Aleksandar Vucic announces snap elections in Serbia on October 25

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Tuesday evening that early parliamentary elections will be held on October 25, following months of pressure from the student protest movement.

Vučić said he would sign the decree on Wednesday to dissolve parliament and officially call the election.

The Serbian leader argues that the elections could help the country overcome its current political crisis. The protests are organized by students and the pro-Western opposition, which accuse the authorities of corruption, restricting press freedom, and undermining democracy. Vučić, meanwhile, claims that the demonstrations are coordinated from the West.

The protest movement was also fueled by the tragedy that occurred in November 2024 at the railway station in Novi Sad, where the collapse of a roof led to the deaths of 16 people. Protesters consider the accident a symbol of corruption and the mismanagement of public institutions.

Although the protests appear to have lost some of their intensity, the students have announced that they will participate in the elections with their own list of candidates. Vučić has promised to resign after the election is officially called, in order to launch his campaign and try to return to the position of prime minister.

Serbia continues to pursue accession to the European Union, but is criticized for refusing to join the sanctions imposed on Russia. The elections will take place in a tense political context, marked by the confrontation between the government, the opposition, and the student movement.