Mass rallies back Serbia’s student movement before election
Hundreds of thousands rallied across Serbia on October 22 in support of an anti-corruption student movement. The demonstrations came three days before an early parliamentary election.
Large crowds gathered in Belgrade and other Serbian cities on the evening of October 22, endorsing the Student List and its calls for stronger action against corruption. Protesters of different generations joined the rallies, while groups from outside the capital had marched to Belgrade in organized columns.
The demonstrations were reported by Radio Svoboda on Thursday, October 22. The Student List, established two years earlier, has since developed from a protest initiative into an electoral force fielding candidates across the country.
The movement grew after a concrete canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people and injuring dozens. Protesters blamed official corruption connected to public construction and renovation, demanding resignations and an impartial investigation. Prime Minister Miloš Vučević stepped down in January 2025, but the protests continued under a new government.
Serbia’s early election for the National Assembly is scheduled for October 25. Former president Aleksandar Vučić is seeking the premiership for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, while the leaderless Student List is running 250 candidates. A poll cited in the report placed the two competitors close together, with 44.5% for the student slate and 42.7% for the governing party.