Record turnout reported in Serbian parliamentary elections amid student protests

Serbians participated in parliamentary elections on October 25, 2026, marking the highest voter turnout since 1992. By 7 p.m., turnout had reached 67.6% as voters lined up across the country in an effort to challenge the long-standing rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. The snap elections were called by Vucic in September following nearly two years of widespread student-led demonstrations demanding systemic change.

The protest movement gained significant momentum after the tragic 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which resulted in 16 deaths. Demonstrators have utilized these protests to express deep-seated frustration regarding government corruption and authoritarian tendencies. While long queues were reported at polling stations, the outcome of these elections remains critical, with many analysts viewing this as the most substantial threat to Vucic’s leadership in over a decade. Early results were expected to emerge shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. A victory for the opposition, driven by the student movement, would represent a significant shift in the political landscape of the Balkan nation, potentially signaling a new model for political change across Europe.