site.btaSerbian Students Announce Near-Complete Civil Candidate List for Early Elections

The civil candidate list for the upcoming elections is 99% ready, protesting students in Serbia said, as quoted by local media.

In May, the students first declared their demand for early parliamentary elections, stating they would support candidates with public credibility who have not previously been involved in the country’s political life.

“The list will include 250 people who we believe can represent the citizens of Serbia with dignity,” said Aleksa Simic, a student at the Faculty of Political Science, speaking to N1 TV.

“Two things are important to us – that these individuals have distinguished themselves and are not afraid to speak the truth, that they are honest, and that they adhere to the program, meaning the social contract we concretize with our actions day after day,” Simic added.

For now, the list will not be published publicly to protect the candidates who have agreed to participate from pressure and repression.

Serbia has been gripped by anti-government protests lasting nine months. This spring, rumours first emerged that students were preparing a candidate list for future members of the National Assembly of Serbia. At that time, the Rector of the University of Belgrade, Prof. Vladan Djokic, said he would feel proud if nominated by the students as a parliamentary candidate.

The wave of social unrest surged after November 1, 2024, when the canopy of the newly reopened Novi Sad railway station, renovated over three years, collapsed, causing the deaths of 16 people. Protesters accused the ruling authorities of corruption and nepotism, which led to substandard repairs of the facility. In response to the tragedy, students blocked over 60 faculties and led protests that have become the biggest challenge in Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s political career.

Recently, Vucic said that early elections will be held but did not specify the exact date.