Serbia calls October 25 election as Vucic faces biggest protest challenge

Aleksandar Vucic has called an early parliamentary election in Serbia for October 25 after months of mass protests. The poll could decide whether public anger over corruption and the Novi Sad tragedy reshapes the country's politics.Image used for representational purposes onlySerbia's President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday called an early parliamentary election for October 25, in a major political test after nearly two years of street protests against his rule. Vucic, who cannot run for another presidential term, has said he plans to contest for prime minister instead.The vote will take place amid high political tension and growing public anger. The protests began after a train station tragedy on November 1, 2024, and have since grown into a wider movement demanding accountability and an end to corruption.Vucic issued a decree dissolving the 250-member Parliament and said the election was needed because of tensions and divisions in the Balkan country. "We have had ... huge turbulence," Vucic said in an address. "We need election results that will clearly show the will of the people and the direction where Serbia is going." The ballot will be held as the ruling populists try to stay in power despite widespread public discontent.The protests started after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad in northern Serbia, killing 16 people. Protesters demanded accountability for the collapse and an end to the corruption they blamed for poor renovation work. Almost daily demonstrations, at times drawing hundreds of thousands of people, have shaken Vucic more than at any point since he came to power in 2012. Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have been accused of curbing democratic freedoms and of ties to organised crime, allegations he has denied. Serbia's bid to join the European Union has stalled under Vucic, who has also kept close ties with both Russia and China. In the past week, he also faced added EU pressure over the public homage paid to Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army commander, who was buried as a hero in Serbia on Monday despite his conviction for genocide by a UN court.The student-backed election list for Parliament is expected to include university professors and experts. The movement has won strong support among Serbia's 6.5 million voters, many of them disillusioned with mainstream politicians. Vucic has pushed hard against the protesters, prompting international concern over police violence and arbitrary detentions. He has accused the students and professors leading the protests of wanting to "destroy the state". Hundreds of people have been detained or have lost their jobs for supporting the protests. Vucic repeated on Wednesday that "it would be wrong to assume" that the political tensions were the result of disagreements within Serbia alone. He said that "we have had unrest and clashes and a divided society with considerable interference of foreign powers". He did not name any foreign powers or provide evidence for the claim. He has said he will resign as president in the coming weeks so he can join the parliamentary campaign, and an early presidential election will be held separately.Analysts say the so-called Students' List poses a serious challenge to the ruling populists. Dejan Pavlovic of Belgrade's Faculty of Political Sciences said a scenario could emerge "similar to (the) Hungarian one, where the challenger, without the media support, without the resources, still manages to provide (a) very persuasive win". After gradually taking control of Serbia's institutions and mainstream media since 2012, Vucic and his party now face an election that will decide the next Parliament and could reshape the country's political direction.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 9, 2026 16:32 IST