Serbia student protests: Vucic has reason to fear elections

Serbia entered 2026 in full pre-election mode — even though a date for a parliamentary election has not yet been set.

After more than a year of protests, student blockades and political tension, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has accepted the challenge posed by students and citizens who have been demanding a snap election.

Nevertheless, just when the president will call that election remains to be seen.

Over the course of the past few months, Vucic has gradually narrowed down possible dates for a poll, moving from a vague promise that the election would take place "before the legal deadline," through information that it would be in "late 2026 or early 2027" to the latest announcement that suggests a vote could be held in October, November or December.

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By the end of 2025, the mass protests that had been taking place across Serbia since November 2024 had largely subsided: Faculty blockades were lifted, and students returned to class.

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In related news, the upcoming visit of the mission of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) to Belgrade has triggered a harsh reaction from Serbian high officials, including President Aleksandar Vučić and Speaker of the Parliament Ana Brnabić. They claim that the MPs were coming to the country “uninvited”, stressing that they had no intention of meeting the delegation from Brussels ...

The members of the European Parliament are scheduled to visit Serbia from 22 to 24 January, in order to assess the situation on the ground, speak with relevant actors, and, based on that, define the next steps of the EP towards the country.

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Aleksandar Vučić said that he did not want to see or talk to the MEPs from Brussels “who are coming to Serbia uninvited”.

“I have no intention of wasting my time… The EP delegation decided on the timing of their visit on their own… I will be at the World Economic Forum in Davos during their visit”, Vučić stated during his visit to Abu Dhabi.

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He clarified that the delegation, which comprises MEPs from various political groups, aims at “gaining a complete picture of the situation in Serbia, through direct conversations with those who reflect the sentiment of the Serbian people”.

The Serbian opposition parties strongly criticised the officials for their unwillingness to meet with the EP delegation. Stefan Janjić, a MEP of the “Serbia Centre” party, denied the claims by Ana Brnabić that she was not informed about their arrival in Serbia.

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