regime that has perfected the tools of illiberal governance while maintaining a façade of electoral democracy. Unlike previous student movements in post-Yugoslav Serbia, this one is notable for its explicitly anti-political stance. Students have refused alignment with any political party, instead emphasizing moral appeals, horizontal organization, and institutional accountability. This positioning complicates conventional political science categorizations and calls for a reassessment of how youth activism functions in contemporary authoritarian settings. In response, the government systematically securitized the student uprising through delegitimizing discourse, labeling peaceful protestors as extremists, foreign agents, or destabilizing actors. This framing enabled the regime to justify repressive actions ranging from surveillance and intimidation to direct police intervention. Protestors resisted not only through occupation and sound action but by reclaiming symbolic language, digital space, and public narratives, challenging the state’s monopolization of legitimacy and discourse. This paper contributes to debates on “populist securitization,” showing how regimes blur the lines between dissent and threat, and equate regime survival with national stability. At the same time, it highlights how Generation Z, often dismissed as politically apathetic, emerges as a politically innovative actor, blending radical organizational forms with liberal-democratic demands. These young activists engage in what can be termed “counter-securitization”—a resistance strategy grounded in transparency, procedural fairness, and participatory democracy.