BELGRADE, October 25, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Serbians turned out in unusually large numbers on Sunday for a parliamentary election that could end more than a decade of dominance by populist leader Aleksandar Vucic, as a student-led protest movement turned public anger over corruption into a major political challenge.
The snap election, called by Vucic in September, follows nearly two years of demonstrations triggered by the deaths of 16 people when a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in 2024. The protests have since broadened into a national movement against perceived corruption and what critics describe as growing authoritarianism.
Long queues formed outside polling stations across cities and towns. Pollsters and election monitors CeSID and Ipsos reported turnout of 27.3% by 11 a.m. (1000 GMT), nearly double the 15.1% recorded at the same point in the 2023 election. Vucic himself waited nearly two hours to vote.
Polling stations were due to close at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT), with initial indications of the result expected about two hours later.
Opinion polls had forecast a tight race. A victory for the student-backed list would mark a major political shift in the Balkan country of about 6 million people and could provide an example for student movements elsewhere in Europe, where protests over education and limited opportunities have also gained momentum.
“It is very important for all people to come and vote if they want to change something and I think it is a time for change,” said Belgrade lawyer Marija Cvjeticanin.
Vucic remains a formidable incumbent. Many supporters credit him with modernising Serbia through investment in highways, railways, schools and hospitals. He has pledged higher pensions, public-sector salaries and additional investment in state healthcare.
After stepping down from his second presidential term to run again for prime minister, Vucic has campaigned on a platform that combines domestic spending promises with close ties to China, a major investor, and Russia, Serbia’s traditional ally and main natural gas supplier. He has also maintained Serbia’s stated ambition to join the European Union, its largest trading partner, although the bloc has grown increasingly frustrated with the country’s slow progress on reforms.
The student-backed list of 250 candidates includes university professors, actors and farmers. It is led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, but it remains unclear who would become prime minister if the movement wins.
“I hope that today will pass in a democratic atmosphere, in peace, and that we will legitimately elect a new government in Serbia,” Srdanovic said after voting in Novi Sad. He said the turnout scenes suggested a record in the country’s recent history.
Vucic said he would respect the result. “If we lose we will acknowledge the will of the electorate, if we win no one will take it (from us),” he said.
Election Commission head Vladimir Dimitrijevic said voting had so far passed without incident. However, monitors CeSID and CRTA reported problems involving voter registration and ballot secrecy.
The student protests have become the largest in a generation, with demonstrators demanding accountability over the station disaster and calling for Vucic to step down. Rights groups and activists say repression has worsened since the demonstrations began.
Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party have repeatedly denied allegations of corruption, repression and spying on opponents. He has accused the students of receiving funding from foreign agents in Croatia and Montenegro, a claim they reject.
“This has been one of the most difficult but the most emotional campaigns,” Vucic told supporters on Thursday. “We stood against those who wanted to destroy Serbia.”