Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Belgrade. They mobilized to take a stand against a rezoning development project that was linked to Jared Kushner’s Affinity Global Development. Recent moves made by the government of Prime Minister Ana Brnabić have sparked anger across the board, uniting an ethnically and politically fractured populace. This bitterness grew with the horrific Ponte Morandi highway bridge collapse, claiming 16 lives.
Demonstrators lined the street in front of the former military headquarters. The fate of the building, which many residents now view as a memorial to those that died in the 1999 NATO bombing campaign, remains uncertain. The building, a masterpiece of Yugoslav-era modernist architecture, stands as a cultural and historical keystone for many Serbs. Teodora Smiljanic, a 48-year-old protester, expressed the sentiments of many attendees by stating, “We came here to raise our voice against the law.”
The Serbian government, led by president Aleksandar Vucic’s party, recently adopted two pieces of legislation. This law will expedite administrative processes for Affinity Global Development as they move forward to build a hotel, apartments, shops and offices on the contested site. Critics have countered that the legislation is unconstitutionally broad. They argue that it violates the new cultural heritage designation that was removed from the former army compound last November.
Kushner founded Affinity Global Development after leaving his role as a senior White House adviser in 2021. Therefore, Affinity Partners, his larger investment vehicle, has come under scrutiny. The connections it has with the U.S. are troubling, particularly given the current geopolitical climate and increasing tensions surrounding the radical elements in Serbia and Serbia’s government.
Throughout the legislative push, Vucic was a fierce advocate for the project, arguing that it would attract significant economic development. “We are giving the land, and they are providing an investment of at least 650 million euros ($753 million), a huge investment for our country,” he remarked. Proponents of the resort development claim that it will financially benefit all of Belgrade’s properties many times over and will draw tourists to the area.
These protests are just the latest manifestation in a rising tide of anti-government sentiment directed at the Vucic administration. They reflect, more deeply, opposition not just to individual developments but to what has become a frustrating lack of governance and accountability. The Serbian government’s quick passage of the development legislation without amendments has intensified criticism and mobilized citizens against perceived government overreach.