Serbia: Snap parliamentary election set for October 25

Serbia is heading into one of its most closely watched elections in years, and the biggest challenge to the country's long-standing political establishment is coming from an unexpected quarter. Its students, after nearly two years of anti-corruption protests, a student-backed political movement is now challenging Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party. The snap parliamentary election is scheduled for Sunday, October 25th. The movement was born out of tragedy. In November 2024, the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people. Students blamed corruption and government negligence. Authorities have denied the allegations. What began as demands for accountability soon turned into some of the largest anti-government demonstrations in Serbia's recent history. I think there are multiple factors behind the student movement's popularity and why people trust it so much. First of all, we are a new generation. We are young people who might not have been that visible until now. And people assumed we just stared at our phones, didn't want to get involved, watched TV. Practically, that we did nothing of what older generations used to do. But we found the motivation within ourselves to prove the exact opposite. Today, that movement has transformed into an electoral force. Its students list has fielded 250 candidates, including professors, farmers, artists and other professionals. And a poll released on October 20th put the student backed list at 44.5 percent against 42.7 percent for Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party. But with limited recent polling, the outcome remains uncertain. Vučić, who has dominated Serbian politics since 2014 stepped down as president last month he is now seeking to return as prime minister his supporters credit him with economic growth and lower unemployment but his critics accuse the administration of corruption pressure on independent media and the erosion of democratic institutions the government denies those accusations and once again on behalf of all of us i express my condolences to the families and i hope that somewhere out there in heaven Somewhere up there above us They are able to forgive every one of us For every sin, for every failing But what we must do And what we must see through to the very end Is to deliver justice Real justice Not political, but real justice So that whoever, and if anyone at all Committed a criminal offense They are held accountable We are going out there to win We are going out there to defeat them And we are going to deliver our biggest landslide victory yet Thank you Novi Sad Long live Novi Sad. Long live Serbia. I love you all so much. The student movement is promising transparency, institutional reforms and a crackdown on corruption. But questions still remain about its ability to govern and its foreign policy direction. Serbia has long balanced its relationships with the European Union, Russia and China. And the next government will have to navigate those same competing interests. A major student campaign rally is expected in Belgrade on Thursday. And as the country prepares to vote, both sides face an electorate deeply divided over Serbia's future. For Vučić, Sunday's election is a test of his continued political influence. For the student movement, it is an opportunity to turn years of street protests into parliamentary representation. The balance will now determine how much support each side can command and what direction Serbia takes next.