Serbia's newly elected parliament will hold its first session on November 17, outgoing speaker Ana Brnabic announced Sunday, as the student-led movement prepares to take parliamentary seats amid detentions relating to suspected election fraud, attacks on student protesters and corruption.
The Students' List secured 140 seats in the 250-member assembly in the October 25 election, ending 14 years of dominance by Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which won 103 seats. The remaining seats went to ethnic minority parties. The session will elect a new speaker and parliamentary bodies, with a new government to be formed within 90 days. Serbia also faces an early presidential election after Vucic resigned in September.
Although the new majority has yet to assume power, police and prosecutors have moved swiftly. An Air Serbia flight to Moscow on November 3 was turned back with three senior figures from the former Vucic regime on board: Aleksandar Vulin, Dusan Bajatovic and Nenad Popovic. Vulin, under US sanctions since 2023, said he was travelling to discuss extending a gas agreement with Russia. The plane was ordered back over an alleged security breach, according to unofficial media reports.
Arrests have included Davor Macura, owner of Alta Bank, suspected of removing the equivalent of about €383 million from the bank's vault. Four people were arrested on suspicion of vote-buying in Novi Sad, and six others in Mali Zvornik on suspicion of helping citizens from Bosnia and Herzegovina register their residence in Serbia so they could vote. Senior police officials, the head of the Republic Hydrometeorological Institute and several public company managers have also been arrested over suspected abuses of office and rigged procurement.
Prosecutor General Zagorka Dolovac issued a binding instruction on October 29 to prevent destruction of official and other records, after reports and video footage suggested records may have been removed or destroyed in state institutions and public companies. The Students' List also called on employees in state institutions and the media to report any destruction of documents, to prevent what it called abuse by the outgoing authorities during the transition of power.
The speed of action has drawn concern from legal figures. Public prosecutor Bojana Savovic told DW the burst of activity showed what prosecutors “could have done but were unwilling to do until just ten days ago” and said she hoped the speed would not come at the expense of indictment quality or that the actions were personal vendettas within the old regime. Tanja Arsic, an incoming MP from the Students' List, said “it was obvious that there were people obstructing the entire system.” But she cautioned it would be disastrous if cases against people at the top of government were rushed and ended in acquittals because the prosecution failed to prove the charges.
Former President Vucic, who resigned in September in a failed attempt to become the next prime minister, said he is not afraid of arrest and that no evidence of financial wrongdoing will be found against him. “I don't sign or do anything when it comes to money, and nothing can be found in that regard,” he said. His SNS party remains in charge of state institutions. Vucic has accused his opponents of “revolutionary terror.”
The student victory followed two years of street protests ignited by a train station canopy collapse in November 2024 that killed 16 people, which many Serbians blamed on corruption in state infrastructure projects. The movement has promised to restore the rule of law and end corruption that it said flourished under Vucic.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The transition marks a historic break from 14 years of SNS dominance and could reshape Serbia's institutions and EU accession path
- The speed of post-election investigations tests whether Serbia's judiciary can deliver justice after years of stalled cases
- The student movement's success resonates across Europe amid youth-led protests for accountability and rule of law
Background
Serbia was ruled almost unchallenged for 14 years by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) under Aleksandar Vucic, who maintained close ties with Russia and China. The country's EU accession process stalled amid accusations of corruption, cronyism and organized crime links, which the SNS denied. In November 2024, a train station canopy collapse in Novi Sad killed 16 people, sparking massive student-led protests that ultimately forced Vucic to resign in September. The Students' List, composed mostly of professors, teachers and experts with little political experience, won a landslide victory in the October 25 parliamentary election.
Key Perspectives
Bojana Savovic, public prosecutor: The sudden actions by prosecutors show what they could have done but were unwilling to do ten days ago; she hopes the speed does not come at the expense of indictment quality or lead to personal vendettas.
Tanja Arsic, incoming MP (Students' List): Says the system was being obstructed by people putting cases in drawers, and warns that rushing cases without sufficient evidence could be disastrous if top figures are charged with less serious offences.
Aleksandar Vucic, former president: Says he is not afraid of arrest and that no evidence of financial wrongdoing will be found against him, claiming "revolutionary terror" by opponents.
What to Watch
- The November 17 parliamentary session and election of a new speaker, which will signal the new majority's priorities
- Whether prosecutors bring charges against the highest-ranking former officials, and whether evidence holds up in court
- The early presidential election due by year's end, which could test the student movement's broader political strength
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedPost-election arrests are accelerating.The Independent UK: “the change in the balance of power has led to a series of detentions relating to cases of suspected election fraud, attacks on student protesters and corruption.”
- SupportedThe Students' List won 140 seats in the October 25 vote.The Independent UK: “The Students’ List won 140 seats in the 250-member assembly while the Serbian Progressive Party won 103, according to those results.”
- SupportedProsecutors launched investigations into corruption and vote-buying.DW English: “Prosecutors have also launched a series of investigations into suspected electoral manipulation, corruption and abuse of public office. Four people were arrested on suspicion of vote-buying in Novi Sad.”
- SupportedThe new parliament's first session will be held on November 17, as outgoing speaker Ana Brnabic announced Sunday.The Independent UK: “The first session of Serbia's new Parliament, which will be dominated by a student-led movement following its election triumph last month, will be held on Nov. 17, the outgoing parliament speaker said on Sunday. Ana Brnabic scheduled the inaugural parliamentary meeting”
- SupportedDetentions relate to suspected election fraud, attacks on student protesters and corruption.The Independent UK: “the change in the balance of power has led to a series of detentions relating to cases of suspected election fraud, attacks on student protesters and corruption.”
- SupportedThe plane carrying three former-regime figures was ordered back over an alleged security breach, according to unofficial media reports.DW English: “According to unofficial reports published by several media outlets, the plane was ordered back because of a security breach: Vulin had allegedly boarded without undergoing the mandatory security screening.”
- SupportedDavor Macura was suspected of removing about €383 million from Alta Bank's vault.DW English: “Davor Macura, the owner of Alta Bank, who is suspected of illegally accessing the bank's vault and removing the equivalent of about €383 million ($430 million).”
- Partly supportedSix people were arrested in Mali Zvornik on suspicion of helping Bosnian citizens register residence in Serbia to vote.DW English: “Six others were detained in Mali Zvornik on suspicion of helping citizens from Bosnia and Herzegovina register their residence in Serbia so they could vote.”
- SupportedBojana Savovic said prosecutors had been unwilling to act until just ten days earlier.DW English: ““With these actions, they are showing what they could have done but were unwilling to do until just ten days ago,” she told DW.”
- SupportedTanja Arsic said it was obvious that people were obstructing the entire system.DW English: ““When you want the rule of law and when you want something to be done, it is possible. Our regulations allow for it. But it was obvious that there were people obstructing the entire system, putting cases in drawers and leaving them unresolved,” Tanja Arsic, an incoming MP from the Students' List, told DW.”
- SupportedVucic said, “I don't sign or do anything when it comes to money, and nothing can be found in that regard.”DW English: ““I don't sign or do anything when it comes to money, and nothing can be found in that regard,” he said.”