Serbia’s Student Movement Challenges Vucic

Serbia is approaching a pivotal parliamentary election after nearly two years of protests triggered by the collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people in November 2024. The student movement has entered the contest through the Student List, presenting the vote as a chance to end the current government, confront corruption and demand accountability. Its final rally in Belgrade drew thousands, including supporters who had walked to the capital from across the country. Political scientist Dusan Spasojevic described the election as the most competitive and uncertain since Aleksandar Vucic came to power in 2012, and said polling suggested the Student List could win more than 40% of the vote. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), meanwhile, portrays itself as a guarantor of stability and prosperity, and says a change of government could bring chaos. Campaign tensions have been high: election monitor CRTA recorded 116 incidents involving physical violence or verbal threats, and reported surveillance and police questioning of opposition activists. Investigative reports have raised allegations of links between people associated with the SNS and criminal networks, though Spasojevic doubts that these reports will shift many votes. Concerns about election fairness include unequal media coverage, alleged pressure on public-sector employees to deliver votes, and reports that voters were offered money or holiday packages in return for supporting the SNS. Authorities have also warned of possible election-night violence, and several people were arrested on suspicion of plotting disturbances. Spasojevic expects a narrow result could lead to a post-election crisis, particularly if the ruling party wins narrowly amid existing concerns about irregularities. He says the European Union’s response could help prevent escalation and influence whether authorities accept defeat and respond proportionately to protests. The article notes that key EU recommendations for improving Serbia’s electoral framework remain unimplemented.

More than 100,000 people rallied in central Belgrade on Thursday in support of Serbia’s student-led protest movement, ahead of Sunday’s pivotal election. Independent crowd-monitoring group Archive of Public Gatherings estimated attendance at about 150,000. Protesters chanted “victory” as the movement’s Student List—an alliance of student-backed candidates without a single leader—mounted the strongest electoral challenge in years to President-turned-premier hopeful Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), in power since 2012. The protests began after a canopy collapsed at the renovated Novi Sad railway station in 2024, killing 16 people. Students initially demanded an independent investigation and later called for early elections, with the movement’s anti-corruption message attracting wider public support. At the rally, Student List candidate and university professor Jugoslav Gasic told the crowd the movement would end years of “humiliation, chaos and betrayal.” One attendee said the students had given her hope of living in a normal country. Vucic called the snap election as protest pressure grew. He has resigned as president, a move critics say may allow him to seek the premiership. He has portrayed the student movement as a foreign-funded coup and urged supporters to defeat it decisively. His party now faces its biggest electoral challenge since taking power. The vote is taking place amid concerns about its fairness. A joint statement by 24 civil society organizations said documented findings indicated that conditions for a free and fair election were lacking. Analysts warned that a close result could trigger instability if both sides claim victory. Vucic, who controls the police, said he would suppress unrest after the vote. Although smaller parties are also contesting seats in the 250-member parliament, observers expect the contest between Vucic and the student movement to dominate the campaign.

Serbia’s snap parliamentary election is described as the greatest political challenge yet for Aleksandar Vucic, who resigned as president in September and is seeking to return to power as prime minister. The vote, scheduled for Oct. 25, follows Vucic’s presidency, which began in 2017, and his earlier tenure as prime minister from 2014 to 2017. Constitutional term limits prevented him from continuing as president, while his resignation and dissolution of parliament opened the way for the election. A student-led opposition movement has become a serious electoral contender after growing out of anti-corruption protests that began in November 2024. Demonstrators have demanded justice and accountability following the deaths of 16 people in the collapse of a railway station in Novi Sad. Analyst Helena Ivanov says the students have gained public support and sustained momentum more effectively than established opposition groups. The article notes that a major protest in Belgrade on March 15, 2025, drew nearly 350,000 people, though the supplied text cuts off before completing that detail. Foreign Minister Marko Djuric dismisses the students’ chances, arguing that they lack a credible program. He points instead to economic growth under Vucic and improved cooperation with the United States. Vucic has cited an increase in Serbia’s GDP from 32 billion euros when he became prime minister to a projected figure above 100 billion euros in 2026. His government has also sought closer ties with Washington while maintaining relations with Russia and China and pursuing European Union accession. The election has prompted concerns among U.S. lawmakers and observers about the fairness of the campaign and whether the government would accept a student-opposition victory. Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress would link future U.S. aid to progress on judicial accountability, press freedom, and alignment with the EU and NATO. Overall, the article presents a contest shaped by anti-corruption demands, questions about democratic institutions, and Serbia’s balancing of ties between East and West.

Around 150,000 people rallied in central Belgrade on Oct 22 in support of Serbia’s student-backed Student List, the day before the country’s Oct 25 parliamentary election. The movement is seeking to end more than 14 years of rule by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), led by Aleksandar Vucic, and is described as his most serious electoral challenge since the party took power in 2012. Its candidates, many from academia or outside established politics, campaign on a broad platform centred on fighting corruption. The movement grew out of student-led protests following the 2024 collapse of a canopy at the newly renovated Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people. The tragedy was widely blamed on corruption. What began as demands for a transparent investigation developed into calls for an early election and became one of Serbia’s largest protest movements since Slobodan Milosevic’s fall in 2000. At the Belgrade rally, participants marched to Slavija Square, waved flags, chanted, and heard candidate and university professor Jugoslav Gasic promise an end to years of “humiliation, chaos and betrayal.” The rally concluded with candidates carrying the Serbian constitution into the crowd and joining supporters in a traditional dance. Vucic, who called the student movement a foreign-funded coup attempt, urged his own supporters to defeat it. Civil society organizations warned that the campaign was marred by intimidation, arrests, attacks, misuse of public resources, and a distorted media environment. Prosecutors had questioned six people arrested on suspicion of plotting election-day violence, while reports of threats against student demonstrators had increased. The rallies had nevertheless remained largely peaceful. With no reliable independent polling and surveys giving widely differing results, the outcome was uncertain; one political scientist expected the Student List to win more than 40 per cent of the vote. Supporters at the rally called for peaceful change and urged one another to vote.