Serbia Faces Nine-Month Anti-Government Protests Amid 20% Profit Margin and 7.5% Loan Rate Caps by Vučić

Serbia has experienced a major escalation in anti-government protests that have persisted for nine months, with recent violent clashes marking a new phase of unrest. The protests, initially driven by demands to address government corruption, intensified over the past week with clashes and vandalism targeting ruling party offices. President Aleksandar Vučić has accused the protesters of being "terrorists" and blamed Western countries for instigating the unrest. In response to the ongoing tensions and economic challenges, Vučić pledged wide-reaching measures aimed at improving living standards and curbing inflation. Among these measures, the Serbian government announced caps on profit margins for consumer goods at 20% and personal loan interest rates at 7.5%. Meanwhile, peaceful demonstrations in support of the government were held across 75 cities, opposing the blockade of institutions and infrastructure by students and opposition sympathizers.