Serbia votes in election pitting longtime leader against student movement

What the report says

Serbia is holding parliamentary elections in a contest that pits President Aleksandar Vucic’s ruling camp against a student-led anti-corruption movement. Al Jazeera, citing AFP and Reuters, reported that the snap vote was called by Vucic in September and comes after nearly two years of demonstrations over corruption and what critics describe as creeping authoritarianism.

The protests intensified after the 2024 collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people, an episode widely blamed by opponents on government negligence and corruption. The student movement has since broadened into a major political challenge, with supporters rallying in Belgrade ahead of the vote and fielding a largely new slate of 250 candidates led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic. Their platform emphasizes cleaner government and better education.

Vucic, who has dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade as both prime minister and president, remains a powerful incumbent. His Serbian Progressive Party is promising higher pensions, salary increases, healthcare investment and support for young families, while also balancing ties with the European Union, China and Russia. At the same time, relations with the EU have become strained over reforms linked to the judiciary, rule of law and corruption.

Polls suggest a close race. If the students or their allies make major gains, it could mark a significant political shift in the Balkan country of about 6 million people. Rights groups and activists say pressure on opponents has increased, while Vucic and his allies deny accusations of repression and foreign interference.