Serbia stands at a moment that many of its citizens have waited more than a decade to reach: a parliamentary vote in which the old certainties of Aleksandar Vucic's long rule are no longer guaranteed. The campaign grew out of grief over a railway canopy that fell in Novi Sad and took sixteen lives, and out of the stubborn energy of students who have spent two years asking their country to account for what went wrong. Whether this election opens a new chapter or deepens an old fracture depends on counts not yet made, on the conduct of a state that critics say has tilted the field, and on whethe
Serbia Votes Amid Hope and Fear as Student List Challenges Vučić's Long Rule
A concrete canopy collapse at Novi Sad railway station in November 2024 killed 16 people, sparking the protests that shaped this election campaign.
A kolo to close the rally, and a vow to defend every vote
Mark
Why does this election feel different from earlier ones under Vucic?
Mimi
Because the outcome is genuinely uncertain, according to political scientist Dusan Spasojevic. It's the first competitive vote since 2012, and it grew out of the Novi Sad canopy collapse that killed 16 people.
Mark
And the students are leaving the usual political divides aside?
Mimi
That's how they've framed it: corruption and accountability rather than ideology or foreign policy.
Luke
Careful with the 40 percent figure, though. That's Spasojevic citing polls, which the piece doesn't name. It's a possibility he describes, not a result.
Mark
What about the violence?
Mimi
CRTA counted 116 incidents of physical violence or threats by the final week, and says police were sometimes slow to protect opposition people.
Luke
Worth noting that's one monitor's tally. And the vote-buying claims, €30 to €150 and holiday packages, come from anonymous sources to DW. BIRN's pressure-on-public-workers account rests on one former SNS member. None of it is independently confirmed here.
Mark
And the warnings about student violence?
Mimi
Authorities say students, allegedly with foreign intelligence help, plan unrest. Several people were arrested on suspicion of plotting disturbances, per prosecutors.
Luke
Which is a suspicion, not a proven plot. The foreign-help claim comes with no evidence in this reporting.
Mark
So what decides what happens after Sunday?
Mimi
The margin, and the EU's response. Spasojevic expects a narrow result and a contested aftermath.
The Pulse
- A narrow race between the Student List and the ruling SNS has put the whole country on edge, with polls suggesting neither side can count on an easy majority.
- Independent monitors have logged 116 incidents of violence or threats, and allegations of vote pressure and buying are rattling confidence in the process.
- Authorities warn of planned street unrest, and several arrests in the final days have left both camps bracing for a volatile election night.
- Opposition leaders vow to defend every vote, while the government frames its rivals as foreign-backed, setting up a likely dispute over the result.
- Analysts fear a contested outcome, and all eyes are on how the European Union responds to decide whether tensions cool or boil over.
Serbia stands at a moment that many of its citizens have waited more than a decade to reach: a parliamentary vote in which the old certainties of Aleksandar Vucic's long rule are no longer guaranteed. The campaign grew out of grief over a railway canopy that fell in Novi Sad and took sixteen lives, and out of the stubborn energy of students who have spent two years asking their country to account for what went wrong. Whether this election opens a new chapter or deepens an old fracture depends on counts not yet made, on the conduct of a state that critics say has tilted the field, and on whether the peoples of Serbia and their European neighbours can accept a result that not everyone will welcome.
On Thursday evening in Belgrade, thousands gathered for the closing rally of the Student List, a slate of candidates born from a movement that has protested against the government for almost two years. Many in the crowd had walked to the capital from across the country. The night ended not in anger but in a traditional kolo, a circle dance that felt like a promise of calm resolve before Sunday's vote.
The protests began after a concrete canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing sixteen people. That disaster became a symbol of institutional failure, and the students have made the election a chance to confront corruption and demand accountability. They have also tried to set aside the old ideological and foreign-policy quarrels that have long divided Serbian politics. Political scientists believe this is the first election since Aleksandar Vucic took power in 2012 that is genuinely competitive, with polls suggesting the students could win more than 40 percent.
Across the city, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party held its own rally, promising stability and prosperity and warning that change could bring chaos. Its leaders cast the vote as a struggle for national sovereignty and accuse their opponents of serving foreign interests.
The campaign has been darkened by violence. The monitor CRTA recorded 116 incidents of threats or assaults, and reported that opposition activists faced surveillance and that police were sometimes slow to protect them. Its findings also describe unequal airtime, with most national television coverage going to government figures and most coverage of the students being negative. Investigators and anonymous sources have described pressure on public employees and offers of money and holidays in exchange for votes, claims that remain contested.
The greatest worry is election night itself. Authorities have warned of street violence, and the students have vowed to defend every ballot. Analysts fear a narrow result will be disputed, and many see the European Union's response as crucial in determining whether a disputed outcome becomes a crisis or a path toward a fairer future.
On Thursday evening in Belgrade, thousands of people gathered for the closing rally of the Student List, the slate of candidates fielded by the student movement that has been protesting against Serbia's government for almost exactly two years. Many in the crowd had spent days walking to the capital from all corners of the country, and the finale became a show of solidarity and calm resolve ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election.
Biology student Arsa Stojanovic told the crowd that the marchers had crossed Serbia from one end to the other, visiting villages and neighborhoods and looking people in the eye. Aleksandar Cupic, a professor of transport and traffic engineering who is also a candidate on the list, said it smelled like freedom. The rally ended with a kolo, the traditional circle dance.
The protests began after a concrete canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster became a symbol of institutional failure, and the Student List has framed the vote as a chance to confront corruption and demand accountability. The students have also tried to set aside the ideological, social and foreign-policy divisions that have long shaped Serbian politics. Political scientist Dusan Spasojevic told DW these are the first elections since Aleksandar Vucic came to power in 2012 that are competitive and whose outcome is uncertain. He said polls suggest the students could win more than 40 percent of the vote.
A few kilometers away, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, held its own final rally. Its message was a familiar one: a vote for the party means stability, continuity and prosperity, while a change of government risks chaos. The party casts the election as a fight for Serbia's future and sovereignty and accuses its opponents of serving foreign interests. Vucic, now a former president, told supporters that opponents had tried to destroy the country on foreign orders and had attacked with billions of euros, while the party defended itself with integrity, its program and love of homeland.
The campaign has been increasingly darkened by violence. By its final week, the independent monitor CRTA had logged 116 incidents of physical violence or verbal threats, including confrontations, attacks on campaigners and attempts to seize campaign banners. CRTA also reported that opposition activists, especially those tied to the Student List, faced surveillance and police questioning, and that police were sometimes slow to protect opposition candidates and supporters.
Fairness is a broader concern. CRTA told DW the campaign was neither free nor fair from the start, pointing to a narrowing of freedoms and deepening inequality among candidates and voters. Its report found that almost three-quarters of national television airtime given to political players went to government representatives, and more than 80 percent of coverage of the Student List was negative. The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, published testimony from a former SNS member describing how public-sector employees were pressured to deliver votes. DW also learned from anonymous sources that voters were offered between €30 and €150 to back the SNS, and that entire families were reportedly offered holiday packages if they pledged all their votes to the party. Independent media have also published reports on alleged links between people connected to the SNS and criminal networks, though Spasojevic doubts they will move the result, since people who trust such outlets have likely decided already and pro-government audiences may never see them.
Election night is the chief worry. For weeks authorities have warned that students, allegedly aided by foreign intelligence services, are preparing street violence, and in the final days several people were arrested on suspicion, according to prosecutors, of plotting disturbances. Spasojevic said the best outcome would be a decisive win for one camp, but polls point to a narrow margin and probably a post-election crisis. A narrow SNS victory would almost certainly be contested, he said, given the doubts about the process and allegations that some votes were obtained illegally.
He argued that the international response, particularly the European Union's, could be decisive in preventing escalation and in persuading authorities to accept defeat and avoid a heavy-handed reaction to protests. An EU Commission spokesperson told DW that key recommendations to improve Serbia's electoral framework remain unimplemented and that democracy and the rule of law are central to accession; Serbia has been a candidate country since 2012. The student movement has vowed to defend every vote, which sets up a potentially tense night if the results are disputed.
Notable Quotes
These are the first elections since Vucic came to power in 2012 that are competitive and whose outcome is uncertain.— Dusan Spasojevic, political scientist, to DW
They tried to destroy our country on foreign orders, and that is why this is the hardest battle.— Aleksandar Vucic, at the SNS final rally
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