---
title: "Serbia's elections: a referendum on its future and Vučić's power"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/87421/serbia-s-elections-a-referendum-on-its-future-and-vučić-s-power
published: 2026-10-12T04:50:00Z
language: en
author: "Redacția  TRM"
section: "International"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Serbia's elections: a referendum on its future and Vučić's power

> The parliamentary elections in Serbia, scheduled for October 25, are viewed by many as a referendum on the country's future and development trajectory. Aleksandar Vučić, who has stepped down as president, intends to lead the Serbian Progressive Party list he represents and secure the prime minister position.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/56c8cfda-4b75-4bf8-960e-44871f9e13e8.jpg)

The parliamentary elections in Serbia, scheduled for October 25, are viewed by many as a referendum on the country's future and development trajectory. Aleksandar Vučić, who has stepped down as president, intends to lead the Serbian Progressive Party list he represents and secure the prime minister position.

"In the coming decades, Serbia faces only two paths: either liberation from the authoritarian rule of Aleksandar Vučić or decades of repression and dictatorship," states political scientist and sociologist Dušan L. Milenković in an interview with DW.

The greatest political trauma for the leader who has governed Serbia for many years remains October 5, 2000. On that day, citizens took to the streets and forced the autocrat Slobodan Milošević to concede his electoral defeat. A diverse coalition of small democratic parties had beaten him.

In 2000, Vučić was on the side of the ruling power. As a member of the far-right Serbian Radical Party—part of Milošević’s coalition—and serving as Minister of Information, he was primarily responsible for censorship.

Today, Vučić himself could find himself in the same position Milošević once occupied. This time, however, his adversary is not a united democratic opposition but the student movement.

The so-called "Student List" emerged from a broad protest movement against the abuse of power and corruption. The spark that ignited the protests was the collapse of the canopy at a recently renovated railway station in Novi Sad in late 2024. Sixteen people lost their lives in the tragedy. The students are conducting their election campaign primarily on social media and through door-to-door canvassing, speaking directly with citizens.

Traditional political themes and debates regarding the direction Serbia should take—towards the European Union or an alliance with Russia—hold no significance for the "Student List."

It brings together liberals and nationalists, as well as representatives of the left and the right. The list is designed as a vehicle for a change of power, with combating crime and upholding the rule of law as its priorities.