Vucic, who resigned as president on September 27, is running on the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) ballot. Barred from seeking a third presidential term, he hopes a parliamentary majority will allow him to return as prime minister, a role he held from 2014 until his presidency.
The snap election was triggered after almost two years of sustained antigovernment protests, which grew from demands for accountability over the November 1, 2024, train station canopy collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. A student-led movement that emerged from the tragedy has formed the "Student List," a broad electoral alliance including university professors, teachers and experts from across the political spectrum.
Speaking to thousands of supporters who arrived on dozens of buses from across Serbia, Vucic accused the movement of seeking to "bring Serbia to a halt" and claimed, without providing evidence, that it is backed by unspecified foreign agents. "Absent an intervention of some [foreign intelligence] service, we will defeat them. And they know that," he said.
The Student List represents an unprecedented challenge to Vucic's dominance, which has shaped Serbian politics since 2014. The movement has demanded accountability for the Novi Sad disaster and action against corruption.