Serbia is voting on Sunday 25 October in an early parliamentary election widely seen as the toughest test of Aleksandar Vucic's political dominance in more than a decade. Around 6.4 million voters are eligible to choose members of the 250-seat National Assembly, in a contest framed as a referendum between Mr Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Students' List, a slate backed by the student movement that has protested for nearly two years. Polls opened at 07:00 local time, with stations due to close at 20:00, and the European Union is watching closely after previous elections drew complaints of irregularities.

From protest movement to ballot paper

The student movement grew from protests that followed the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people and became a symbol of alleged corruption in infrastructure projects. The Students' List, headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, is made up of academics, doctors, artists, farmers and other figures from outside established party leadership, and it has been endorsed by several parliamentary and extra-parliamentary parties. Its slogan, "Serbia or Mafia?", captures the movement's demand for transparent government and independent institutions.

What is at stake

Mr Vucic resigned as president on 27 September to head the SNS list, with the aim of returning as prime minister if his party wins. The election was called early after the government proposed dissolving parliament in September, bringing forward a vote that had not been due until December 2027. Early indications suggest a close race, and observers warn of possible post-election tension whatever the result. Results will depend on the Republic Electoral Commission's releases through the evening, and DailyByte will report the outcome once official figures are available rather than relying on exit polls alone.