Serbian Elections: How a student protest born after a railway station canopy collapse ended right-wing Aleksandar Vučić’s 12-year grip on power

Serbia’s student-led movement has dealt a historic blow to long-time leader Aleksandar Vučić, turning protests over a deadly railway station accident into an electoral challenge that has shaken the country’s political establishment. Vučić conceded defeat on Sunday, October 25, after a parliamentary election that pitted his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) against the student-backed Student List. Although final official results were still awaited, Vučić acknowledged that his political camp had lost, estimating that the student-backed candidates would win between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member parliament, while his side would secure 105.

The result marks a major setback for a political establishment that has dominated Serbian politics since the SNS came to power in 2012. Vučić became prime minister in 2014 and president in 2017, consolidating his influence over the country’s political system. What makes the election particularly significant is how the challenge began. It did not emerge from a conventional opposition campaign. Instead, it grew out of public anger following a railway station disaster in November 2024, when the collapse of a concrete canopy killed 16 people in the northern city of Novi Sad.

The tragedy triggered demands for accountability, transparency and action against alleged corruption. Over nearly two years, those demands grew into a nationwide student-led movement that ultimately challenged Vučić at the ballot box.

What happened in the Novi Sad railway station accident?

On November 1, 2024, a concrete canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. The station had undergone renovation work, and the disaster prompted questions about construction quality, public infrastructure safety and government oversight.

For many Serbians, the incident became about more than a structural failure. Protesters questioned whether corruption, political patronage and inadequate accountability had contributed to the conditions surrounding the tragedy. The government rejected allegations of wrongdoing, but public anger continued to grow. Students began organising protests, university blockades and demonstrations demanding that the authorities disclose relevant documents and establish accountability.

What started as a call for justice for the victims soon expanded into a broader campaign against corruption and the perceived erosion of democratic institutions. The protests attracted support from teachers, farmers, academics and other sections of society. Large demonstrations across the country showed that dissatisfaction with the government extended beyond university campuses.

How students turned protests into a political movement

The student movement gained momentum by maintaining pressure on the authorities long after the initial public outrage over the accident. Rather than relying on a single prominent leader, students organised through assemblies and coordinated groups. This decentralised approach helped them make collective decisions and sustain mobilisation across universities and cities.

Their campaign also drew attention to issues beyond the railway disaster, including the independence of institutions, the functioning of the judiciary, media freedom and the need for transparent government. For a political system in which Vučić and the SNS had repeatedly defeated a fragmented opposition, the students offered a different kind of challenge. They presented themselves as an alternative to both the ruling party and established opposition groups.

Over time, the movement moved from the streets towards electoral politics. Its student-backed electoral list brought together candidates from different professional backgrounds, including academics, teachers and other citizens, to compete directly with the ruling party. The shift was significant. The students were no longer only demanding answers from the government. They were seeking the public mandate to replace it.

Why the Serbia election was a turning point

The October 25 parliamentary election became a crucial test of whether the student movement could translate its public support into political power. Vučić called the snap election in September 2026, bringing forward a parliamentary contest that was not scheduled until late 2027. He stepped down as president to lead his party’s campaign for prime minister, making the vote central to his effort to retain power.

The contest was widely seen as a showdown between the ruling SNS and the student-backed Student List. The latter campaigned on fighting corruption, restoring the rule of law and strengthening public institutions.

Voters also faced broader questions about living standards, economic development and Serbia’s international relationships. Vučić had promoted economic growth, higher wages and public investment, while maintaining close relations with Russia and China and continuing to express support for Serbia’s eventual membership of the European Union.

However, the election took place against a backdrop of concerns about media freedom, democratic standards and the fairness of the political process.

What happens next in Serbia?

Vučić’s concession marks a major political turning point, but the transition will depend on the formation of a new government. The student-backed candidates will face the difficult task of turning a broad protest movement into a functioning administration. Their central promises include tackling corruption, improving institutional accountability and restoring confidence in public institutions.

The movement’s success at the ballot box does not automatically guarantee that these goals will be achieved. Its supporters will expect concrete action on the concerns that first brought students onto the streets in 2024. The election also has implications beyond Serbia. The country is a candidate for European Union membership and maintains important economic and political ties with both Western countries and Russia. A change in government could influence its approach to democratic reforms and relations with international partners.