Serbia's student protest movement mounts its biggest challenge yet to Vučić's rule ahead of Sunday's parliamentary vote

Summary

Serbians vote on Sunday in parliamentary elections that could unseat the ruling party, after nearly two years of student-led protests against alleged corruption. The BBC says the movement is challenging the 12 years of rule by Aleksandar Vučić, and POLITICO says the students, who spent two years protesting in the streets, now want to lead the government, which it calls a serious challenge to his power. The Financial Times describes the movement as seeking to end the 14-year rule of Vučić, an ally of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. RFI reports that the movement is mounting its biggest challenge yet to Vučić as voters prepare to elect a new parliament. The outlets differ on how long Vučić has been in power, with the BBC citing 12 years and the Financial Times citing 14.

Timeline

1. BBC

   22 Oct 2026, 14:33 UTCSource ↗

   The BBC reports that after two years of student protests, Serbians vote on Sunday in elections that could bring down the ruling party, and explains why the movement is challenging Vučić's 12 years in power.

2. POLITICO

   23 Oct 2026, 02:00 UTCSource ↗

   POLITICO reports that Gen Z students who spent two years protesting in the streets now want to lead the government, which it describes as a serious challenge to Vučić's power.

3. Financial Times

   23 Oct 2026, 04:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Financial Times reports that the protest movement seeks to end the 14-year rule of Aleksandar Vučić in Sunday's vote, describing him as an ally of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

4. RFI

   23 Oct 2026, 11:30 UTCSource ↗

   RFI reports that Serbia's student-led movement is mounting its biggest challenge yet to Aleksandar Vučić as voters prepare to elect a new parliament on Sunday after nearly two years of demonstrations against alleged corruption.