ECONOMIC CAUSES OF SOCIAL CONFLICTS IN SERBIA AND INSTITUTIONAL REGULATION

Abstract

This paper analyzes the economic causes of social conflicts in Serbia, with particular emphasis on the role of institutional regulation in their emergence and mitigation. Drawing on theoretical approaches that link economic imbalances with social instability, this paper examines how prolonged structural adjustments, unequal income distribution, regional disparities, and labor market insecurity create a foundation for various forms of social conflict. Special attention is devoted to the analysis of concrete examples from the contemporary context of the Serbian economy, including workers’ strikes, resistance to privatization processes, local protests against public and infrastructure investments, as well as tensions triggered by reforms of the social welfare and pension systems. The second part of this paper discusses the role of formal institutions – namely, the state, social dialogue mechanisms, regulatory bodies, and the legal framework – in managing economic conflicts and channeling social discontent. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the intensity and persistence of social conflicts largely depend on the capacity of institutions to recognize economic conflicts in a timely manner and to articulate them institutionally, thereby reducing the risk of social polarization.