Serbia's Vucic Faces His Toughest Test in 14 Years as a Student-Founded Party Challenges Him in Sunday's Vote
Aleksandar Vucic resigned the presidency in September to run for prime minister. The Student List grew out of protests that began after a railway station collapse killed 16 people. Voters go to the polls Oct. 25.
Serbia holds snap parliamentary elections Oct. 25, and Fox News Digital reports they may be the most competitive in years for the man who has run the country for over a decade.
The setup. Aleksandar Vucic served as prime minister from 2014 to 2017 and as president from 2017. He was term limited, so he resigned in September, dissolved parliament and is running to return as prime minister. Helena Ivanov of the Henry Jackson Society called it "the biggest challenge for the former President in his 14-year rule."
The challenger. The Student List grew out of protests that began in November 2024, after the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people. Protesters demanded accountability. One of the largest rallies, on March 15, 2025, drew nearly 350,000 people to Belgrade. The government cracked down, and none of the original demands were met, so the students turned to elections. The list has no official leader, includes no traditional opposition parties, and says its priorities are corruption and the rule of law.
Government view. Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said the student opposition is highly unlikely to win because voters have seen it lacks "a credible program." He credited Vucic with economic growth. Vucic told Fox in June that GDP had gone from 32 billion euros to a projected 100 billion.
Concerns. Fox reports worry in Congress and among observers that the vote will take place in a hostile atmosphere, and some fear the government might not accept a Student List win. A bipartisan group led by Sens. Chuck Grassley and Richard Blumenthal introduced the SRBIJA Act, which would condition future aid on Serbia making sustained progress on judicial accountability, press freedom, and alignment with the EU and NATO.
Foreign policy. Analysts quoted by Fox expect little change. Sinisa Vukovic of Johns Hopkins SAIS said the students have not defined foreign policy goals that depart from the government's, and that "the most realistic expectation is continuity." Vucic has courted Brussels while keeping close ties to Putin's Russia.
Note for readers: the characterizations of each side come from named analysts and officials in Fox's report. We have not independently checked them.