President Vučić Calls Early Elections in Serbia for October 25 — Balkan Insight
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has called early parliamentary elections for October 25, 2026, and signed a decree dissolving parliament. As Balkan Insight reports, the head of state said the country needs voting results that clearly define citizens’ will and Serbia’s future direction of development.
Reasons for holding the elections
Vučić linked the need for early elections to social turbulence which, he said, has continued for more than a year and a half. Since November 2024, Serbia has been gripped by student protests that began after a canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad. The tragedy killed 16 people and sparked outrage across the country over claims of possible corruption and negligence by officials.
The president also claimed that tensions in society are linked not only to conflicts between political forces in Serbia, but also to significant interference by foreign states. Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party have repeatedly alleged the involvement of foreign countries, including European ones, in supporting or inciting the student protests.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Vučić’s candidacy and opponents
Vučić cited preparations for the international EXPO 2027 exhibition, which is scheduled to begin in Belgrade in May 2027, as one of the reasons for holding the vote. On Monday, Prime Minister Đuro Macut proposed dissolving parliament; the government approved the proposal and submitted it to the president as part of the official procedure.
According to the publication, the upcoming campaign may become the most difficult for the Serbian Progressive Party since it came to power in 2012. The party’s main opponent will be the “Student List,” formed by protest participants. The names of its candidates, selected by student groups, have not yet been disclosed.
The governing body of the Serbian Progressive Party nominated Vučić as its candidate for prime minister and as the lead candidate on the “Aleksandar Vučić — United Serbia” electoral list. In the December 2023 parliamentary elections, the party won 46.75% of the vote, the “Serbia Against Violence” coalition received 23.66%, and the Socialist Party of Serbia received 6.55%.
