Novica Antić, president of the Serbian Military Union, was detained for 48 hours while authorities searched his residence. As an outspoken critic of leadership within the Serbian military, his arrest exposes the unfolding tensions between trade unionists and the Military Security Agency amid the backdrop of heightened militarization in the country.
On Tuesday, the Criminal Police Directorate of Serbia detained and searched the house of Novica Antić, two weeks after Miloš Vučević, the Defense Minister, revealed his aim to abolish trade unions for the military. He was released yesterday along with officials of that union, Predrag Jevtic and Duško Tolmač, pending trial and denying the charge of embezzlement for which they are accused.
According to Antić’s brother, Vaso Antić, the exact number of those arrested is unknown so far, but he contends that numerous affiliates of the trade union across the country have been targeted for searches. He described it as a “classic pressure on the military union” while Antić’s lawyer, Mr. Lunić, affirmed that the affair was a political arrestation with limited justification.
This is not the first time that Antić has been in the spotlight, having already been dismissed twice previously from the military in recent years. Last week, the president of the trade union stated that the current leadership at the Defense Ministry has inflicted more damage to the Serbian army in the last five years than any war in which Serbia has been involved.
The arrest on Tuesday comes two weeks after the Defense Minister referred to military trade unions as the “biggest stupidity in the world” in an interview with Euronews Serbia and expressed his intention to abolish them. The role of the army, he argued, is to defend the country, and does not require public representation. The European Organization of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL), however, affirmed that the right to trade union activity in the armed forces is a constitutional right in Serbia.
EUROMIL is an organization of democratic associations of military personnel coming from 20 European countries. With formal contacts with the EU and NATO, it addresses the working conditions and rights of soldiers.
Who is Novica Antić?
Antić founded the Military Union of Serbia (VSS) with a group of colleagues in 2012, after serving in the Criminal Unit for specialist training and subsequently the crime prevention service of the military police.
He has received many awards and recognitions in Serbia, as well as from Russian public and military organizations, including the medal for “Officer’s Honor.” Veteran organizations in Russia and the VSS signed official cooperation agreements in 2018 to ensure the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of veterans.
But by the end of 2018, the president of the union had lost his rank and service in the Serbian army because of public statements he made on behalf of the Military Union criticizing the management of the Ministry of Defense. The demotion was justified by his “violation of the principle of impartiality and political neutrality.” Antić, in response, referred to this public demotion as an act of “violence and criminal behavior,” and used it to further publicize the goals of VSS.
In 2020, Antić once again accused the military of politicization and complete subordination to Aleksandar Vučić, the President of Serbia. His controversial statements continued in 2022 when he declared that the military faced the greatest personnel crisis in history.
Although the Administrative Court of Serbia declared the decision to terminate his military service as illegal in February 2023, and the Police Trade Union praised him as a “whistleblower,” Antić nevertheless faced his second dismissal from the military in 2023. With his arrest this week, the trajectory of his career now hangs in uncertainty.
Military trade union rights in the Balkans
This first confrontation with the defense ministry coincided with a regional awakening about the conditions for officers serving in Balkan armies. In October 2018, the EUROMIL hosted a roundtable discussion on military trade unionism.
Members of the Serbian military trade unions, as well as representatives of the Serbian Ministry of Defense, discussed the basic rights of military personnel. The VSS exposed “a grave violation of rights” and pointed out the reluctance of the authorities to respond accordingly. The military trade unions of Montenegro, Macedonia, and Hungary also participated in the discussion of safeguarding human rights in the military, identifying similar issues to those of the Serbian army.
While Serbia currently insists on its military neutrality and has no intention to join NATO, membership in the EU remains a declared goal for the country. The occurrence of such meetings and increased criticism from Antić also underscores an integration of Euro-Atlantic norms and values on democratization and accountability. Rajkovcevski Rade, a Senior Fellow at the Faculty of Security Studies in Skopje, Macedonia, identifies this important shift in military culture in a peer-reviewed article published in the academic library, JSTOR.
Militarization over democratization
However, this week’s arrest of Antić implies that dissent and criticism regarding military leadership and culture are still not readily tolerated. Serbia’s westernization might not be as unequivocal as it may seem, as the Serbian president also retains his relations with Russia, refusing to join the EU’s sanctions and continuing to rely on advanced Russian weaponry and intelligence.
Amid accusations of power abuse and the deprivation of fundamental rights, the Serbian army is experiencing heightened militarization under the administration of Aleksandar Vučić. Despite significant public opposition, President Vučić attempted to reinstate compulsory military service in 2022. Even right-wing figures like Antić perceived this move as a “cheap effort” to address issues with a nationalist appeal. Non-governmental organizations have criticized this policy, labeling it as a regressive embrace of patriarchal and militaristic values.
On January 14th, the president also announced a ramping up of military spending as Serbia continues its standoff with Kosovo, refusing to recognize the country after it unilaterally declared independence in 2008. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Serbian military spending has surged significantly, rising from 710 million dollars in 2016 to 1.4 billion dollars in 2022.
These changes in defense spending coincide with an erasure of democratic values in the country. Freedom House, a non-profit organization focused on advocating democracy, reported that Serbia experienced the biggest decline in democracy in Europe over the past decade, with the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) constantly violating political and civil liberties. The NGO reported a manipulation of electoral results in December, and increasing “pressure on independent media, political opposition and civil society organizations.”
Antić decried the president and Minister Vučević’s threats to military trade unions as a “serious attack on democracy and labor rights.” The VSS with Antić at its lead has consistently been emphasizing the need for heightened transparency and accountability in response to recent electoral fraud.
