【By Guan察者网, Yuan Jiaqi】

According to the New York Times and other reports on the 7th, the Serbian parliament passed a new law on Friday to approve the demolition of the historic landmark, the former Yugoslav People's Army headquarters in Belgrade, which was destroyed by NATO bombing in 1999, in order for the Trump family from the United States to build a luxury hotel project there.

The report said that despite the project being under fraud investigation, ruling party MPs used a constitutional special clause to force through the new law, which has drawn condemnation from opposition politicians, heritage conservationists, and prosecutors. The spokesperson for President Vučić stated that the presidential office did not participate in the project. Vučić recently criticized the fraud investigation when interviewed and emphasized that the cooperation project helps improve Serbia-US relations.

Controversies around the project continue to escalate: supporters argue that the project can "revitalize" the long-idle destroyed buildings and strengthen ties with the Trump administration; critics strongly oppose it, accusing the move of turning a symbol of national memory into luxury, to please US President Trump.

On November 4, 2024, in Belgrade, Serbia, the left side is the former Yugoslav Army headquarters destroyed during the NATO bombing in 1999. Visual China

It is introduced that the original headquarters of the Yugoslav People's Army was built in the 1960s and is considered a masterpiece of modernist architecture after World War II, with the Yugoslav Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the People's Army located within it.

In March 1999, on March 24, the NATO forces led by the United States conducted a continuous bombing of the then-Yugoslav Federation without the authorization of the UN Security Council, causing serious casualties and property losses. The building was also severely damaged in the air raids, and its ruined state has been preserved to this day, becoming an important symbol of the national memory of Serbia.

Trump first proposed the idea of building a hotel here in 2013. Last May, his son-in-law Jared Kushner reached an agreement with the Serbian government to obtain a 99-year lease of the site, planning to develop a luxury complex with the Trump brand.

This $500 million project is expected to include a high-rise hotel with 175 rooms, a luxury apartment tower with 1,500 apartments, office areas, and shops. The Serbian government said that Kushner's company has committed to building a memorial park within the project to commemorate all victims of the NATO bombing.

Trump Belgrade Hotel Conceptual Design

Soon after Trump's re-election, in November 2024, the headquarters of the former Yugoslav General Staff and Ministry of Defense were removed from the Serbian cultural heritage list. At that time, critics pointed out that this move was to clear the way for Kushner's luxury hotel project.

Subsequently, several government officials who supported the project were charged with fraud for forging documents to cancel the protection status of the building complex, and the project then stalled.

This deal has caused controversy in both Serbia and the US: Serbian opposition condemned American real estate developers for profiting from a location with national symbolic significance, calling on the government to terminate the contract; in the US, some people accused the Trump family of using their power for personal gain, similar to the previous criticism of the Democratic president Biden's son Hunter's overseas business dealings by the Republicans.

According to the "Politico" European edition, President Vučić explained on the 3rd that the project is crucial for improving Serbia-US relations and accused critics of trying to hinder the establishment of better relations with the Trump administration. He also claimed that the ongoing judicial investigation was initiated at the request of foreign parties, aiming to "prevent Serbia from establishing closer relations with the Trump administration."

Despite the controversy and the fraud investigation, last weekend, members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party announced they would use a constitutional special clause to enact a new law to restart the project.

The report said that this "unusual" new law will overturn existing regulations applicable to the building complex, including its protection clauses as a Serbian cultural heritage, while designating the development project as a "national important project," completely clearing the way for its progress.

According to Associated Press, after days of heated parliamentary debates and street protests by opponents, the special law was passed in the Serbian parliament with 130 votes in favor and 40 against out of 250 seats on Friday local time.

The MP who proposed the law, Milenko Jovanov, said on Tuesday in parliament that the project will revitalize the "long idle and without disposal plans" bombed buildings.

He also mentioned that in the current situation where Serbia is trying to maintain relations with both Moscow and the West, the hotel project may help win the favor of the Trump administration. He noted that the Trump administration has imposed a 35% tariff on Serbian imports, and US sanctions have also hit Serbia's main Russian oil suppliers, as well as some of Vučić's allies.

"We are opening up space for national development and creating opportunities, which is our core goal and top priority," Jovanov added, "Honestly, I hope this can improve relations with the Trump administration and with the US."

Critics strongly opposed this decision. Opposition MP Marinika Tepic stated in the parliamentary debate that the building is a "symbol of resistance, proving that a broken nation and a collapsing country can rise again."

"Now you want to turn this symbol into a luxury complex just to please Donald Trump," she said, "At the place where bombs once fell, you now plan to celebrate with champagne."

US media reported that it is unclear whether the new law can revoke criminal charges against the relevant officials. The spokesperson for Vučić stated that the presidential office did not participate in the project and referred the issue to the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Sinisa Mali. It is said that Mali established contact with the White House through Trump's long-time ally and current envoy Richard Grenell, but he did not respond to requests for comment.

According to Xinhua News Agency, on March 24 this year, the 26th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Yugoslav Federation, thousands of Serbian citizens gathered in front of the site of the former Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, protesting against Kushner's plan to rebuild a luxury hotel and apartment complex on the site.

At the scene, the crowd held flags and signboards, sang the national anthem, mourned the victims of the NATO bombing, and called on the public to remember history. About 20 veterans also participated in the gathering, holding banners reading "For the defense of the motherland... Remember the dead, respect the living," leading the protest crowd in a moment of silence.

"I am very angry and sad," veteran Viktor Blanovic, who experienced the NATO bombing in 1999, told Xinhua reporters.

At the time of the bombing 26 years ago, he was working in a town not far from Belgrade. "Everything was destroyed. The bombing 26 years ago still affects us today," he said.

This article is exclusive to Observer, and any reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570310354828509747/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and is welcome to express your attitude below 【Top/Down】 button.