Vučić Concedes Presidency to Face Student List in Tight Serbian Poll

Aleksandar Vučić will no longer serve as Serbia's president, a move he made last month to position himself as a candidate for prime minister in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, October 25. The decision places him directly against the Student List, a political force that has emerged from nearly two years of anti-corruption demonstrations across the country.

The Student List originated from the collapse of a canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad, an incident that killed 16 people. Student assemblies at university faculties selected 250 candidates for the ballot. Ilija Srdanović, a cardiologist and professor at Novi Sad University, tops the candidate list. He described his role as a support position, stating, "It is absolutely normal to stand with my students to help them in their fair struggle." The group has no formal hierarchy and no designated leader, meaning Srdanović is not automatically the first choice for prime minister if the list wins.

Vučić has held senior executive roles since 2012 and points to economic growth and infrastructure development as evidence of his tenure's success. He characterized the student movement as foreign-backed and attempted to rally voters by questioning whether a Student List government would impose sanctions on Russia. This foreign policy angle contrasts with Serbia's current diplomatic balance, which maintains EU membership talks alongside close ties with Russia and China.

Critics argue the ruling Serbian Progressive Party controls state institutions and media. An International Election Observation Mission report from 2023 cited media bias and the misuse of public resources as factors creating an overwhelming advantage for the ruling party. A pro-government camp has occupied a park in central Belgrade for 18 months, where residents have repeatedly clashed with journalists. Vučić defended the camp as a symbol of resistance.

The Novi Sad disaster remains the central issue for many voters because the station renovation was part of the Belgrade to Budapest high-speed rail project, a flagship initiative of Vučić's government. Magda Anastasijevic, an Eastern Europe analyst at ACLED, noted that Vučić usually survives crises by identifying scapegoats, but the canopy collapse made that strategy difficult. "This was not the case for the canopy," she said.

The final campaign rallies illustrated the divide between the two sides. The ruling party filled Belgrade Arena with Vučić as the sole speaker. In Belgrade's Slavija Square, an estimated 150,000 people gathered to hear from student candidates. The Student List includes academics, athletes, economists, and engineers, none of whom have prior political backgrounds. One student, Aleksandra, noted that the list gathers the best people in their respective fields.