Serbia's Ruling Leader Faces Collective At Sunday Polls

Aleksandar Vučić has left the presidency to run for prime minister in Sunday's parliamentary vote, a move that puts his 14 years in executive office behind a single ballot question: whether voters prefer one strong leader or a collective with no hierarchy. Analysts surveyed ahead of the vote expect an extremely close count, and reliable polling remains scarce.

The Student List emerged from nearly two years of anti-corruption demonstrations that began after a canopy collapsed at a Novi Sad railway station, killing 16 people. Student assemblies at university faculties selected 250 candidates rather than standing themselves. Cardiologist Ilija Srdanović, a Novi Sad University professor, heads the ballot but is not the movement's leader and would not necessarily be its first choice for prime minister. The roster includes academics, athletes, economists and engineers, none with prior political backgrounds.

Vučić has held the posts of deputy prime minister, prime minister and president since 2012, and points to economic growth and infrastructure work over the past decade. He has labeled the student movement foreign-backed and accused it of trying to "bring down our state." The Student List and its backers say his Serbian Progressive Party controls state institutions and media coverage. After the 2023 parliamentary vote, the International Election Observation Mission reported an "overwhelming ruling party advantage" driven by "bias in the media" and "misuse of public office and resources".

The Novi Sad renovation sat inside the Belgrade to Budapest high-speed rail project Vučić promoted, which limits his distance from the disaster. Magda Anastasijevic, an Eastern Europe analyst at ACLED, said he has survived earlier crises by locating a scapegoat. "This was not the case for the canopy," she said.

The campaign also turned on foreign policy. Serbia advances EU membership talks while maintaining ties with Russia and China, neither of which recognizes Kosovo's declaration of independence. At a rally, Vučić asked whether the Student List would impose sanctions on Russia.

Closing events drew the sharpest contrast of the race. The ruling party filled Belgrade Arena with Vučić as the sole speaker. A reported 150,000 people gathered at Slavija Square to hear students and candidates. A pro-government camp has occupied a small central Belgrade park for 18 months, and its residents have repeatedly attacked journalists; Vučić has called it "a symbol of resistance."

The International Election Observation Mission documented its findings after the 2023 vote. Voters decide Sunday.