President of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Miloš Vučević visited Pionirski Park on Saturday evening to meet with students advocating for a return to in-person classes. The students, who refer to themselves as Students 2.0, have been camped at the park since early March, pushing for the restoration of teaching on university campuses.
Vučević said his visit was meant to show support and solidarity with their cause. “I came here tonight to stand with students who want to study and learn,” he said, adding that they watched the Champions League final between Inter and Paris Saint-Germain together.
Addressing the students’ warning that they may begin a hunger strike if classes do not resume by June 1, Vučević expressed concern. “I hope they don’t do something that could harm their health,” he said.
Vučević, who was recently appointed as a presidential advisor for regional affairs, voiced confidence that a much broader group of students shares the same goals as those gathered in the park. “I’m sure that at least 200,000 students support this fight to return to their faculties,” he stated, asking rhetorically, “How many have lost their scholarships? Their tuition? How many cannot complete their studies?”
He concluded by warning that some students have already suffered lasting harm and emphasized that “the university is no place for politics.”