University students across Serbia organized a nationwide signature campaign, manning nearly 500 booths to demand an early parliamentary election they hope will unseat President Aleksandar Vucic. The action follows more than a year of protests triggered by a Novi Sad train station canopy collapse that killed 16 and has been blamed on alleged corruption. Vucic has resisted immediate elections and accuses protesters of attempting a "color revolution," while critics accuse his government of suppressing democratic freedoms. Organizers say the drive is both a pressure tactic and a test of public support.
Serbian Students Stage Nationwide Signature Drive Calling For Early Vote To Challenge Vucic
Serbia's protesting university students collect signatures for their request for an early parliamentary election, in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
University students across Serbia mounted a countrywide signature drive on Sunday, setting up nearly 500 booths in dozens of cities, towns and villages to demand an early parliamentary election they say could unseat President Aleksandar Vucic. Organizers emphasized the action as a civic pressure tactic and a measure of public support rather than a formal petition.
Serbia's protesting university students collect signatures for their request for an early parliamentary election, in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
What Happened
Despite freezing temperatures, students staffed hundreds of stands to collect signatures and speak with residents about the call for new elections. The initiative is the latest phase of a nationwide movement that began in November 2024 after a concrete canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad train station, killing 16 people. The disaster has been widely blamed by critics on alleged corruption and lax safety oversight during renovation work; to date, authorities have not publicly held anyone accountable.
People stand in silence to commemorate the 16 victims, killed after a railway concrete canopy fell in Nov. 2024 while Serbia's protesting university students collect signatures throughout the country for their request for an early parliamentary election, in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Political Context
The student campaign comes amid more than a year of protests targeting what demonstrators call Vucic's populist and increasingly authoritarian rule. Vucic has declined to call an immediate early vote, saying any election could be scheduled next year; parliamentary and presidential elections are otherwise due in 2027. He denies accusations of democratic backsliding and corruption, and has accused protesters of attempting to stage a "color revolution" backed by unspecified Western interests.
Serbia's protesting university students collect signatures for their request for an early parliamentary election, in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
During the unrest, Serbia's prime minister resigned in January and the government enacted a crackdown on protesters that drew criticism from international observers. While street demonstrations have eased in intensity, analysts and activists say dissatisfaction with the government remains widespread.
Serbia's protesting university students collect signatures for their request for an early parliamentary election, in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Voices From The Ground
"We have stands that serve to connect with the citizens,"said Igor Dojnov, a student working at one of the central Belgrade booths.
Belgrade resident Milca Cankovic Kadijevic expressed support for the students: "I have a desire to live decently — me, my children and my grandchildren."
Why It Matters
The student-led mobilization represents the most sustained political challenge to Vucic during his long tenure and could shape domestic political dynamics and international perceptions of Serbia's democratic trajectory in the months ahead. Vucic has pledged to pursue European Union accession while maintaining close ties to Russia and China, a balancing act that figures prominently in both domestic debate and foreign policy calculations.
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