From the streets to the ballot box: Serbia’s students hope for election win
A student-led movement has emerged as the most serious challenger to the long rule of the Serbian Progressive Party and its leader, Aleksandar Vucic, ahead of Sunday's election.
The movement began with protests after the collapse of a concrete canopy at the renovated Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024, which killed sixteen people. This tragedy triggered public outrage over alleged corruption and raised questions about construction safety and government oversight. The students who led these protests have sought a fundamental overhaul of what they deem a rotten system.
Change is clearly necessary. The state must belong to its people, not to the mafia and criminals.
Growing Opposition
Over the past two years, the student movement has expanded to include many citizens, teachers, professors, and other experts, transforming into a political force: 'Student List–Students Win' (Studentska lista–Studenti pobeđuju). Their demonstrations have grown into the biggest protest movement in Serbia in years, joined by tens of thousands.
While the students haven't called for the overthrow of Vucic, their persistence has created one of the most significant threats to the president's long grip on power. Vucic became prime minister in 2014 and was elected president in 2017, a traditionally ceremonial role that he has strengthened by maintaining influence over his SNS party.
Vucic is clearly afraid of us – it's obvious. He knows that, for the first time in 16 years, the SNS is no longer the most popular political option in the country.
Unique Structure
The students' movement operates with a unique structure that has contributed to its effectiveness. The old student parliament at the University of Belgrade has been replaced with plenums – daily assemblies where each group votes on its course of action. Working groups focus on strategy, donations, and security, while universities in different cities coordinate to maintain broadly aligned demands.
One key rule is to remain leaderless, making it harder for authorities to disrupt the protests. Demonstrations must be peaceful, with any debris cleaned up afterward. All decisions are made democratically during hour-long plenary sessions in university faculties.
Even though the authorities mobilised criminal groups against the students and citizens participating in the protests, the students have remained focused on their goal: to oust a government they view as authoritarian and deeply corrupt.
Political Platform
Despite claims from state-affiliated media that the group has no program, the students have developed a platform titled the 'Student Plan,' divided into three sections with 11 points. Ilija Srdanovic, a cardiologist and the lead candidate for the Student List, explained that the platform avoids setting fixed deadlines for proposed changes, as these can only be determined after assessing the 'full current state of affairs'.
During debates, frequent themes include establishing a special prosecutorial police unit, creating a law on asset origins, implementing transitional justice, and renovating rural medical clinics. However, Kandic remains skeptical about the movement's transformative potential, noting challenges in altering Serbia's political climate where convicted war criminals are celebrated and Kosovo is treated as part of Serbia.
As Sunday's election approaches, the student movement represents a significant shift in Serbian politics, offering voters an alternative to the long-dominant SNS party. Their success could mark a turning point in the country's democratic development, though the path forward remains uncertain.
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