Serbia Votes as Student Movement Mounts Major Challenge to Vučić

Serbia is set to hold parliamentary elections on Sunday, amid a significant challenge to incumbent leader Aleksandar Vučić from a growing student protest movement. The snap vote comes after nearly two years of student-led demonstrations, sparked by a tragic train station collapse in Novi Sad in 2024 that left 16 people dead. These protests have gained widespread support, with long lines forming at polling stations in Belgrade and Novi Sad as early voting began.

A student victory would mark a profound political shift in the Balkan country, comparable to the defeat of Hungary’s Viktor Orban in April. If successful, it could also serve as a model for other student movements across Europe, which have recently taken to the streets to protest poor education standards and lack of prospects. However, Vučić, who recently returned to politics after serving as president, remains a formidable incumbent.

He is credited with pulling Serbia out of economic obscurity and overseeing modernization efforts such as new infrastructure projects.

Vučić, who ran for prime minister despite having resigned from his second term as president, promises higher pensions, public sector salary increases, healthcare investments, and subsidies for young couples. On the international front, he balances closer ties with China and Russia, while keeping the door open to potential European Union membership.

The student candidates, led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, include university professors, actors, and farmers, and they emphasize rooting out corruption and improving education. Opinion polls suggest a close race, with Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) leading in some polls but the students in others.

The student-led protests began following the disastrous train station collapse and have since intensified, drawing attention to alleged repression by the government. Rights groups and activists have reported a rise in crackdowns since the movement began. Despite these concerns, Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party deny accusations of repression, corruption, and spying, accusing the students of being funded by foreign entities.

The European Union has expressed frustration with Serbia’s lack of reforms, particularly regarding the judiciary, rule of law, and corruption, further complicating the political landscape ahead of the vote.