The Serbian Parliament passed a law allowing accelerated construction of real estate in Belgrade on the site of the former General Staff of the Yugoslav People’s Army, linked to the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump – Jared Kushner. Supported by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party led by President Aleksandar Vučić, the law was adopted on November 4 by a majority of 130 votes in favor to 40 against.
“a wonderful hotel”
– President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić
Reaction of the Opposition and Expectations for the Bill
During the debates, a deputy from the opposition, Biljana Gordevic of the Green-Left Front, stated that the provisions of the new law allow it to take effect the day after adoption.
“I can imagine that they will start demolishing as early as next week. Citizens will surely come and try to stop this. I can’t imagine any other.”
– Biljana Gordevic
Jared Kushner, married to Donald Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka, was previously a White House adviser during Trump’s first term. Last year he announced plans for a $500 million hotel complex in Belgrade. The project envisions two modernist brick structures in the city center, where the headquarters of the Yugoslav People’s Army used to be. That site was bombed by NATO aircraft in 1999.
In November 2024 the Serbian government stripped the building of its protected status, allowing Kushner’s company to continue operations. This drew outrage from heritage defenders. In May 2025 prosecutors announced that an official from the Heritage Protection Agency responsible for the site’s historic designation forged the signature on a key document and was arrested. Goran Vasić, acting director of the Republican Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, admitted that he forged the expert’s report, but the investigation continues. At that time Kushner’s company denied any involvement in the document forgery. It also pledged to build a memorial complex on the site dedicated to all victims of NATO bombing.
This year Europa Nostra, the continent’s largest heritage protection organization, added the site to the list of Europe’s heritage sites under the greatest threat of ruin. When a delegation from this group visited the site in July, it said the complex is a “symbol of collective responsibility for preserving 20th-century cultural heritage”.
“a symbol of collective responsibility for preserving 20th-century cultural heritage”
– Delegation of Europa Nostra
The project also drew criticism in Serbia. In 2024, former Chief of the Serbian General Staff Zdravko Ponoš accused Vučić of “investing in his political future” and likened any deal to relinquishing control over the site to surrendering a “family heirloom”.
“investing in his political future”
– Zdravko Ponoš, former Chief of the Serbian General Staff
Despite the objections, the project continues to receive support from the political leadership, which raises concerns among those who care about cultural heritage protection and the historical context of the site, which remembers the events of 1999.