Pumping and Jumping Through the Balkan Spring

You are waiting at a train station, and all of a sudden, your life flashes before your eyes. You see the canopy of the recently renovated station suddenly collapse. Chaos erupts and people start panicking. Fourteen people lose their lives at the scene. This is the final straw. You stop going to university, you devote your entirety to bringing justice to your country. Others join you, hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands. Your country is in an unprecedented crisis. But you are not alone, neighboring countries are seeing a similar fate. A fate that might lead to the phenomenon of the Balkan Spring.

1. Pumping Begins

In November 2024, Serbia saw a wave of student-led protests around the country. Appalled by the tragic event, they blamed government negligence and corruption as its fundamental causes. University students around the country announced a boycott of their studies, demanding accountability and transparency. The slogan “Pumpaj,” literally meaning “to pump,” became a symbol of the protests. Originating as a pop-cultural reference from a famous song, the word has now gained a deep social meaning of putting pressure on the state and calling for progress. Five months later, popular unrest persists. Despite the government’s resignation, the movement continues to gather strength. In the months after the collapse, two other people passed away from sustained injuries. March 15 saw an estimated 300,000 people gather in Belgrade for the largest demonstration since the beginning of the unrest. Reports started circulating of the Serbian police using a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), colloquially called “sound cannon,” to disperse the crowd. The Serbian government initially denied possessing such a system, but in the days following, they admitted to owning it, but stated it was kept far from the protests. Images circulated, alleging that such a device was parked near the National Assembly in Belgrade at the time of the protests. Serbian authorities denied its use, with President Aleskander Vučić stating that he will resign if it is proven that sound cannons were used.

2. Balkan Spring in Blossom 

Countries in the Balkan region have a lot of cultural and political similarities, which makes it a fertile ground for the spread of social movements, due to related languages, media influence and common grievances. The Balkans have faced enduring political tensions and repeated crises in recent years.

On March 16, 2025, a tragedy occurred at a nightclub in the North Macedonian town of Kočani, where the roof collapsed, killing 61 people and leaving 153 injured. The nightclub did not have a license and was operating outside the law, which sparked public outrage, with protests all over the country starting as both a form of remembrance and in opposition to rampant corrupt practices and lawlessness. 

In Bulgaria, ever since March 12, weekly protests against corruption and injustice have filled the streets of Sofia. Crowds, made up predominantly of young people, have been gathering in front of government offices every week, voicing their dissatisfaction against the current coalition, which has been covered in scandals surrounding its ties with alleged corruption. On March 31, a 12-year-old girl passed away in a traffic accident on a road in a dangerous physical state. Reports about the dangerous road had been made to the agency for road infrastructure, but no action had been taken prior to the accident. As of April 13, mass protests have been happening throughout the country, asking for the resignation of the director of the road agency and for a country-wide wake-up call in regards to government neglect. 

In Croatia, a nationwide boycott against rising food prices has been going on since Jan. 24. In response to heightening inflation, Croatians began organizing boycotts of food retailers, which have now spread to banks and other market sectors. The government has introduced anti-inflation measures such as price caps in order to tackle public dissatisfaction. Following the boycott, reports have suggested a fall of almost 50 percent in the number of issued sales invoices. Drawing inspiration from Croatia, other Balkan countries followed in organizing calls for national boycotts.

March 2025 also saw demonstrations being a common occurrence in Greece, with tensions now at a height, due to a 24-hour national strike that happened on April 9, 2025. The strike was organized due to wage dissatisfaction and cost-of-living increases. Coinciding with the strike, protests erupted on the streets of Athens, with young people also filling the crowds.

North of the Danube, tensions have been high in Romania, surrounding the recent election drama. The candidacy barring of Călin Georgescu led to widespread protests across the country, with citizens expressing support for the right-wing candidate and showing concerns over electoral integrity and democratic processes. 

Turkey, although contentedly classified as “Balkan”, has also become a witness to large anti-government demonstrations, beginning on March 19, 2025, following the detention and arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The protests, happening in the context of an economic downturn and wider concerns of democratic backsliding in the country, are characterised by brutal clashes between demonstrators and police. More on this topic can be found in the article on the protests in this issue of The Menton Times.

3. Why are we jumping?

Protests are an integral part of any democratic state, so what exactly makes these recent demonstrations in the Balkans unique? Their underlying characteristic is their youth identity. We are bearing witness to the birth of a new form of protest culture. Street demonstrations are vibrant and rhythmic, driven by a youthful, unifying call for freedom and justice that transcends politics. Social media culture has played a crucial role in the process, with protests being shaped primarily through social media channels, with endless public outreach. 

An unusual characteristic of the protests, seen throughout the different case studies, is the phenomenon of jumping. The jumping is accompanied by slogans that say something in the lines of “who is not jumping is with them.” The slogan has long been used in political demonstrations in Slavic crowds, originating from sports chanting in the Czech Republic. The phrase “Kdo neskáče, není Čech,” translated as “who isn't jumping isn’t Czech," spread to other Slavic countries and later was appropriated for political protests. It’s a way to energize crowds and create a visible and physical act of solidarity. Recently, it has been used at protests in Serbia, Bulgaria, and even Turkey. The prevalence of the phenomenon is not unusual throughout various Balkan countries, seeing how the slogan sounds very similar in different Slavic languages. Its use in Turkey breaks the language barrier, showcasing the birth of a new universal language of protest surrounding the Balkans. 

Other innovative symbols of protest are also present, exemplifying the unique youthful character of the Balkan spring. In Turkey, for example, a character from Pokémon became a sign of protest after a protester wearing a hat with it got arrested. The mostly young crowds, filled with university students, have created their own protest subculture by making it hip to protest, especially through the use of various symbols.

4. What fruits will Spring bear?

Seeing the different branches of the Balkan tree blossom leads to the conundrum of what fruits they may bear at the end of spring. The last couple of months have shown that young people are now fed up with government negligence, illiberal practices and economic uncertainty. The ever-present young spirit of the protests, coinciding with the literal progress of the season of change and blossom, Spring, allows us to talk of a Balkan Spring. Mass injustices or tragedies act as catalysts for social unrest. 

I personally had the fortune to visit Serbia in March and bear witness to the unique atmosphere there. My visit was the week before the enormous demonstration of March 15, and during my time in Belgrade, there weren’t any mass events organised. What I saw was an atmosphere that was filled with youthful exuberance. Young people were walking on the streets, as if during a vacation period. The streets were filled with a sense of freedom, but at the same time, there was a pressing sense of tension in the air. Seeing and talking with people who have decided to interrupt their education for five consecutive months has now made me reflect on the strength of the human spirit. They are willing to jeopardize their future for the cause of standing up for their beliefs.

Whether the wave of protests will bear any long-term political consequences remains in the air, quite like cherry blossoms blown by the wind. Governments have responded through various means, including appeasement, ignorance and even alleged violence. Yet, unrest continues to grip many of the aforementioned countries. With the fast-approaching end of spring, it remains to be seen if the Balkan Spring will go down in the history books as a small seasonal wave of unrest or as something to be studied in university courses for decades to come.

Photo source: Dejan Krsmanovic on Flickr