Serbia Votes as Student Movement Targets 40 Percent Share

Serbia enters a parliamentary election on Sunday with independent monitors reporting 116 incidents of physical violence or verbal threats during the campaign. The count includes physical confrontations, attacks on campaigners, and attempts to seize banners. The independent group CRTA stated that the campaign has not been free or fair, citing a narrowing of freedoms and deepening inequality.

The vote marks the first competitive election since Aleksandar Vucic came to power in 2012. The Student List, a group of candidates backed by a student movement protesting for nearly two years, has set a target of winning more than 40 percent of the vote. On Thursday evening, thousands gathered in Belgrade for the group's final rally. Many attendees walked for days from across the country to reach the capital. Biology student Arsa Stojanovic told the crowd that walkers crossed Serbia to visit villages and neighborhoods, learning they could count on the people. Aleksandar Cupic, a transport engineering professor and candidate, said the atmosphere "smells like freedom." The event closed with a traditional circle dance.

The movement began after a concrete canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people. Students frame the vote as a chance to confront corruption and demand accountability for the disaster. They have attempted to move beyond traditional ideological and foreign-policy divisions in Serbian politics.

Political scientist Dusan Spasojevic described the election as having an uncertain outcome. He noted that polls suggest the Student List could secure a substantial share of support. Meanwhile, the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) held its own closing rally a few kilometers away. The party argued that a vote for SNS ensures stability and prosperity, while change risks chaos. Former President Vucic told supporters that opponents had tried to destroy the country on foreign orders and attacked the party with billions of euros.

CRTA reported that opposition activists, especially those linked to the Student List, faced surveillance and police questioning. The group found that almost three-quarters of airtime on national television went to government representatives. 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 voters were offered between 30 and 150 euros, or holiday packages, to support the SNS.

Authorities have warned for weeks that students are preparing street violence with aid from foreign intelligence services. Several people have been arrested on suspicion of plotting disturbances on election night. Spasojevic said a decisive win for either side would be the best outcome, but polls point to a narrow margin and a likely post-election crisis. He added that a narrow SNS victory would almost certainly be contested, as the movement has vowed to defend every vote.

An EU Commission spokesperson told Deutsche Welle that key recommendations on improving Serbia's electoral framework remain unimplemented. The spokesperson stressed that democracy and the rule of law are central to the accession process. Serbia has been an EU candidate country since 2012. The international response could play a role in preventing escalation and persuading authorities to accept defeat.