In November 2024, a tragic roof collapse at Novi Sad’s train station claimed 15 lives and ignited nationwide protests in Serbia. But what really happened? Who bears responsibility? And how do Chinese firms and their involvement in the station's reconstruction fit into the bigger picture? In this episode, we explore the fallout of this disaster, its impact on Serbia’s politics, and the potential effects on Sino-Serbian relations with expert insight from Stefan Vladisavljev.

This month's guest:

Stefan Vladisavljev holds program director position at Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society since April of 2024. Prior to that, Stefan was BFPE program coordinator and assistant. He is also part of the team behind Belgrade Security Forum. As a part of the program team, Stefan is responsible for program planning, speaker selection and analytical writing. During his engagement in BFPE, so far, he is mostly dealing with the topics in the field of international relations and security and foreign policy. His main expertise is cooperation between actors in the field of international relations, and foreign actors influence, with the focus on cooperation between Western Balkans countries and China. Stefan is also a CHOICE Fellow for the Western Balkan region.

See notes:

Serbia and China: What Does the “Shared Future” Hold for “Steel Friends”?⁠⁠

Chinese Influence in Serbia⁠

⁠“Steel Friendship” — Forging of the Perception of China by the Serbian Political Elite⁠

⁠FACILITATING KLEPTOCRACY: THE CONSEQUENCES OF CHINA’S CORROSIVE CAPITAL IN SERBIA⁠

⁠China’s 'Digital Silk Road' Enters the Western Balkans