cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10220421

A student-led electoral list has taken the lead over Serbia’s long-ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) for the first time in a public opinion survey, underscoring how nearly two years of anti-government protests are reshaping the country’s political landscape.

The survey, conducted in June by Serbia’s CRTA election watchdog and Stanford University’s Democracy Action Lab (DAL) and published on July 15, found that among decided voters, 44.9% would support the Student List, compared with 35.7% for President Aleksandar Vučić’s SNS. The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), the SNS’s long-time coalition partner, stood at 3.8%, while no other party reached the electoral threshold.

…

The findings are the first published poll to place the Student List ahead of the ruling party, suggesting sustained support for the country’s student-led protest movement is beginning to translate into electoral backing.

…

The Student List has yet to announce its candidates, saying it intends to field respected public figures rather than career politicians and delaying the announcement to shield potential nominees from tabloid smear campaigns.

Beyond voting intentions, the survey painted a picture of deep public dissatisfaction with Serbia’s democratic institutions.

Six in ten respondents said democracy was the best political system, but an equal proportion said democracy was not functioning in Serbia. Trust in key state institutions remained low, with 34% expressing confidence in the government and 31% in parliament.

…

Student-led protests have dominated Serbian politics for the past 20 months after the collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad’s railway station in November 2024 that killed 16 people. Many Serbians blamed corruption and weak institutions for the disaster, triggering the country’s largest demonstrations in decades.

After the collapse, the Chinese company China Railway International Corporation (CRIC) [which got contracted by the Serbian government to build the Novi Sad railway station] reportedly refused the request from the Infrastructure of Serbian Railways to check the stability of the station building. Other reports say the Serbian police repeatedly ignored requests by Prosecution Office to examine Chinese contractors.

…

According to the poll, corruption remained one of citizens’ biggest concerns, with more than half describing it as an extremely serious problem. Thirty-eight percent blamed the political system as a whole, while 16% held the current government directly responsible.

…

Archived