Thousands of Belgrade residents took to the streets to welcome students arriving in the Serbian capital for their final rally before Sunday’s early parliamentary election on October 25. The vote is shaping up as a close confrontation between former president Aleksandar Vučić and a youth movement that has organized protests against his rule for nearly two years.

Residents lit flares and laid out a red carpet in the center of the capital. The students reached Belgrade after walking there over the past several days from different parts of the country. The welcoming ceremony took place on Wednesday evening, while thousands are expected at the students’ rally on the central Slavija Square tonight. The movement held its largest demonstrations there during protests that challenged Vučić’s grip on power more strongly than at any point in the past 12 years, when he served as both prime minister and president.

At the same time, Vučić held a rally in the southern city of Niš, drawing thousands of supporters. He expressed confidence that his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party would win the election. The former president is seeking to return to power as prime minister after resigning from the presidency in September so that he could lead the election campaign.

“There will be no more politics in schools and universities,” Vučić told the rally in Niš. He repeated his accusations that students and their teachers were acting on instructions from abroad in an effort to “destroy” the country.

The result is expected to be uncertain, as opinion polls show similar levels of support for Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party and the “Student List.” That raises fears of incidents if both sides claim victory after polling ends.

Serbian authorities detained six people on suspicion of planning unrest on election day. Police have carried out similar arrests before major protests. Government critics say the detentions are intended to intimidate people planning to take part in demonstrations.

The student protests began after the tragedy at the railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, when 16 people died. Young people demanded accountability for the deaths, which they say were linked to corruption and the resulting negligence during renovation work.

International election observers and the European Union have voiced concern about the security and fairness of the vote following widespread irregularities in previous elections. A report issued by Serbia’s Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability cited “restrictions on freedoms and deepening inequality” between election participants and voters.

The organization said opposition activists had been monitored and questioned and that their communications had been intercepted. It also reported a significant imbalance in the coverage of the campaign by major media outlets in Vučić’s favor, along with more than 100 cases of violence during the campaign.

The students’ marches to Belgrade also aimed to reach Serbia’s rural areas, which have traditionally been strongholds of Vučić.

Source: dir.bg