Democratic shifts in Serbia and Hungary reveal the strength of civic unity

After more than a decade of control by Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Serbia’s political landscape shifted last weekend with an election victory for the Student List, as reported by ORF. According to El País, university students sustained peaceful protests for two years despite internal differences, encouraging citizens to overcome fear.

The vote in Serbia mirrored the fall of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, as noted by the BBC. In both cases, persistent youth movements created the momentum required to challenge long-standing illiberal governance.

Sceptics of European support for democratic movements across candidate states argue that internal political shifts are strictly national matters best left without external attention.

Yet democratic resilience in Europe's immediate neighbourhood directly affects the stability of the entire continent. When rule of law degrades on the Union's borders, fragmentation and institutional uncertainty follow.

By consistently upholding democratic principles and civic freedoms, Europe can support stable, cooperative partners along its borders while reinforcing the shared values that bind the continent together.

Drafted with AI, edited by the editor.