Vucic Seeks Premiership as Serbia Tackles Voter Roll Gaps

Aleksandar Vucic has entered the race for prime minister, a role he occupied from 2014 to 2017, as parliamentary elections approach on October 25. Vucic, who has led Serbian politics for fourteen years, stepped down from the presidency in late September to avoid seeking a third term. He now faces a challenger in the form of a student-led opposition movement that gained momentum following the November 1, 2024, collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, an incident that killed sixteen people.

The campaign is defined by questions over the reliability of the voter register. An investigation by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service identified approximately 500,000 registered voters whose records lack complete street addresses. Many of these entries are missing house numbers or specific street names. The review also found hundreds of voters listed at public facilities such as social welfare centers, or at residential addresses that could not logically accommodate that many people.

These data gaps echo concerns from the 2023 election, where international observers documented irregularities including the transportation of voters from neighboring Bosnia-Hercegovina and instances of voter intimidation. The current vote occurs just days before the second anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy, which sparked nationwide protests fueled by allegations of corruption at a construction site led by Chinese businesses.

Polling indicates the electorate is deeply divided between Vucic’s ruling coalition and the student movement. Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, described the upcoming vote as the first in over a decade with a genuinely uncertain outcome. The opposition list is headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, though the movement has clarified that his position does not guarantee a premiership if they win. The list consists largely of nonpartisan figures, including university professors.

The government claims it has implemented all recommendations from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE, following its criticism of the 2023 vote. However, an interim report by the OSCE contradicted this assertion. The organization has deployed 300 observers to Serbia. RFE/RL investigations noted that the number of eligible voters in Bosnia and Kosovo increased ahead of the vote, regions considered key sources of support for Vucic’s Progressive Party among ethnic Serbs.

Allegations of illegal surveillance have further complicated the political climate. A statement from the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee on October 21 cited reports of illegal monitoring of opposition members. Research by the Serbian nonprofit SHARE and Toronto University researchers alleged that at least sixteen cases of the Pegasus surveillance software, which is illegal in Serbia, were used in 2026. Government officials have denied targeting their political rivals.

International observers have noted a decline in freedoms in Serbia over the past decade. Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally expressed support for Vucic ahead of the election. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson stated that Russia is deploying resources to monitor and disrupt Serbian citizens and the student movement. Vucic has pledged to maintain his foreign policy course, including his refusal to follow EU calls for sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The student movement has also opposed sanctions and reiterated support for Belgrade's stance of not recognizing Kosovo's independence.