Serbia Election Puts Vucic’s 14-Year Rule To Test As Students Lead Anti-Corruption Fight

Serbia is voting in a high-stakes parliamentary election on October 25, as a student-led movement seeks to end populist leader Aleksandar Vucic’s more than decade-long dominance and challenge his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The contest follows nearly two years of nationwide protests triggered by a railway station disaster that killed 16 people.

The movement emerged after a concrete canopy collapsed at the renovated railway station in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024. Protesters blamed alleged corruption and negligence surrounding infrastructure work and demanded accountability for the victims. The disaster fuelled wider anger over corruption, political interference and the functioning of public institutions.

The students are now seeking to translate that public anger into electoral support through the Students’ List, which has 250 candidates selected through student-led assemblies. Its nominees include academics, professionals, artists, farmers and other experts, rather than university students themselves. Cardiologist and Novi Sad University professor Ilija Srdanovic heads the list but is not the movement’s designated leader.

The movement has presented its campaign as an effort to restore democracy, strengthen accountability and improve public services. Its slogan, “Serbia or Mafia?”, challenges allegations of links between political power and organised crime, which the government denies. Supporters have campaigned beyond university campuses, visiting rural communities and highlighting concerns over neglected roads, bridges and sewage systems.

Vucic, who has held senior government positions since 2012, resigned as president in September to lead his party’s election campaign and potentially return as prime minister if the SNS wins. His supporters credit him with economic growth and infrastructure investment, while critics accuse his government of weakening democratic institutions and dominating the media.

Opinion polls have produced conflicting indications ahead of the vote. An Ipsos survey published on October 22 put the SNS-led list at 47.4% and the Students’ List at 40%. Another survey by New Serbian Political Thought placed the students at 44.5%, against 42.7% for Vucic’s bloc. The figures underline the uncertainty surrounding the contest.

The election is also under scrutiny over media bias, alleged misuse of public resources and concerns about electoral fairness. The European Union is watching the vote closely as Serbia seeks EU membership.

Vucic has maintained relations with the European Union, Russia and China, while the students have focused primarily on domestic reforms. Analysts have warned that a disputed result could trigger unrest. Official results are expected on Monday, October 26.