Serbia’s ruling majority has fast-tracked sweeping changes to the judiciary that critics say amount to a political seizure of prosecutorial power. In a hurried parliamentary process that skipped public debate and formal consultations, lawmakers approved amendments to five core judicial laws submitted by ruling party MP Ugljesa Mrdic—now widely referred to as the “Mrdic laws.” Supporters say the package will make courts more efficient and return control of a “hijacked” judiciary to the state and citizens; opponents view it as a bid to bring prosecutors under political control and derail probes into high-level corruption and organized crime.
The most consequential provision targets the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (TOK). Under the new rules, more than half of TOK prosecutors will lose their mandates within 30 days and be reassigned to positions they previously held—often posts they vacated years earlier. TOK warned that this reassignment would produce “complete paralysis” in handling its most complex and sensitive investigations.
Observers say the timing looks retaliatory. Over the past year TOK opened inquiries into two former ministers and filed an indictment against a serving minister. Prosecutors reportedly possess extensive material from intercepted communications on the encrypted Sky Communications platform that implicates senior officials. TOK’s caseload also includes major drug-trafficking networks and the November 2024 collapse of a canopy at Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people and prompted allegations of systemic corruption on large infrastructure projects involving Chinese contractors.
TOK has also charged Culture Minister Nikola Selakovic with abusing office after he removed protected status from the General Staff complex in central Belgrade, a decision that cleared the way for a major development tied to a company linked to Jared Kushner; Kushner later withdrew from the project following the indictment.
The current moves follow constitutional and legal reforms adopted in 2023 that expanded prosecutors’ autonomy and enabled several high-profile investigations. Those reforms were met with swift political pushback and dismissals in parts of the prosecution service, notably at the Belgrade Higher Prosecutor’s Office, headed by Nenad Stefanovic, who is seen as close to the ruling party. Prosecutor Bojana Savovic says many colleagues needed time to adapt to their broader responsibilities and that the Novi Sad tragedy and subsequent protests helped push parts of the judiciary toward independent action.
TOK has publicly warned of direct pressure from President Aleksandar Vucic, pointing to presidential statements and what it describes as institutional obstruction of the Novi Sad probe, including the withdrawal of police, the Tax Administration and the Anti-Money Laundering Directorate from joint investigative operations. Prosecutors have faced intense media scrutiny, and a fire broke out in one prosecutor’s office where key documents were temporarily stored; officials said the files were rescued.
The European Union reacted quickly, with Brussels condemning the changes and announcing a “substantive assessment.” EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos called the parliamentary vote a serious backward step for a candidate country. Rather than slowing the measure, President Vucic signed the laws immediately and presented the move as resisting outside pressure.
Domestic resistance is growing. The Union of Judicial Authorities urged judges and prosecutors to suspend work in defense of judicial independence, prompting work stoppages and street protests in Novi Sad and other cities. Groups of judges and prosecutors have left courtrooms to join demonstrations, and stoppages are spreading nationwide. Some within the judiciary say suspension of work is insufficient and that firmer actions may be needed to prevent irreversible damage to the rule of law.
Sofija Mandic of the Center for Judicial Research (CEPRIS) warned that society reacted too slowly to a concentration of power she says has been building for 14 years, but she also noted an unprecedented willingness to resist. She cautioned that without sustained public backing and clear signals from the EU, judicial opposition alone may not be enough to halt a slide toward a more autocratic system.
The reforms’ immediate impact on ongoing corruption and organized-crime investigations, and on Serbia’s EU path, will be watched closely at home and abroad.