Politics
After nearly two years of protests against corruption and a lack of government accountability, the student movement has made gains in the electoral arena as well.
After nearly two years of protests against corruption and a lack of government accountability, the student movement has made gains in the electoral arena as well. The protests began after 16 people died when a railway station canopy collapsed in 2024. Early estimates suggest that Vučić’s party could be left with around 105 seats in the 250-member parliament.
A major political shift has emerged in Serbia, where Aleksandar Vučić, a dominant figure in the country’s politics for years, has conceded defeat in parliamentary elections to a student-led political alliance. According to preliminary estimates following the snap elections held on October 25, the student-backed “Student List” could win between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member parliament, while Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is projected to secure around 105 seats. Addressing his supporters, Vučić said, “It is clear that we have lost these elections. The Student List has won.” The admission marks a significant setback for a political leader who has exerted considerable influence over Serbian politics as prime minister or president since 2014. However, these figures are preliminary seat estimates and should not be presented as final official results.
Following the emergence of the election results, supporters of the student movement took to the streets in several locations, including the capital, Belgrade. People celebrated by honking car horns, chanting slogans and gathering in the streets. Voter turnout was also unusually high. According to estimates by election officials and polling organizations, turnout approached 70 percent, reportedly the highest level since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992. The high participation indicated that the election was not merely a contest between political parties; a large section of the public had mobilized to help determine Serbia’s political future.
How Did Protests Sparked by an Accident Become a Nationwide Movement?
The roots of the movement can be traced to the accident on November 1, 2024, when part of the roof structure at the railway station in Novi Sad, a city in northern Serbia, collapsed, killing 16 people. Following the incident, students demanded a transparent investigation, accountability for that responsible and greater oversight of public institutions. Initially, the protests focused on the investigation and alleged administrative negligence, but their scope gradually widened. Demonstrators accused the government of corruption, political interference in institutions and using state power to serve its own interests. Vučić and his party rejected these allegations.
The demonstrations, initially led by university students, drew participation from teachers, doctors, activists and other sections of society. The movement eventually entered electoral politics, fielding candidates under the name “Student List.” Instead of traditional politicians, the list included university professors, doctors, artists, farmers and people from various professional backgrounds. Among the movement’s prominent figures is Ilija Srdanović, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad and a cardiologist.
The student alliance made anti-corruption measures, freeing public institutions from political influence, restoring the rule of law and protecting civil rights central to its demands. It also sought to attract voters who do not usually participate in elections. Vučić’s party had an organized political structure and a stable voter base, but the student movement expanded its support during the prolonged protests and sought to turn that support into electoral strength.
Vučić’s Political Career and Retreat from Power
Aleksandar Vučić has held senior positions in Serbia’s government since 2012. He became prime minister in 2014 and was elected president in 2017. After being re-elected in 2022, his presidential term was due to continue until 2027. However, amid sustained pressure from the protests, he resigned as president in September 2026 and paved the way for early parliamentary elections. His aim was to return to government through his political party and secure the position of prime minister.
Vučić’s supporters associate his tenure with economic development and the construction of new highways, railways, schools and hospitals. Figures showing economic expansion and increased foreign investment have also been cited during his time in office. Critics, however, argue that despite these claims of progress, corruption, rising living costs and political influence over state institutions remain unresolved problems. These issues featured prominently in the student movement’s protests and election campaign. According to Reuters, Serbia’s unemployment rate has declined and the overall size of its economy has grown since 2012, but questions about living standards and inflation have remained part of the political debate.
Before the elections, Vučić also accused the students of receiving foreign support for their anti-government activities, an allegation the movement rejected. Human rights activists and government critics reported increased pressure and repression during the protests, while Vučić and his party repeatedly denied allegations of repression, corruption and espionage against their opponents. Disagreements over these claims persisted throughout the election campaign, so they should be treated as allegations made by the respective parties rather than established facts.
Major Challenges Facing the New Government
Despite the student alliance’s electoral success, it remains unclear who will lead the new government and how the movement will implement its promises. Many of its candidates are not widely known in traditional national politics. Delivering on pledges to tackle corruption, reform the police and security institutions, and restore the rule of law will require substantial administrative capacity.
Foreign policy will also be a major test for the new leadership. Serbia has investment and economic ties with China, Russia is a traditional ally and a major supplier of natural gas, while the European Union is Serbia’s largest trading partner. The student movement has placed greater emphasis on reforming domestic institutions and eliminating corruption, but several aspects of its future policy toward China, Russia and the European Union remain unclear.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European Union officials congratulated the student alliance on its success and offered support for strengthening the rule of law, media freedom, anti-corruption measures and democratic institutions. Their response indicates that Serbia’s political developments are being closely watched not only within the country but across Europe as well.
Complaints about irregularities also emerged during the electoral process. The independent election-monitoring organization CRTA said its observers recorded incidents of pressure on voters or election staff at approximately one-third of the 500 polling stations they monitored. Another election-monitoring organization, CeSID, also received hundreds of complaints concerning the secrecy of the ballot, the photographing of ballot papers and possible irregularities in voting procedures. These complaints underscore the importance of election monitoring and transparency in the final results.
The outcome is significant for Serbian politics because the student movement has transformed nearly two years of street protests into an electoral campaign, putting it in a position to deprive an experienced ruling party of its parliamentary majority. The key test now will be whether the movement can turn its electoral success into a stable government, institutional reforms and measurable action against corruption.
