After more than five months of protests, students in Serbia have demanded the immediate dissolution of the Parliament and the announcement of early parliamentary elections, challenging both the Government and the opposition.
The protesting students justified their demand through an announcement on Instagram that "the authorities are not showing even the slightest initiative" to meet their demands.
Responsibility for the deaths of 16 people from the collapse of a concrete shelter at the railway station in Novi Sad, as well as the prosecution of those who attacked students and other participants during the protests, are among the main demands that the students have presented to Serbian institutions, reports A2.
"We note that the roots of government corruption have penetrated deeply into state institutions, making it impossible for these institutions to independently exercise their duties," the students' statement, published on May 5, states.
If elections are held, the students have announced that they will not present a list of candidates, but will support those parties or lists that, according to them, can form a government that will meet their demands.
How is the opposition reacting to the students' demand?
Most opposition parties have expressed support for the protesting students and their demand for early parliamentary elections.
The Democratic Party (DS) has stated that it is ready to offer “any assistance for a university-student list,” but will not run in those elections itself. However, the DS emphasizes that “there are no conditions for free and fair elections in Serbia.”
The Green Left Front (ZLF) considers the demand for new elections reasonable, saying that “the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has lost all legitimacy to lead the country.” They emphasized that their main goal is to overthrow the current government.
Support for this request has also been provided by the Kreni-promeni (Move-Change) movement, the Ecological Uprising, and the Social Democratic Party (SDS).
"The only way out of this serious and extremely dangerous situation is to hold early parliamentary elections," wrote Boris Tadic, chairman of the SDS, on the social network X.
The leader of the New Democratic Party of Serbia (NDSS), Miloš Jovanović, has stated that it is "a great loss if the idea of a transitional government has been abandoned."
"NDSS still believes that this is the only possible solution, which can only be realized through the unity of all citizens with opposition convictions," Jovanović told Beta agency.
The People's Movement of Serbia, under the leadership of Miroslav Aleksic, has been in favor of early elections even before the students' demand.
As of the end of this article, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has not made a statement on possible early elections.
How is the government reacting?
The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has not responded to Radio Free Europe's question about the students' request.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Ana Brnabić, wrote on the X network that the "original demands of the students" are related to the prosecution and the judiciary, and not to the legislative or executive branches.
"Those institutions are not changed through parliamentary elections," Brnabic wrote.
She has also questioned the students' request to announce a competition for new members of the Council of the Regulatory Entity for Electronic Media (REM), which the relevant parliamentary committee has announced will be held on May 8.
"If you are now demanding an urgent and unconditional dissolution of the Parliament, why have you blocked RTS for 15 days?" Brnabic wrote on the X network.
Students have blocked the RTS buildings for two weeks, demanding the announcement of a new competition for the selection of REM Council members.
The Parliamentary Information Committee initiated this procedure on April 28, and as announced, the public notice will be published on May 8 in the Official Gazette.
The leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Ivica Dacic, a coalition partner of the SNS, has stated that he sees no reason for early elections.
"The government has a stable parliamentary majority. I am not for extraordinary events, but for regular elections - and I have never hidden this," Dacic told TV Pink.
The opposition "on trial"
Political analyst Boško Jaksić told Radio Free Europe that the students' demand is "a logical and expected epilogue to the events of recent months."
According to him, this request is "a big test" for the opposition.
"If opposition parties are not willing to put aside their identities and unite in a single front, those that do not do so, or express reservations, may be excluded from the political scene," Jaksic said.
The path to the election request
Following the collapse of the shelter at the Novi Sad railway station on November 1, protests erupted in many cities in Serbia.
The protests are led by students who have been blocking faculties for more than five months, demanding justice for the deaths of 16 people.
The students have received support from professors, education workers, farmers, lawyers, actors, and a section of citizens.
Meanwhile, Serbia has appointed a new prime minister. The Serbian parliament on April 16 voted for a new government, led by endocrinologist and professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, Gjuro Macut.
The new government was formed following the resignation of Miloš Vučević at the end of January, who stepped down from office following an incident where members of the SNS, the party he leads, beat a student in Novi Sad.
In mid-April, at the initiative of President Aleksandar Vučić, the “Movement for the People and the State” was formed in Belgrade. Vučić presented his demands to the institutions for “restoring order in the state” and “full respect for the Constitution.”
How much has the electoral process improved?
The last parliamentary elections were held in December 2023, after months of protests following two massacres in May, in which 19 people, mostly children and young people, lost their lives.
According to local and international observers, the elections were marred by a series of irregularities and the opposition described them as "dishonest" and "manipulated".
Following the allegations, the OSCE ODIHR Mission issued 25 recommendations for improving election conditions.
A working group was also formed with representatives of the government, the opposition, and civil society.
Nemanja Nenadić, program director of "Transparency Serbia", told REL that no meeting of this group was held in 2025.
"Not only have meetings not been held, but the structure no longer exists as originally planned," he said.
He added that this happened after representatives of the opposition and NGOs, including Transparency Serbia, decided to leave due to the lack of responses from the government.
Nenadić warns that there are now new risks to the equality of the electoral race and the use of public resources in campaigns.
"The ruling party has held important activities without presenting them as its own, but involving state structures," he said.
As an example, he cited the April rally organized by President Vučić to promote the "Movement for the People and the State."
"Even today it is not known who the official organizer of that rally was," he said.
Improving electoral conditions was also the topic of meetings with EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos in Belgrade, where she called for reforms and fulfillment of EU obligations.
In the latest report, the European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula, stressed the importance of full implementation of ODIHR recommendations before any new elections./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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