Belgrade, January 26, 2026 — Serbia finds itself navigating a complex political landscape as it enters a pre-election period, despite the absence of a firm date for parliamentary elections.
After over a year marked by widespread protests, student-led blockades, and escalating political tensions, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has responded to growing demands for a snap election from students and citizens. However, the timing of that election remains uncertain.
In recent months, Vucic has gradually refined potential election dates, initially suggesting a vote “before the legal deadline,” then narrowing the timeframe to “late 2026 or early 2027,” and most recently indicating a possible vote in October, November, or December.
Could Vucic Face Defeat?
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The current shift in the Serbian electorate suggests that President Vucic could potentially lose the upcoming election if held now. Dusan Spasojevic, a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade, believes the political dynamics have fundamentally changed.
“The greatest strength of the students and the opposition lies in the change we’ve seen in the electorate,” Spasojevic explained. “The power bloc and the opposition bloc are now relatively equal, and for the first time, we’ll have elections where the government could not only lose, but would likely lose.”
However, Spasojevic cautioned against complacency. “There is still considerable time before the elections, and the government retains substantial resources and a proven ability to navigate difficult situations.”
Students Transition to Campaign Mode
By the close of 2025, the large-scale protests that swept across Serbia beginning in November 2024 had largely subsided, with faculty blockades lifted and students returning to their studies.
This marked a turning point for the student movement, shifting its focus from protest to preparation for an election.
Following an internal selection process, students are now establishing campaign headquarters, training election observers, and formulating their political platform. Some students are engaging in door-to-door outreach, while others are implementing initiatives like “A student in every village,” aiming to counter narratives propagated by pro-government media and actively listen to citizen concerns.
Mobilizing Voters and Building Trust
Danilo Erdeljan and Sonja Hajdukovic, students from Novi Sad, are actively engaging with citizens. Their primary goals are voter mobilization and building trust, learning about electoral procedures and refining their campaign strategies along the way.
They believe that delaying the election ultimately benefits them, as their organization continues to grow stronger with each local election, gaining valuable experience and logistical capacity.
“The government is hoping people will grow tired and give up, but in reality, this delay gives us more time to prepare,” Erdeljan said. “We’ve already seen the challenges the ruling coalition faces in orchestrating electoral fraud at the local level, and it will be significantly harder to do so nationwide. We are becoming increasingly prepared to address any irregularities on election day.”
Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
The continued support for students was evident on December 28, when they collected signatures for an early election at over 500 stands across more than 100 cities and municipalities nationwide.
Students reported collecting nearly 400,000 signatures in a single day, with many citizens also providing contact information and expressing a willingness to participate in future activities. This demonstrated the potential for mass mobilization remains strong, and calling an election could ignite a new wave of engagement.
A Tightening Grip
However, as the opposition strengthens, the government is also consolidating its position. Facing pressure from the threat of U.S. sanctions on Serbia’s Russian-owned oil company NIS, and a perceived loss of support from international partners—including the United States, the European Union, and Russia—Aleksandar Vucic is carefully considering the optimal timing for calling the election.
Sources indicate Vucic is likely to postpone the election as long as possible, even if it risks exacerbating the existing crisis. Simultaneously, there are reports of increased government control, including hundreds of dismissals in the public sector targeting those involved in protests, family members, and even those perceived as insufficiently supportive of the government.
Legal proceedings have been initiated against numerous students on charges of allegedly undermining the constitutional order, and some remain in political exile. Pressure on universities has also increased, with one professor supportive of the protests dismissed without due process. A new centralized financial system has also been implemented, reducing the financial independence of faculties and increasing state control.
Students acknowledge the challenges ahead. “But if people have endured this far, they will endure longer,” says Danilo Erdeljan. “From the start, we knew this was not a sprint, but a marathon, and I believe it is possible to persist for as long as necessary.”
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