A coalition of university students and civic activists has assembled a national electoral ticket aimed at unseating President Aleksandar Vucic in the upcoming parliamentary vote on 25 October 2026. The ticket, dubbed the Students’ List, will contest all 250 seats and field candidates ranging from professors to farmers, signalling a broad cross‑sectional push against the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
The movement’s rise was sparked by a November 2024 tragedy when a concrete canopy collapsed at a Novi Sad railway station, killing 16 people. Protesters blamed government negligence and corruption, demanding accountability for the deaths.
In a stunning development, digital‑rights researchers confirmed that Vladan Djokic, rector of the University of Belgrade and a prominent protest figure, had his phone infected with Pegasus spyware. The Israeli‑made tool, developed by NSO Group, allows state actors to monitor calls, texts, and camera feeds.
Vucic, who stepped down as president last month to pursue a return as prime minister, has repeatedly denied the spyware allegations, calling the protests an orchestrated foreign plot to "destroy" Serbia. The student movement, however, insists its goals surpass mere government change.
The October vote will decide whether the SNS can retain its 14‑year dominance or whether Serbia will usher in a new era of democratic governance. Election officials have scheduled early polling for 25 October, with results expected within days of the count.