Serbia holds critical legislative elections amid intense political polarization

Serbia held parliamentary elections on October 25, 2026, with over 6.45 million eligible voters casting ballots to elect 250 members of the new parliament. The election is widely viewed as a referendum on the 14-year rule of Aleksandar Vucic, who leads the United Serbia coalition. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) faces its strongest challenge to date from the Student List, a movement that gained prominence following protests over corruption and a November 2024 tragedy at the Novi Sad railway station where 16 people died.

The campaign concluded in an atmosphere of deep political tension. While polls showed a neck-and-neck race between the SNS and the student-led movement, Vucic has dismissed the opposition as foreign-backed entities aiming to destabilize the country. International observers from the OSCE and the Council of Europe are monitoring the process to ensure democratic standards are upheld. Voting also took place in the diaspora, though the Pristina government prohibited voting within Kosovo territory, forcing local Serbs to travel to southern Serbia to participate.

Polls closed at 20:00, with initial results expected by 22:00. The outcome will determine the future of Serbian governance as the country faces pressure to maintain stability amid deep-seated public discontent.