University students launch ‘student list’ to shake up Serbia’s elections

Serbia’s student movement has submitted its “Student List – Students Win” to the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK), after thousands of supporters marched through central Belgrade to the commission’s headquarters. Students carried boxes of signatures gathered in recent days in a bid to qualify for the ballot. The move comes after nearly two years of protests triggered by the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, which killed 16 people. Students have demanded accountability and accused the authorities of failing to address corruption linked to the station’s renovation. At times, demonstrations have brought hundreds of thousands onto the streets, putting President Aleksandar Vučić under his strongest political pressure since taking office in 2012. The student-backed list includes professors, teachers, experts, former athletes and other lesser-known candidates. Doctor Ilija Srđanović is the lead name, alongside figures such as former basketball star Dejan Bodiroga, former central bank governor Dejan Šoškić, musician Feđa Dimović, athlete Mihal Dudaš and philosophy professor Aleksandar Baucal. Vučić has said he will step down as president and seek the premiership if his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) wins. He announced on 8 September that parliament would be dissolved and snap elections held on 25 October, saying he would resign on 27 September to lead the SNS campaign. The ruling party has nominated him as its prime ministerial candidate and placed him at the top of the “Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia” list.