New Serbian government takes office after student protests
The Student List won the October parliamentary election with record turnout, two years after a station collapse in Novi Sad killed 16 people.
By Idris Robinson ·
A new government took power in Serbia last week following a parliamentary election where voter turnout reached its highest level in more than 30 years. The Student List, a political grouping formed from the student movement that emerged after a railway station tragedy, defeated the party of former President Aleksandar Vucic. The shift in leadership follows two years of sustained public pressure and legal battles over the November 2024 collapse of a concrete canopy in Novi Sad.
The accident occurred on November 1, 2024, when a section of the renovated railway station fell, killing 14 people at the scene. Three others were hospitalized in critical condition and died later in 2024 and 2025, bringing the total death toll to 16. The disaster triggered immediate demands for accountability regarding construction quality, public spending, and corruption. Within four days, thousands of protesters gathered in Novi Sad, leading to clashes with police and the arrest of dozens of demonstrators.
Public pressure intensified in late 2024 and into 2025, forcing authorities to expand legal investigations. In November 2024, prosecutors arrested 11 individuals, including former Construction Minister Goran Vesic. A separate investigation into financial fraud and money laundering launched in January 2025 involved Vesic, former Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic, and 12 other figures from construction and supervision firms. Despite these moves, higher courts frequently overturned detention orders, placing key officials under house arrest instead of prison.
The political movement gained momentum after students and professors were attacked during a memorial service in Belgrade in late November 2024. This incident prompted university sit-ins and demands for full transparency. By December 2024, authorities released 195 documents related to the station reconstruction, though critics called the disclosure insufficient. The following year saw further unrest, including the arrest of 13 activists in March 2025 on charges of undermining the constitutional order, which drew hundreds of thousands of demonstrators to the streets of Belgrade.
In September 2026, the informal student movement officially became a political force ahead of snap parliamentary elections. On September 27, Aleksandar Vucic resigned as president to lead the Serbian Progressive Party's electoral list. On his final day in office, he pardoned all prosecuted students and activists, ending legal proceedings related to the unrest and allowing those in exile to return. This decision was widely viewed as an effort to reduce social tensions before the campaign began.
The Student List secured victory in the October 25 election, marking a distinct change in Serbia's political leadership. The new administration now faces the task of addressing the central issue that defined the campaign: accountability for the Novi Sad tragedy. The legal proceedings against the 13 individuals indicted for crimes against public security and abuse of office continue, with the new government expected to review the cases and the broader handling of public funds.
Source: Al Jazeera
