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Serbia’s longtime leader faces biggest political test as students mount election challenge
· Confirmed
In Short: Serbian students are mounting a significant challenge to longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic in Sunday's parliamentary election.
Serbian students are mounting a significant challenge to longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic in Sunday's parliamentary election, with hundreds of thousands rallying in Belgrade, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar) and The Guardian.
Al Jazeera (Qatar) reported that the student-led movement, which began after the Novi Sad rail station disaster in November 2024, is pushing for early elections. Meanwhile, The Guardian noted that the Students' List movement hopes to oust Vucic's party in a pivotal vote.
Both outlets agree that the Students' List, a leaderless movement of student-backed candidates, poses a significant threat to Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party. However, Al Jazeera (Qatar) emphasized the movement's origins in the aftermath of the rail station disaster, while The Guardian highlighted the broader context of student-led protests against Vucic's rule.
The Guardian and Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) reported that the Students' List is polling neck and neck with Vucic’s right-wing Serbian Progressive Party, despite the ruling populists’ tight control over mainstream media and institutions.
According to The Guardian, Vucic has shown signs of taking the political threat seriously, making 129 live television appearances in August, more than four times the previous month’s total. Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) noted that the referendum-like atmosphere between Vucic and the students’ movement could push most of the other groups below the 3 percent threshold necessary to make it to the 250-member Parliament.
Fox News reported that Vucic said Serbia's GDP was 32 billion euros when he became prime minister and is projected to exceed 100 billion euros this year, which is $120 billion. However, concerns remain about the fairness of the election, with international election monitors and the European Union expressing concern about the safety and fairness of the ballot.
The Guardian and DW (Germany) reported that Marija Nedeljkovic Radic, 47, said she came to support the Student List because young people gave her hope that it is possible to live in a normal country. Both outlets highlighted the optimism and energy of the student protesters.
Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) and Seattletimes noted that a close result could make the outcome uncertain and pave the way for potential post-election instability if both sides declare victory after polls close on Sunday.
Helena Ivanov, an associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that the student protesters have been able to capture the hearts and minds of people and keep the momentum going in a way that the established opposition was never able to do.
Ilija Srdanovic, a physician who is a candidate on the Students' List election ticket, told N1 television that “this is incredible, this energy is unstoppable.”
What's confirmed
- People take part in the final "Student List – Students Win" rally ahead of a parliamentary election in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, Oct.
- The flag waving boisterous crowds chanted “Victory” in a wave of optimism ahead the early vote that comes after almost two years of student-led protests against Vucic’s tight rule in the Balkan country.
- Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Serbia’s protesting students have gathered for the final campaign rally ahead of the tense parliamentary election on weekend in a mounting challenge to the Balkan country’s powerful strongman Aleksandar Vucic.
- Their Students’ List election ticket is polling neck and neck with Vucic’s right-wing Serbian Progressive Party despite the ruling populists’ tight control over mainstream media and all institutions in the country.
- “Tyrants will pass, like they always do, but the people of this country never will and they will stand tall as a monument to our joint struggle.” Analysts say that a close result could make the outcome uncertain and pave the way for potential post-election instability if both sides declare victory after polls close on Sunday.
- “I came to support the Student List because young people finally gave me hope that it is possible to live in a normal country,” Marija Nedeljkovic Radic, 47, said as she arrived for the students’ rally.
- “There is hope for the first time in like 30 years,” Marina Popov Taparicki from Belgrade said.
What's still developing
- Aleksandar Vucic says Serbia is deepening ties with Washington while balancing relations with Russia and China, standing by Israel and resisting calls to recognize Kosovo.
- There are growing concerns from Congress and observers that the election will take place in a hostile environment and efforts to discredit and undermine the election are already underway.
- Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced the Supporting the Rule of Law, Building Institutional Justice, and Accountability Act (SRBIJA) to address democratic backsliding in Serbia, promote the rule of law and accountability and improve the treatment of student-led civic protests.
- The Council of Europe commissioner for human rights, Michael O’Flaherty, criticised Serbia’s government in a report this week and said he “will monitor the situation closely” on Saturday.
- GDP growth was revised up in Serbia and Slovenia compared to our previous CEE Macro Outlook.
- In a report published Wednesday, the Serbian Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability monitoring group cited “narrowing of freedoms and deepening of inequality” among election participants and voters.
- BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of people lined the streets of Belgrade on Wednesday to greet marching students arriving to Serbia 's capital on the eve of their final rally ahead of a tense parliamentary election challenging authoritarian leader Aleksandar Vucic.
- Unorthodox campaign is challenging the ruling party’s 14-year reign with a bold democratic experiment Unorthodox campaign is challenging the ruling party’s 14-year reign with a bold democratic experiment O n a cool autumn evening, a team of Serbian student volunteers went canvassing in the housing estates of Krnjača, a Belgrade suburb.
- "You deserve better, and we know how to deliver it. Students are winning!"
- "This assessment is not based on isolated incidents, opposition claims or political disagreement with the government," a joint statement by 24 organisations said, arguing it was supported by documented findings.
- "Let us go out and defeat them! Defeat them decisively!"