Serbia’s snap election leaves political crisis unresolved
The 25 October vote brings the student movement into the race, but analysts say it is unlikely to restore political legitimacy or ease tensions.
Serbia will hold a snap parliamentary election on 25 October, after President Aleksandar Vučić announced an early vote sought by student protesters. The election was originally due by December 2027.
The contest follows a year of unrest sparked by a 2024 railway station canopy collapse that killed 16 people. Protesters blamed government negligence and alleged corruption. The student movement has submitted an election list to state authorities and shifted from mass rallies to campaigning.
Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera say the early timetable may reduce political risk for the governing Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), but the election is unlikely to settle the crisis. Viktor Stamenković of Belgrade’s Institute for Political Studies said the party was choosing the electoral sequence it considered least dangerous.
The Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) says polling suggests the student movement could win representation in parliament and other state institutions. The package does not provide polling figures or a forecast of the election result.
Concerns about the conduct and aftermath of the vote remain. KRIK investigative reporter Milica Vojinović cited irregularities in past elections and warned of possible further pressure on critics if the SNS remains in power. Stamenković said election day was likely to be contentious.
