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Serbia has been in a de facto pre-election period since the beginning of 2026, although the date of the parliamentary elections has not yet been officially announced. Over a year after the start of student protests and political tensions, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has announced early elections, but without giving a precise date, setting them between October and December.
According to political analysts, there is a “window of opportunity” for a change of power in Belgrade. Political scientist Dusan Spasojevic estimates that for the first time the government and the opposition are showing close support in the polls, which makes the possibility of the current government losing power real. However, Vučić warns that the government still has the resources and experience to deal with political crises.
Since the end of 2025, the student movement has changed strategy. After the intensity of the protests that lasted more than a year subsided, the students have focused on preparations for the elections: they have selected candidates, opened electoral offices, are training election observers, and are drafting a political program.
The “one student in every village” initiative aims to increase citizen trust, mobilize the electorate, and challenge the pro-government media narrative. Student activists like Danilo Erdeljan and Sonja Haxhdjukovic travel around the country, believing that the later the elections are held in 2026, the stronger their movement will be.
Support for the student movement is growing. On December 28, students managed to collect around 400,000 signatures in favor of early elections, at over 500 locations in more than 100 cities in Serbia. Many citizens offered additional support, seeing the movement as a long-term political alternative.
Meanwhile, the government is hardening its stance. Amid international pressure and the threat of US sanctions on the Russian-controlled energy company NIS, Vučić is delaying the elections, even at the cost of worsening the crisis.
Hundreds of public sector employees have reportedly been dismissed, some due to family ties to protesters. Dozens of students are under investigation for “threatening the constitutional order,” while some have fled the country. Universities, on the other hand, are being placed under tighter state control, including centralized funding.
Despite the pressures, the students are determined. They describe the upcoming campaign as a "marathon" and believe they will endure the long road to the elections, which they see as a real opportunity for political change in Serbia.
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