Serbia Votes Sunday as Student Movement Challenges President-Turned-Candidate Vučić

Serbia holds early parliamentary elections on Sunday, 25 October, in which a student movement that has staged mass protests for two years against the government will try to end the rule of Aleksandar Vučić. He resigned as president in late September, five months before his second and final term was due to end, and is running as the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) candidate for prime minister. The outcome will decide whether the SNS, in power for 14 years, remains in government.

How the protests began

The student-led protests began in November 2024 after the canopy of the railway station in Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people. Participants blamed the corrupt and incompetent government and demanded accountability. The protests weakened Vučić's position and led to a change of government. According to Transparency International, Serbia lags behind all its neighbours on corruption.

The movement has no leader or spokesperson; decisions are made by votes in plenums and faculty councils. Candidates on the Student List were selected at universities and include teachers, professors, experts, athletes, farmers and artists, with more than 160 doctoral students. The list's top name is cardiologist Ilija Sardanović, but the movement says he would not necessarily become prime minister if it wins.

Polls and pledges

A July poll by CRTA and Stanford University put support for the student movement at 45% and the SNS at 36%. That was before Vučić put himself forward as a candidate. Polls now show roughly equal backing for the two camps, and parties of ethnic minorities may play a decisive role. The students promise to restore democratic institutions and independent media, while leaving the question of EU membership to a referendum.

Security concerns

International observers and the EU have voiced concern about the fairness of the vote. Experts fear both sides could claim victory and that Vučić might not accept a defeat. On Wednesday police detained six people suspected of planning violent attacks on election day. The Student List plans to send an unprecedented number of observers to polling stations.