Serbia election: Student list challenges Vučić in tight vote

Serbians cast ballots on Sunday in a parliamentary election that analysts expect to be extremely close. The contest pits the country's long-serving leader, Aleksandar Vučić, against a student-driven movement that has emerged from nearly two years of anti-corruption protests.

The opposition Student List originated after 16 people died when a canopy collapsed at a railway station in Novi Sad, the country's second-largest city. Student assemblies at university faculties selected 250 candidates for the list. The group is led by Ilija Srdanović, a cardiologist and professor at Novi Sad University. Srdanović described his role as supporting his students in a fair struggle. He arrived at a recent interview on a motorbike, wearing a fluorescent yellow jacket with pro-student slogans.

The movement has no formal hierarchy or nominated leader. Srdanović tops the candidate list but is not the designated leader and would not necessarily become prime minister if the group wins. The remaining candidates include academics, athletes, economists, and engineers, none of whom have prior political backgrounds. One student at Novi Sad University, identified only as Aleksandra, noted that the group gathered the best people in their respective fields.

Vučić has held senior executive roles since 2012, serving as deputy prime minister, prime minister, and president. He called the snap election last month and stepped down as president to run for the premiership. He maintains strong support among voters who view him as a strong defender of national interests and point to economic growth and infrastructure improvements over the past decade. Vučić has characterized the student movement as foreign-backed and intent on bringing down the state.

Backers of the Student List argue that Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party dominates state institutions and media coverage. An International Election Observation Mission noted an overwhelming ruling party advantage in the 2023 vote, citing media bias and misuse of public resources. For 18 months, a pro-government camp has occupied a small park in central Belgrade, where residents have repeatedly attacked journalists. Vučić has called the camp a symbol of resistance.

The Novi Sad disaster remains Vučić's biggest vulnerability. The station renovation was part of his flagship high-speed rail project linking Belgrade and Budapest. Magda Anastasijevic, an Eastern Europe analyst at ACLED, said Vučić usually survives crises by finding a scapegoat, but the canopy incident did not allow for that. Foreign policy has also entered the campaign, with Vučić warning that close ties with Russia and China could be lost under a Student List government.

Closing rallies highlighted the contrast between the two camps. The ruling party filled Belgrade Arena with Vučić as the sole speaker, while approximately 150,000 people gathered in Slavija Square to hear students and candidates. Voters now decide between a single strong leader and a collective approach.