Aleksandar Vucic is no stranger to the spotlight. As the all-powerful president of Serbia, the loyal media followed his every move for years. His outbursts on TikTok have dominated the evening news. But on October 25, he lost the elections to the student list, and since then, a lot has changed.
Vucic complained at a news conference, in front of fewer microphones than usual, that the victors were practicing “revolutionary terror.” He threatened: “If they continue to terrorize those who think differently – beatings, destruction and all the rest – and state authorities do nothing, we will be forced to organize.”
Vucic considers the immediate resignation of the general director of the Serbian public channel RTS as an example of this “terror”. The main editors of RTS were also fired.
On Monday, a small group of demonstrators invaded the Informer TV channel. Thousands of complaints have been filed against Informer over the years for its demonization of Vucic’s criticism. Today, journalists’ associations are demanding the withdrawal of his license.
The tabloids loyal to Vucic have already changed their tune. Unlike Informer, they no longer refer to the list of students as “terrorists” or “mercenaries.”
Old accusations against Vucic
The List, resulting from the student revolt, is made up of professors, activists and artists. In the October 25 election, he won 53% of the vote, leaving Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) trailing with just 39%.
Since then, things have evolved rapidly. In many cities, citizens peacefully removed Vucic’s portraits from municipal buildings. The prosecutor’s office responsible for organized crime has opened investigations, particularly into electoral fraud. A special commission is examining the work of the Belgrade Higher Prosecutor’s Office, which critics say followed Vucic’s orders and persecuted his opponents.
The accusations against him are old: he and his system kept the media under strict control; that public contracts were only awarded to companies loyal to the regime; and that Vucic, his party and the Serbian state had links to organized crime.
The catalyst for the revolt was the collapse two years ago of the concrete glass roof of Novi Sad’s recently renovated train station. Sixteen people died. The accident is believed to be due to poor execution and corruption during the award and execution of the renovation contract.
Those who were partying in the streets a few days ago are already getting impatient. The new parliament has not yet been convened and the SNS still controls many levers of power.
“A society that was oppressed for so long by a party that acted like a feudal lord now rightly expects justice,” Dejan Bursac of the Institute of Philosophy and Social Theory at the University of Belgrade told DW. “In this power vacuum, people get impatient.”
Vucic and key officials promise to be a strong opposition and hope to make a quick comeback once “this group” ruins the country. But the majority of critics are calling for Vucic to be investigated and charged. “The SNS people act as if they lost a local election somewhere in democratic Scandinavia, not as if they are part of a deeply corrupt and criminal regime,” Bursac said.
What damage can the old government do to the new one?
It is very common in Serbia for politicians to switch allegiances from one camp to another. They go where the power is. Even Vucic admitted that many of his former comrades in arms were turning their backs on him. “We will see cases of people resigning or remaining in the shadows, even presenting themselves as informants for the next government,” said Zlatko Minic of Transparency Serbia.
The million dollar question is: how much damage can the old government do to the new one? “There is still time for many officials to award contracts and create financial obligations for the agencies they lead without necessarily committing a criminal offense,” Minic warned.
However, those familiar with the situation said that for some time the Student List had contacts with police and administration officials opposed to Vucic’s style of government. The winners of the election will now be able to prevent certain actions. On Wednesday, the List again demanded the resignation of senior police and justice officials. Whistleblowers were also urged to come forward if the outgoing government attempted to “destroy documents”.
Symbolically, Student List representatives held their first press conference at Pioneers Park, in front of Parliament. Vucic’s supporters fenced off the park in 2025, turning it into a pro-government encampment. It also became a base for thugs and criminals who attacked anti-government protesters, according to investigative journalists. The day after the Student List’s election victory, its supporters came out with trash bags and cleaned up the park.
No change in foreign policy
The Victorious Student List brings together left and right, pro-European and pro-Russian forces. He focuses on changes in domestic politics and wants to advance the European Union accession negotiations by implementing real reforms. The List opposes sanctions against Russia and recognition of Kosovo – positions with which almost the entire Serbian population agrees.
“Our goal is to stabilize and develop the country, not to destabilize it with a sudden change of course in foreign policy,” Oliver Toskovic, a psychology professor and future MP, told DW.
Toskovic said that, unlike Vucic, the EU will not be misused as a “cover”. Serbia’s EU accession process has recently stalled, with Vucic accusing “the West” of instigating a “color revolution” in Serbia.
“We are very dependent on Russia for energy. This is really a mistake of the previous government,” Toskovic said. “But for this reason, the current sanctions would destabilize the country. And that would not be good for us or for the EU.” It is still unclear how energy policy will evolve under a student list government.
Where Vucic would frequently target Kosovo, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, leading representatives of the new List have promised better relations with Serbia’s neighbors and a reduction in tensions. Regarding Kosovo, Ilija Srdanovic, the main candidate of the Student List, said his party was open to dialogue with the government in the Kosovar capital, Pristina. He has already spoken by telephone with the Croatian Prime Minister.
The electoral process is not yet complete. On Sunday, November 1, the vote will be repeated in around fifty polling stations because irregularities were noted the first time. Once these votes are counted, Parliament can be convened. The formation of a government is expected to be rapid, but for the moment the names of potential members have not been disclosed.
This article has been translated from German.
Gn world
