It will be built in the former General Staff building/ The Serbian Parliament approves the construction of Kushner's hotel

2025-11-07 16:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

It will be built in the former General Staff building/ The Serbian Parliament

The Serbian Parliament on Friday approved a special law for the demolition of the bombed-out Yugoslav Army General Staff building in central Belgrade, to pave the way for the construction of a luxury hotel by Jared Kushner - son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

The reconstruction is particularly sensitive in Serbia, as the mid-20th-century modernist complex was partially destroyed during the 1999 NATO bombing campaign that ended the war in Kosovo.

One hundred and thirty deputies voted for this law, while 40 were against. The Serbian Parliament also approved a proposal to determine the existence of particularly reasonable reasons for the law to enter into force earlier than the eighth day from the date of publication.

The law, called lex specialis, is a special law that takes precedence over general law in cases where both regulate the same issue.

Kushner, Ivanka Trump's husband and a White House adviser during Trump's first term, last year unveiled plans for a $500 million hotel complex in central Belgrade.

The project focuses on the former Yugoslav Army General Staff building, in the heart of the capital, which was bombed by NATO in the spring of 1999, during the campaign to stop Serbian attacks in Kosovo.

Despite the damage, the building remained under protection, due to its architectural value, according to local activists. This law bypasses this protection, declaring the project a “national priority.” It stipulates that “all procedures for the implementation of the General Staff reconstruction project shall be treated as urgent” and that “all state institutions shall take decisions within their competence without delay.”

Opposition warns against building collapse

In the debate before the law was passed, opposition MPs demanded its withdrawal, calling it illegal, while the ruling majority argued that the General Staff building could not be renovated and should be demolished.

"An attempt was made to rebuild, but it is not possible due to damage and materials that are no longer produced," said Millenko Jovanov, head of the parliamentary group "Aleksandar Vu?i? - Serbia Must Not Stand."

Bilana ?or?evi?, an MP from the opposition Green Left Front, warned that the provisions of this law stipulate that it will enter into force one day after its approval.

"I can imagine that they will start the demolition as early as next week. Of course, citizens will come and try to prevent it, I can't imagine it any other way," said Djordjevic.

She recalled that this is a building next to the Government building in an architecturally important part of Belgrade.

"Citizens cannot have any interest in this. Only the ruling regime can, at this moment, warm relations with the Trump family ," said Djordjevic.

Serbian Center (SRCE) party MP Petar Boškovi? assessed that the building should be preserved, among other things, because "the highest node of all communications is located below it."

"The ruling MPs should be held accountable for high treason after this. I suggest that the next hotel be moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense ," Boskovic said.

Ivana Rokvic, an MP from the People's Movement of Serbia (NPS), said that a symbol of history and statehood is being destroyed.

"Just for the sake of staying in power and getting rich, for a little mercy from Trump ," Rokvic said.

The intention to build on the site of this building was expressed by Kushner in 2024. At that time, he published preliminary designs on the Albanian coast and in the center of Belgrade, without providing further details.

It was soon announced that it was a luxury hotel, business building and residential complex. Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i? said he was pleased with Kushner's project. In November 2024, the Serbian government removed the buildings' protected status, paving the way for Kushner's company to proceed with the project.

In May, the Prosecutor's Office announced that the official responsible for protecting the cultural site had forged a signature on a key document and had been arrested. Goran Vasic, acting director of the Republican Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, admitted to fabricating an expert opinion, and the investigation is ongoing.

Kushner's company, Affinity Partners, denied any involvement in the forgery of the documents and promised to build a memorial complex inside the facility, dedicated to the victims of the NATO bombing. /REL