Serbia's parliament today approved a law authorizing the demolition of the historic Army General Staff building, which was bombed by NATO forces in 1999. The decision, which comes after a fierce political and public debate, paves the way for the construction of a luxury Trump-branded complex, a project to be led by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump.
The law revokes the building's protected cultural heritage status, allowing it to be demolished and replaced with a luxury hotel and residences worth around $500 million. The project, which was previously suspended due to fraud allegations against several state officials, was reactivated this week after direct intervention by President Aleksandar Vučić's ruling party.
Lawmaker Milenko Jovanov, who proposed the initiative, declared in the Assembly that this project will “revive buildings destroyed by bombing” and give Belgrade a modern look that attracts foreign investment.
“We are opening up space and creating opportunities for the country to move forward,” Jovanov said. “This is our main goal and task.”
According to him, the investment of Kushner and the Trump family could improve relations between Belgrade and Washington, at a time when Serbia is trying to maintain diplomatic balance between Moscow and the West.
However, the initiative has sparked deep public discontent. Students, historians, cultural heritage experts, and opposition figures have condemned the decision, calling it an act that erases an important part of national memory.
Opposition MP Marinika Tepić reacted sharply during the parliamentary debate:
"This building is a symbol of resistance and proof that a nation that has been destroyed can rise again. Today, you want to turn that symbol into a luxury complex just to please Donald Trump. In a place where bombs once fell, you now plan to pour champagne."
The European Commission has also reacted with concern to this development, emphasizing that this decision indicates a weakening of the rule of law and democracy in Serbia, a country that has been trying to join the European Union for more than a decade.
Despite the criticism, the law was almost certain to pass, as Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party and its allies enjoy a parliamentary majority. Government officials have confirmed that the law will enter into force on Saturday, paving the way for work to begin on the Trump-Kushner project.
The General Staff Building, built in the 1960s and considered an important work of post-World War II modernist architecture, was destroyed during NATO bombing in 1999, as punishment for Serbia's military aggression against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
