As Serbia votes, students emerge as greatest threat to Vucic's long rule

On November 2024, a railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad, Serbia, resulted in the deaths of 16 people. This tragic event sparked outrage among students, who demanded justice and an end to corruption. They blocked the political science faculty at Belgrade University in protest, garnering support from sympathetic residents who offered meals, mattresses, and pillows. Students felt a sense of belonging and understood that their voices mattered.

Two years later, as Serbia prepares for elections on October 25, the student protest movement has grown into a powerful political force, threatening the long rule of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who has been leading the country since 2014. Protests are occurring across Europe due to high living costs, job shortages, and poor education standards.

The students have employed a strategic approach, including door-knocking campaigns, peaceful marches, controlled media messaging, and leader rotation, to maintain their momentum.

A list of 250 candidates, led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, has been compiled by students for the upcoming elections. However, there is uncertainty about how the students would govern should they win. The list includes university professors, actors, farmers, and even a popular rapper. While the students have pledged to fight corruption, promote transparency, improve media freedom, and enact education reform, they have been silent on joining the European Union and relations with Kosovo.

The students' influence is evident in their growing support and ability to mobilize large crowds. Critics argue that a student-led government could face bureaucratic resistance and short-term instability, but supporters believe it could bring significant reforms. The students dismiss claims of foreign organization, asserting their domestic roots and commitment to positive change.