Serbian Students Launch Challenge to Vučić's 12-Year Rule
A two-year-old student movement, fueled by a deadly accident and widespread discontent, is challenging the dominance of populist leader Aleksandar Vučić in upcoming snap elections.
Rallies have been taking place across Serbia on Thursday, the final day of campaigning ahead of a snap election billed as a referendum on the country's future. After two years of student protests, Serbians are voting for a new parliament on Sunday in elections that threaten populist leader Aleksandar Vučić's 12-year grip on power.
The primary challenge to Vučić's long tenure comes from the "Student List-Students Win" movement, which has gained traction among anti-government voters, though concerns persist regarding the fairness of the upcoming vote.
Origins of the Movement
The movement's origins trace back to November 1, 2024, when a concrete canopy collapsed outside the Novi Sad train station, killing 16 people. This tragedy was widely seen as a symbol of corruption and negligence within Serbia, with critics linking the station's flawed renovation to the president.
What began as weekly student protests demanding justice on university campuses and city streets evolved into a national movement encompassing various sectors of Serbian society, including farmers, actors, and judges. The Serbian Progressive party (SNS), founded by Vučić, experienced significant pressure, leading to the prime minister's resignation within weeks. Belgrade witnessed one of its largest protests in March 2025, with the leaderless student movement organizing through student assemblies.
In contrast to the 2023 election, where Vučić's SNS faced a fragmented coalition of pro-EU parties, the current challenge comes from the student movement, which has largely bypassed mainstream opposition parties.
Vučić's Political Stance
Aleksandar Vučić has served two terms as president and is ineligible for a third, positioning himself to return to the role of prime minister, a position he held before becoming president in 2017. He has accused his opponents of being manipulated by "mighty great powers" seeking to overthrow Serbia and has vowed to end the perceived politicization of educational institutions.
Vučić has maintained a delicate balance in foreign policy, supporting Serbia's bid for European Union membership while refraining from imposing sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. His government has faced criticism from the EU for alleged "glorification" of war criminal Ratko Mladić.
Helena Ivanov of the Henry Jackson Society notes that the student movement's ability to mobilize the public represents Vučić's most significant challenge to date. "He's been running in all elections Serbia has had since the introduction of multi-party election system - so obviously defeating him isn't going to be easy, but this time around President Vučić isn't going to have an easy time either," she told the BBC.
Electoral Process
Serbia's parliament has 250 seats, with a single national constituency operating under proportional representation. Voting is scheduled from 07:00 to 20:00 on Sunday. Approximately 6.45 million registered voters, aged 18 and over, are eligible to cast their ballots.
Sunday's election features 18 lists, with only seven fielding the full slate of 250 candidates. Members of Parliament are elected based on the support each list garners, provided it surpasses 3% of the vote. Several opposition parties have withdrawn their candidacies in favor of the Student List.
Candidates and Platform
The "Student List-Students Win" candidates comprise a diverse group, including teachers, university professors, actors, doctors, farmers, and scientists. Top candidate Ilija Srdanović is a cardiology professor, and the list also includes former basketball star Dejan Bodiroga, actor Tihomir Stanić, and former National Bank of Serbia governor Dejan Šoškić.
The movement's 11-point program aims to eradicate corruption by forming a dedicated police unit, reform the media landscape to free the public broadcaster from political control, and halt the practice of appointing party loyalists to head public enterprises. Vučić and the SNS deny allegations of corruption and media manipulation.
Election Monitoring
European observers are present to monitor Sunday's vote. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has described the electoral climate as "tense and divisive," characterizing the election as having a "referendum-like atmosphere."
While Serbia's election commission asserts that elections are free and the ballot is secret, the independent watchdog CRTA has reported on a campaign marked by threats and physical violence, along with surveillance of opposition activists. CRTA's report indicates that "a range of institutions, from ministries to local governments, became involved in electoral engineering" instead of ensuring equal conditions for candidates.
Media coverage has been heavily skewed, with nearly three-quarters of TV airtime dedicated to government representatives, according to the watchdog. The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom reports that approximately 160 attacks on media and journalists have been recorded in Serbia this year.