Serbian students rally in Belgrade ahead of snap parliamentary vote
On October 22, tens of thousands of students and supporters gathered at Slavija Square in Belgrade for a final rally before the October 25 snap election, while the ruling Serbian Progressive Party held its own campaign event in New Belgrade.
Ahead of Serbia's snap parliamentary election on October 25, a massive student-led demonstration took place at Belgrade's Slavija Square on the evening of October 22, drawing tens of thousands of participants who marched from various parts of the city and waved banners under the slogan “Victory Is Calling.” The rally featured music, collective singing and mobile-phone torches, underscoring the movement's ability to mobilise beyond university campuses after two years of protests triggered by a 2024 Novi Sad railway collapse that killed 16 people.
At the same time, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) convened a final campaign gathering in a New Belgrade sports hall, where former president Aleksandar Vucic outlined a five-point plan and appealed for support for United Serbia, even intervening to calm chants insulting the students. The Student List has outspent other participants on social-media advertising, but faces a party with deep local networks, dominant TV airtime and a largely older electorate. Recent NSPM polling placed the Student List slightly ahead of United Serbia, suggesting a competitive contest that will be decided on election day.
Why it matters
The rally shows how a protest movement is trying to convert street momentum into parliamentary power in a pivotal Serbian election.
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