Tractor convoys fill Novi Sad for ruling party rally
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The ruling Serbian Progressive Party has ended its two-year absence from Novi Sad with a rally so well-prepared that the state rail operator added extra trains and all scheduled power outages were canceled. Tractor convoys arrived under police escort to park along the city’s main boulevard, though the presence of the agricultural machinery caused significant traffic problems across the city.
The festive atmosphere has not extended to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which remains silent following the publication of encrypted messages allegedly linking organized crime figures to party financing. While the government ignores the leaks, its ministers are reportedly campaigning around the clock, testing the thin legal boundary between state business and party promotion.
The administration’s preference for privacy continues elsewhere. A representative recently declined to explain why presidential pardons are kept secret, and officials are accused of faking the restructuring of the state road company to satisfy the IMF. For those who prefer more transparency, a group of students has begun a march from Zaječar to Belgrade to promote their own electoral list.