Students in Serbia rally support for early elections, hoping to unseat Vucic
In Serbia, protesting students on Sunday organised a large-scale signature drive in support of early parliamentary elections, which they say should replace the current government of President Aleksandar Vucic. This is reported by The Public with reference to APnews.
Despite the frosty weather, young activists have set up nearly 500 tents and tables in dozens of cities, towns and villages across the country. The collection of signatures does not have the formal status of a petition and is intended as a demonstration of public support and additional pressure on the government
Students remain the key force behind the protest movement against Vucic's populist rule. The mass actions have been going on for more than a year and began in November 2024 after the tragedy at the railway station in Novi Sad, where 16 people died as a result of the collapse of a concrete shed. The disaster has been linked to corruption and violations of construction and safety standards during the reconstruction, but those responsible have not yet been punished
Serbian President refuses to call immediate early elections, although he admits the possibility of voting in 2026. The next parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for 2027
Although mass street protests are now less numerous, public discontent persists. Vucic, who has been in power for more than 13 years, has declared his desire to join the EU, but also maintains close ties with Russia and China and rejects accusations of curbing democratic freedoms. He calls the protests an attempt at a "colour revolution" allegedly inspired by the West
