Serbia’s student-led Student List mounts its strongest challenge yet to Vučić
The Student List, formed from anti-corruption protests after 16 people died in a railway station canopy collapse, is challenging Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling party in a snap parliamentary election. Student assemblies selected 250 candidates, with professor Ilija Srdanović at the top; analysts cited by the BBC expect a tight result, though reliable polls are scarce.
Bottom line — The vote pits Vučić’s established leadership against a leaderless movement whose 250 candidates were selected by students.
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The protests followed the 2024 collapse in Novi Sad; the station renovation was part of Vučić’s Belgrade–Budapest high-speed rail project, the BBC reported.
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The BBC says the movement grew from almost two years of protests led by young Serbians.
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Vučić stepped down as president to seek the post of prime minister in the snap election, according to the BBC.
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The BBC reported that international election observers found an “overwhelming ruling party advantage” in the 2023 parliamentary election, citing media bias and misuse of public resources.
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Vučić has described the student movement as foreign-backed, while warning that a Student List government could sever ties with Russia and China, the BBC reported.
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The BBC reported that the Student List drew a crowd estimated at 150,000 to its final Belgrade rally.