A new political scandal has erupted in Serbia. The government has approved a project closely linked to the family of former U.S. President Donald Trump. A luxury hotel under the Trump brand is planned to be built on a site that many Serbs consider a painful symbol of the conflict in Yugoslavia, reports TV3 News.
The Parliament of Serbia has given the green light to one of the most controversial projects in recent years. A special law has been adopted in Belgrade allowing the construction of a luxury hotel and residential complex under the Trump brand on the site of the former headquarters of the Yugoslav army. This building in the center of Belgrade serves as both a painful reminder and a historical symbol for many Serbs.
"You are trying to push through fictitious amendments to the electoral law and assign the building of the former General Staff a so-called 'special law', which is actually your 'criminal code' — an attempt to cover up the traces of corruption and brutality that you demonstrate day after day," said opposition MP Marinika Tepić in parliament.
In turn, MP Milenko Jovanov called for support of the law and to "take the next step towards modernizing Serbia, attracting investments, and developing the country."
The building that has become the epicenter of the conflict was destroyed in 1999 as a result of NATO strikes aimed at forcing then-President of Serbia Slobodan Milošević, known as the 'butcher of the Balkans', to stop the military campaign in Kosovo against ethnic Albanians.
Until now, the ruins of the building served as an unofficial memorial and were considered one of the striking examples of modernist architecture of the former Yugoslavia. However, the current government of President Aleksandar Vučić has stripped it of its protective status and granted Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and longtime advisor, a 99-year lease on the site. Kushner's company plans to implement an investment project worth about half a billion dollars.
This decision has sparked not only mass protests but also led to the initiation of several criminal investigations into possible document forgery used to remove the building's protective status.
"We have reached the point where we allow the demolition of this building and the transfer of the territory to American investor Jared Kushner for the construction of a hotel. But this is a memorial site. How can one even imagine building a luxury hotel with a casino where victims should be honored? This is a terrible and unacceptable step," said Valentina Moravčević, a representative of the initiative to protect the General Staff building.
Despite the criticism, the government insists that the project will benefit Serbia. New investments and improved relations with Washington are promised at a time when the country is feeling the impact of tariffs and sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump administration against the aggressor — Russia. These measures have affected sectors closely linked to Russian companies, which is particularly sensitive for Serbia given its close political and economic ties with the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, this building has become yet another reason for mass protests. Large-scale anti-corruption actions have been ongoing in Serbia for over a year — this is the largest pressure from society on President Aleksandar Vučić's regime.
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