Serbia holds early election as student movement challenges Aleksandar Vucic

Voting began in Serbia on Sunday for an early parliamentary election, DW and Reuters reported. A mass student movement is attempting to end the rule of long-time populist leader Aleksandar Vucic and his party, according to DW. DW reported that opinion polls indicate a tight race between the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and the youth-backed Students' List. [1][3]

The election follows almost two years of student-led anti-corruption demonstrations, DW reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the nationwide protests originally began after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people. On Thursday, about 150,000 supporters gathered in Belgrade for a rally organized by the Student List opposition movement, according to previous FTMQ News reports. [1][9][11][12]

The Student List was formed by the Students in Blockade movement after demanding early elections. The electoral list includes 250 academics, professionals, and public figures selected by student plenums, rather than students themselves. The list is led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic. [9]

Aleksandar Vucic previously served as the president of Serbia from 2017 until 2026, as well as prime minister from 2014 to 2017. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Vucic resigned as president on September 27 to campaign to become prime minister in the early election. [7][11][12]