On November 1 last year, part of the railway station roof collapsed in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more. Citizens, primarily students, took to the streets demanding the government take responsibility, seeing corruption behind the disaster.
The station had been renovated three years earlier as part of a general upgrade of railway infrastructure. The work was carried out by a Chinese consortium and the renovated building opened in March 2022.
The public outcry was so intense that within days it led to the resignation of the Minister of Transport and Construction, the Minister of Commerce, and the head of the state Railways.
A month later—whilst students continued to protest—prosecutors filed charges against 13 individuals, including the former Transport Minister.
And a month after that, the country’s Prime Minister announced his resignation, which was officially confirmed the day before yesterday, alongside the resignation of the Mayor of Novi Sad.
Last week, a fire that broke out in a nightclub in North Macedonia caused the deaths of 59 people, mostly young people who had gone to see a popular band.
The fire was triggered by pyrotechnics, and the flammable construction materials of the venue—which was a carpet warehouse converted into a nightclub—contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze. Both authorities and citizens spoke of corruption, as the club was operating illegally with a forged license and failed to meet safety standards.
The Prime Minister himself denounced the existence of a network within public administration that issued fake licenses in exchange for payment. Consequently, among the 15 people arrested as suspects were ministry officials.
The Mayor of Kočani, where the disaster occurred, immediately submitted his resignation, calling on authorities to swiftly investigate and assign responsibility. “Failure to act is also a responsibility,” he wrote in a post.
“All details must be investigated, all omissions must be identified, and all persons who contributed to this tragedy must be held accountable. I place myself at the disposal of the institutions. Although according to law I had no direct authority in this matter, I am ready to answer all questions about everything, including my personal actions,” he stated.
Political figures, therefore, whether responsible or not, resign. They don’t say “I didn’t build the roof” or “I didn’t issue a fake license.” And citizens demand accountability. Something to remember the next time a minister asks us: “But why should I resign?”