Pressure on universities and professors' salaries

Category: Persecution

Period: from Mar 2025

After students blockaded faculties in late 2024 and many professors backed them, the state withheld salaries from teaching staff at state universities in 2025 and 2026, and for months did not pay faculties their running costs, severance pay or long-service awards. President Aleksandar Vučić said professors in the blockades would get „potatoes“, and minister Darko Glišić said rector Vladan Đokić „must be arrested“. Of the four cases, only the withholding of part of salaries under „Decree 5/35“ has a ruling, and the court found it unlawful; staff at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš received their back pay only after three months.

Withheld salaries and costs

After students blockaded faculties in late 2024 and many professors backed them, the state withheld salaries from teaching staff at public universities in 2025 and 2026, and for months did not pay faculties their running costs, severance pay or long-service awards.

On 18 March 2025, President Aleksandar Vučić said on TV Pink that professors "who do nothing except take part in blockades" would get "potatoes", and in September 2025 Education Minister Dejan Vuk Stanković said teaching staff would not be paid if the new academic year began with blockades.

Attacks on rector Đokić

The rector of the University of Belgrade, Vladan Đokić, was also targeted: minister Darko Glišić said the rector "must be arrested". Đokić was questioned by the criminal police in April 2025 over a complaint filed against him and said he had not committed any crime.

Statements about the rector by the president and other officials are recorded in the collection of statements "Students are terrorists".

Decree 5/35 and the ruling

Of the four cases, only the withholding of part of salaries under „Decree 5/35“ has a ruling on the withheld pay, and it is followed on its own page.

The Court of Appeal in Novi Sad found that automatically withholding part of salaries was unlawful, and on 30 July 2026 the Government repealed the amendment to the decree.

Faculty of Philosophy in Niš

Staff at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš, unpaid since 20 July 2026, received their back pay between 22 October and 3 November 2026.

No decision has been found on their criminal complaint against minister Stanković.

Professor Mihić out of a job

After 24 years, professor Vladimir Mihić lost his job at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad. The dean of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Patrik Drid, twice objected to his re-election, and according to the 021.rs portal, in the second objection he faulted him for publicly supporting the blockades.

In a secret ballot on 4 June 2026, the Senate of the University of Novi Sad did not re-elect him, even though the faculty's and the university's expert councils were in favour, and on 14 July the expanded Senate rejected his appeal. His employment ended on 20 July; he has announced a lawsuit before the Administrative Court. The case is also tracked alongside the police raid on the Faculty of Philosophy.

Participants

Serbian Progressive Party: The president of its Executive Board, Darko Glišić, called on TV Pink for Rector Đokić to be arrested (responsible)
Aleksandar Vučić: President of the Republic; said professors in blockade would not get paid ("potatoes") (responsible)
Government of the Republic of Serbia: In November 2025, it established the Faculty of Serbian Studies from three departments of the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš; on the faculty's lawsuit, the Administrative Court issued an interim measure (commented on the case)
Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development: It did not pay salaries at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš for more than three months; according to the union, it made clear there would be no salaries until the faculty complied (responsible)
Dejan Vuk Stanković: Said on TV Pink in September 2025 that teaching staff would not get paid if the academic year began with blockades (responsible)
Darko Glišić: Minister of Public Investment and president of the SNS Executive Board; called for the rector's arrest (responsible)
Đuro Macut: A meeting with the rectors on 8 May 2025 ended without result (commented on the case)
Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad: Its Election Council supported Professor Mihić's re-election; his employment ended when the Senate's decision was delivered to the faculty (commented on the case)
Vladan Đokić: He said professors are receiving 12 percent of their salaries, while the state has not paid material costs and severance pay for six months (harmed)
Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš: No money for salaries from 20 July to 22 October 2026; back pay received by 3 November; sued the Ministry (harmed)
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia: It questioned the rector in pre-investigation proceedings on suspicion of abuse of office (investigation and courts)
Administrative Court: It issued an interim measure over the work licence, and also has before it a lawsuit over pay coefficients (investigation and courts)
First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade: According to rector Đokić, it urgently asked him for information on a second criminal complaint against him (investigation and courts)
Patrik Drid: He twice lodged an objection to the re-election of Professor Mihić, faulting him for a tweet and for supporting the blockades; the Senate then did not re-elect him (responsible)
University of Novi Sad: According to Mihić, the Senate's written decision of June 2026 gives no reasons; he announced an appeal and a complaint to the inspectorate (responsible)

Victims and others harmed

Vladimir Mihić