Serbia holds critical parliamentary elections amidst high turnout and fraud allegations

On October 25, 2026, Serbia conducted high-stakes parliamentary elections featuring 6.45 million eligible voters choosing 250 representatives. The contest centered on the 14-year dominance of Aleksandar Vucic, who led the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) coalition, against the "Student List," a grassroots movement that gained momentum following a tragic roof collapse at the Novi Sad railway station in late 2024, which claimed 16 lives. With voting occurring at 8,392 polling stations, the atmosphere was marked by extreme political polarization.

Election day saw record participation, with turnout reaching nearly 65% by 18:00, significantly higher than in 2023. However, the process was marred by widespread allegations of irregularities. The NGO CRTA reported that 16% of polling stations observed misconduct, including vote buying, double voter registries, and violent attacks on voters, notably in Pancevo. The OSCE and EU representatives expressed concerns regarding these breaches of democratic standards, noting the government's failure to implement prior electoral recommendations.

Polling stations officially closed at 20:00, though voters already in queues were permitted to finish casting ballots. The results are expected to determine the future direction of the country, with analysts suggesting that high voter turnout could favor the anti-government student coalition.