Early parliamentary elections are being held in Serbia: Student movement opposes Vučić
These elections could become one of the most important political turning points for the country in over a decade, writes "Euronews".
Aleksandar Vučić. Photo: AP Photo / Darko Vojinovic
On Sunday, October 25, early parliamentary elections are being held in Serbia. Voters are electing 250 deputies to the National Assembly, with more than 6.45 million people eligible to vote. 18 electoral lists are participating in the elections, including 2418 candidates. The elections were called after President Aleksandar Vučić dissolved parliament on September 9, at the suggestion of the Serbian government. However, the political reasons for the early vote go much deeper than the constitutional procedure itself. For almost two years, Serbia has been experiencing a period of acute political and social polarization, which began after the tragedy at the Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024.
The collapse of a concrete canopy at the station claimed the lives of 16 people. The student protests that followed the tragedy initially focused on demands to hold those responsible accountable and to publish documents related to the station's reconstruction, but gradually evolved into a broader movement against, as its participants claim, corruption, political irresponsibility, and the functioning of state institutions.
Throughout 2025, students organized mass protests, blocked universities, state institutions, and roads, and held rallies across Serbia. Gradually, the movement expanded beyond purely student demands and became the most serious challenge to date to the authority of Aleksandar Vučić, whose 14-year rule had virtually gone unchallenged. In May 2025, students demanded early parliamentary elections, and in 2026, they decided to participate with their own list.
This radically changed the nature of the campaign. What was meant to be another parliamentary contest largely turned into a referendum on Vučić's political dominance and on the political system that has been in place in Serbia for over a decade.
Who is participating in the elections?
The largest political bloc is formed around the Serbian Progressive Party, which is running under the list "Aleksandar Vučić - United Serbia". Although Vučić no longer holds the office of President of Serbia, he remains the central figure of the campaign. In late September, he resigned as president to lead the SNS campaign and run for prime minister, a position he had previously held before being elected head of state. This further transformed the upcoming vote into a direct plebiscite on his political future.
The list "Ivica Dačić - Factor of Stability," which unites the Socialist Party of Serbia and several smaller parties, is also participating in the elections. A significant part of the political spectrum consists of right-wing and nationalist lists, including "True Right - Miloš Jovanović - Bravely Serbian," while the pro-European opposition center is represented by the "European Serbia" list. Among the election participants are the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, SDA Sandžak, the Usama Zukorlić list, the Albanian Coalition, and several smaller parties and movements that, in case of a narrow margin, could play an important role in forming the new government.
The most prominent participant in the campaign was the Student List – "Students Win". This is not a traditional political party, and there is no classic party leader. Candidates were selected at student plenums, and the list includes professors, doctors, cultural figures, activists, and other people who had not previously held high political positions. The list includes 250 candidates – this is an attempt to transform the protest movement into a parliamentary political force.
Why is the tension in Serbian society so high?
The key problem is no longer confined to a simple confrontation between the government and the opposition. At the heart of the conflict is the issue of trust in institutions.
For a significant portion of the protesters, the Novi Sad tragedy became a symbol of a much broader problem: corruption, political accountability, the public procurement system, institutional control, and relations between the authorities and their critics. The authorities, in turn, characterize the protests as an attempt to destabilize the country and bring to power a movement that lacks sufficient political experience. Moreover, government representatives claim that "foreign forces" are behind the student movement, and President Vučić has repeatedly stated that foreign special services are financing a "color revolution" in Serbia.
As a result, two fundamentally different versions of events have emerged. The government emphasizes stability, economic development, national interests, and the danger of foreign interference. The student movement prioritizes government accountability, the fight against corruption, the rule of law, and the independence of institutions from political influence.
What has changed compared to previous elections?
The most noticeable change is the disappearance of the traditional opposition as the main competitor to the ruling party. In the 2023 elections, opposition forces, united in the "Serbia Against Violence" coalition, gained about 24% of the votes and secured 65 mandates. However, the subsequent splits and internal conflicts weakened their positions. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the political energy and voter support that previously belonged to the traditional opposition has been captured by the student movement.
As a result, the main political fault line has become much simpler: the ruling SNS and Vučić versus the Student List, while the other parties are struggling to enter parliament and secure a role as potential coalition partners. Against this backdrop, voter turnout, as well as which parties overcome the 3% electoral threshold, takes on particular significance. The outcome of the vote may ultimately depend on these, at first glance, technical details.
What are the main political trends in Serbia?
The main trend is that Serbia's political system is undergoing a profound transformation. The student movement has become the first major social movement in many years to successfully move beyond traditional opposition parties and attract a large number of people previously distant from politics. At the same time, the SNS still has a very developed party infrastructure, a wide network of local organizations, and a stable core of supporters. This means that the outcome is far from predetermined. Sociological polls show varying predictions, and given the changing political landscape and the large number of undecided voters, the result is difficult to predict with high accuracy.
Another important trend is the continued polarization of Serbian society. The country is divided not only along the lines of government versus opposition but also on issues of identity, Serbia's relations with the European Union, Russia, and the West, on national issues, and on its future foreign policy orientation.
A third direction concerns European integration. Serbia remains an EU candidate country, but its progress on the European path has slowed due to problems with the rule of law, relations with Russia, limited alignment with the EU's common foreign policy, and the stalled process of normalizing relations with Kosovo. At the same time, Belgrade continues to maintain close ties with both Russia and China. If the SNS wins, Vučić will seek to form a new government and stabilize the political system after almost two years of protests.
If the Student List gains enough seats to form a cabinet on its own or with allies, Serbia could enter a completely new political era. And in the event of a very close or contested result, there remains a real possibility that the political crisis will continue after the polling stations close. For all these reasons, this is not just about electing a new parliament. It is a test of the survival of a political model that has dominated Serbia for over a decade, and a test of whether a new, non-partisan movement is capable of changing that model.