Serbia’s early parliamentary elections on Oct. 25 pit a student-led opposition against President Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party amid mounting allegations of vote pressure and a tightly contested race.
A BIRN investigation published Oct. 20 documented over 150 testimonies from public sector employees who said they were pressured to sign pledges to vote for the SNS and attend its rallies, with some facing threats of transfers or dismissal. At the Republic Geodetic Authority, employees reported that pressure intensified after Dalibor Babic became acting director in August, including the deployment of a party “commissar” to coerce signatures. The OSCE’s ODIHR and European Commission reports have flagged such practices since 2014 and 2017, respectively, while a 2022 CRTA survey found 14 percent of Serbs reported being pressured to vote for a specific party .
The student movement, which emerged from protests after 16 people died in a Novi Sad railway station collapse in November 2024, has evolved into a political force under the “Student List – Students Win” banner. Polling by NSPM released Oct. 20 showed the list leading with 44.6 percent support among decided voters, ahead of the SNS’s 42.7 percent. The movement’s flat, leaderless structure and cross-country plenum system contrast sharply with Vučić’s centralized rule, and its candidates include academics, farmers, and artists rather than traditional politicians .
Vučić, who resigned the presidency to seek the premiership, has dismissed the student list’s platform as dishonest, accusing its candidates of evading questions on Russia sanctions and Kosovo. In a Oct. 20 video, he claimed he heard “terrible lies” during the list’s program presentation, including assertions about corruption in infrastructure projects and foreign policy . The SNS has also faced scrutiny over its campaign tactics, with reports of fictitious public-sector jobs used to staff pro-government rallies and call centers.
A 20-member PACE delegation will monitor the vote, while U.S. senators have urged Belgrade to ensure a “peaceful, free, and open” process, citing “troubling signs” ahead of the ballot . The student list’s Ilija Srdanovic said his coalition is prepared to defend its results, calling the race a test of Serbia’s democratic resilience .
