For years, Serbia’s leaders have boasted of launching a nationwide construction spree that ushered in a new era of prosperity in the Balkan country.

But after the death of 14 people after a roof collapsed on a train last week, a new wave of anger was unleashed against the authorities. Much of that public anger has focused on reports of alleged shortfalls in construction projects, reports that have left many with a new sense of vulnerability.

On Tuesday evening, more than 20,000 protesters gathered in the city of Novi Sad, in front of the train station where the fatal incident took place. Many in the crowd chanted “Prison, prison!” while waving signs that read, “How many dead children?”

“We have been unhappy as a people for a very long time,” Djordje Mitrovic, 30, told AFP at the rally. “We don’t live well. We don’t feel well… And now we don’t feel safe either.”

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Amid growing public pressure, the country’s construction minister, Goran Vesic, resigned on Tuesday, citing his ministry’s oversight of development projects.

Vesic, however, refused “to accept the guilt for the death of 14 people”.

Novi Sad’s central station underwent a three-year renovation that was completed in July, although Serbian Railways said the collapsed outer roof was not part of the work.

The construction was managed by a Chinese consortium consisting of China Railway International Co. Ltd and China Communications Construction Company Ltd.

Authorities promised to investigate.

“Land of Cranes”

After years of war in the 1990s, followed by attempts to start Serbia economyThe Serbian Progressive Party led by President Aleksandar Vucic was elected to office more than a decade ago, promising a new era of stability in the country.

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In the decade that followed, the promised renewal was most visible in the string of projects launched by Vucic and the party across the country — including bridges, roads and a massive waterfront development in the capital Belgrade.

Vucic often boasted that he had turned Serbia into a “crane country”.

But in the wake of the fatal crash in Novi Sad, analysts have warned that Vucic’s political asset now risks turning into a liability.

“When part of a building that has stood for 50 years collapses shortly after renovation, the safety of newly built, extended and restored public structures becomes a matter of common sense,” sociologist Dario Hajric told AFP.

After the roof collapse, people took to both the streets and social media to question the safety of several new projects set to open in the coming years — including an underground subway network and a bridge in Belgrade.

“Today, while we are walking around the city, we have to think if something might fall into our heads,” Stevan Babic told opposition reporters.

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“It is a direct result of corruption, rigged tenders and cronyism,” added Ana Oreg, MP and resident of Novi Sad.

‘Responsibility’

Vucic visited Novi Sad on Tuesday evening, shortly after the protest, insisting that the government had taken all necessary measures to punish those responsible for the train station tragedy.

“Nobody will escape responsibility if they made a mistake,” Vucic promised.

Since the accident, prosecutors in Novi Sad have questioned more than 50 people, including Vesic and Serbian Railways officials.

The prosecutor’s office also collected documents in its investigation into the cause of the disaster and who might be responsible.

Ultimately, however, the probe’s transparency may serve as the true litmus test when it comes to regaining public trust.

In findings published earlier this year, Transparency International warned that Serbia was “witnessing a democratic decline, with its autocratic government using special laws to limit transparency in large-scale projects.”

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Many observers are concerned that officials will now take responsibility for the accident at the train station.

“The authorities do not need the truth, but rather a version of reality in which they are not at fault,” sociologist Hajric said.

Source: AFP