Student List Targets Historic 40 Percent Share to Topple Serbia's Ruling Party

Serbian voters cast ballots on Sunday in a parliamentary election that many observers view as the most competitive contest in fourteen years. The outcome will determine whether the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which has held power since 2012, continues its rule or if a new student-led coalition seizes control of the government. For ordinary citizens, the vote represents a direct choice between the incumbent promise of stability and the opposition demand for accountability regarding a recent infrastructure tragedy.

The campaign finale on Thursday evening drew thousands to Belgrade to support the Student List. Many attendees had walked for days from various regions of the country to reach the capital. Arsa Stojanovic, a biology student, told the crowd that the walkers had traversed the nation, visiting villages and neighborhoods to gauge public sentiment. Aleksandar Cupic, a transport engineering professor and candidate for the Student List, described the atmosphere as smelling like freedom. The event concluded with a traditional circle dance known as a kolo.

The student movement emerged from the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, an accident that killed sixteen people. Proponents of the Student List frame the election as an opportunity to address corruption and demand answers for the disaster. They have attempted to transcend traditional ideological and foreign policy divisions that have historically defined Serbian political competition.

Dusan Spasojevic, a political scientist, stated that these are the first competitive elections with an uncertain outcome since Aleksandar Vucic assumed power in 2012. He noted that current polls suggest the Student List could secure more than forty percent of the vote. This potential share would be a historic achievement for a group that formed largely through street protests.

The SNS held a separate closing rally in the same city. The party’s message emphasized stability, continuity, and prosperity, warning that a change in government risks chaos. The SNS portrays the election as a struggle for sovereignty and accuses opponents of serving foreign interests. Former President Vucic claimed that opponents attacked the party with billions of euros on foreign orders.

The independent monitoring group CRTA recorded 116 incidents of physical violence or verbal threats during the final week of the campaign. These incidents included physical confrontations and attacks on campaigners. CRTA reported that opposition activists faced surveillance and police questioning. The group stated that the campaign was neither free nor fair, citing a narrowing of freedoms and deepening inequality.

CRTA’s report found that government representatives received almost three-quarters of airtime on national television. More than eighty percent of coverage of 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 reporters that voters were offered between thirty and one hundred fifty euros, or holiday packages, to support the SNS.

Authorities have warned for weeks that students, allegedly aided by foreign intelligence, are preparing for street violence. 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 polls indicate a narrow margin. He added that a narrow 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 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 held candidate status for the European Union since 2012.

The international response, particularly from the European Union, may influence how the results are received. Spasojevic believes EU pressure could help prevent escalation and persuade authorities to accept defeat. The final tally will determine if the Student List can break the four-decade cycle of political dominance held by the SNS and its predecessors.