Serbia - October 2026

On 25 October, Serbia held snap parliamentary elections after Aleksandar Vučić dissolved Parliament amid sustained student-led protests following the Novi Sad station collapse. The ‘Student List – Students Win’, formed by the protest movement and led by Ilija Srdanović, won 53.7 per cent of the vote and 140 of 250 seats, securing a majority. The SNS-led ‘Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia’ list won 39.5 per cent and 103 seats, ending 14 years of SNS-led government. Most established opposition parties backed the Student List and did not run; those that did failed to clear the 3 per cent threshold. Five minority lists, exempt from the threshold, won the remaining seven seats, including two for the Albanian Coalition, up from one previously. Voter turnout reached 68.9 per cent, up 10.1 per cent from 2023. Observers noted high participation and strong competition but found that misuse of state resources, intimidation, violence and pro-government media bias seriously undermined equal campaign conditions. Election administration was generally efficient, although concerns remained over its impartiality and the voter register. 

Sources: N1, International IDEA (1), OSCE ODIHR, The Guardian, Carnegie, International IDEA (2)

Serbia recorded its highest parliamentary election turnout in decades on 25 October, at 68.9 per cent, up from 58.8 per cent in 2023. This also exceeded the 68.1 per cent turnout recorded in the 2008 presidential election. International observers highlighted active citizen engagement and vigorous competition between the Student List and the SNS-led coalition, describing the participation as a clear public desire for political change. The increase followed nearly two years of mass student-led protests and reflected strong mobilisation around an unusually consequential contest. Most established opposition parties backed the Student List, consolidating the opposition vote, while supporters were urged to vote early to demonstrate strong public interest. Long queues were reported across Serbia and abroad, and extensive citizen monitoring sought to protect the vote from fraud.

Sources: International IDEA (1), OSCE ODIHR, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly