Thousands of ruling party supporters gathered in Novi Sad on Friday as Serbia’s election campaign entered its final phase ahead of the October 25 vote. President Aleksandar Vučić addressed a rally at Freedom Square, where crowds waved Serbian flags and chanted slogans including “Kosovo belongs to Serbia,” underscoring nationalist themes in the campaign’s closing stretch.

The event in Novi Sad, a stronghold of Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), drew widespread attention as a pivotal moment in a race widely seen as a crossroads for Serbia’s relations with the EU, Russia, and China. Vučić, seeking to maintain his grip on power, has framed the election as a test of national unity.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico publicly endorsed Vučić and the United Serbia list during the rally, praising what he described as Serbia’s “unifying policy” .

Meanwhile, opposition figures and activists have intensified efforts to mobilize voters, with final campaign forums scheduled in cities like Kraljevo ahead of the vote. A concluding tribune organized by the weekly *Vreme* on October 19 will focus on election day preparations and the defense of voter will .

The campaign has also seen unexpected shifts in voter sentiment, with some citizens who previously opposed Vučić now pledging support for his list, citing changed perspectives .