The German government has asked the Serbian government for an explanation regarding attacks on demonstrators and journalists in the context of protests against Alexander Vučić's regime, writes the German weekly Zeit. 

Given that Serbia is a candidate for EU membership, the country "has committed itself to upholding the principles of the rule of law," said a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in Berlin. 

German government deputy spokesman Steffen Meyer said, "We are monitoring the situation very closely." He rejected accusations that Germany was ignoring Serbia's democratic deficits because of economic interests, saying that this was not a case of "looking the other way." Behind these accusations lies Serbia and the EU's joint plan to mine lithium in the Jadran Valley in western Serbia.

"In the last few days, the protest movement has once again become noticeably stronger on the streets. Large demonstrations took place in the capital Belgrade, as well as in Novi Sad and Valjevo. Many people were arrested and injured. The police were accused of excessive violence, and demonstrators criticising the government were repeatedly attacked by partially masked government supporters," the German publication writes. | BGNES