Serbia Votes as Student List Challenges Ruling Party

Serbians went to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament in what political experts describe as the most uncertain vote since 2012. The election pits the long-ruling Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, against the Student List, a candidate group formed by a youth movement that has protested the government for nearly two years.

The Student List gained momentum after a concrete canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster became a symbol of institutional failure and corruption. The movement framed the upcoming vote as an opportunity to demand accountability and bridge deep ideological and foreign policy divides that have historically segmented the electorate.

Thousands of supporters gathered in Belgrade on Thursday for the Student List’s final campaign rally. Many attendees had walked for days from across the country to reach the capital. Arsa Stojanovic, a biology student, told the crowd that the walkers had traversed the nation, visited local neighborhoods, and found widespread support. Aleksandar Cupic, a transport engineering professor and candidate, described the atmosphere as smelling like freedom. The event concluded with a kolo, a traditional circle dance.

In a parallel event a few kilometers away, the SNS held its own closing rally. The party promoted a message of stability and continuity, arguing that a change in government would bring chaos. Former President Aleksandar Vucic told supporters that opponents were acting on foreign orders and had attacked the party with billions of euros. The SNS framed the race as a struggle for national sovereignty.

Political scientist Dusan Spasojevic stated that these are the first competitive elections since Vucic took power in 2012. He noted that polls indicate the Student List could win more than 40 percent of the vote. This projection represents a sharp challenge to the SNS, which has dominated Serbian politics for over a decade.

The campaign was marked by frequent reports of interference and violence. The independent monitoring group CRTA recorded 116 incidents of physical violence or verbal threats in the final weeks. These incidents included attacks on campaigners and attempts to seize campaign banners. CRTA also reported that opposition activists, particularly those linked to the Student List, faced surveillance and police questioning.

CRTA stated that the campaign was neither free nor fair. The group found that government representatives received almost three-quarters of the airtime on national television. More than 80 percent of coverage regarding the Student List was negative. The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network published testimony from a former SNS member describing pressure on public-sector employees to deliver votes. Anonymous sources told Deutsche Welle that some voters were offered between 30 and 150 euros, or family holiday packages, to support the SNS.

Authorities have warned for weeks that students are preparing street violence with the help of foreign intelligence services. Several individuals have been arrested on suspicion of plotting disturbances for election night. Spasojevic said a decisive victory for either side would be the best outcome, but current polls point to a narrow margin. He added that a close SNS victory would likely be contested, as the student movement has vowed to defend every vote.

An EU Commission spokesperson told Deutsche Welle that key recommendations to improve Serbia’s electoral framework remain unimplemented. The spokesperson stressed that democracy and the rule of law are central to Serbia’s accession process. Serbia has held candidate country status for the European Union since 2012.