Serbian populist leader Vucic launches campaign for prime minister

By Al Jazeera Staff and AP. Published On 4 Oct 20264 Oct 2026.

Key points

• Vucic, on the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) ballot, has dominated Serbian politics as president or prime minister since 2014.
• Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has introduced his campaign for prime minister ahead of a pivotal election on October 25.
• As Vucic pledged a "comprehensive" victory in the upcoming parliamentary vote, thousands of supporters of the populist politician packed the largest indoor arena in Belgrade on Saturday.
• On Saturday, Vucic informed his supporters: Absent an intervention of some service, we will defeat them.
• The Student List includes university professors, teachers, experts and others from throughout the political spectrum.

Notably, the snap election, which polls suggest could be tight between Vucic's party and a group of candidates fielded by a student-led protest movement, was called before Vucic resigned as president on September 27, cutting short his second term by more than seven months.

As supporters arrived at the rally in the capital carrying Serbian flags and banners bearing Vucic's picture, dozens of buses from throughout Serbia clogged streets around Belgrade Arena on Saturday.

For context, the event, televised by dozens of channels throughout Serbia, capped a week of Vucic touring towns and villages in an apparent bid to shore up his popularity. It has been shaken after almost two years of sustained antigovernment protests.

Vucic, on the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) ballot, has dominated Serbian politics as president or prime minister since 2014. Barred from seeking a third presidential term, he is now seeking to extend his hold on power through the parliamentary vote.

If the SNS wins a majority of seats, the parliament is projected to elect Vucic as prime minister.

Notably, the youth-backed movement that led the protests has demanded accountability for the November 1, 2024, train station canopy collapse that killed 16 individuals in the northern city of Novi Sad.

Notably, the movement's quest for justice over the tragedy and against corruption has grown into a nationwide political force whose electoral arm, the Student List, will attempt to oust Vucic's administration.

In practice, the Student List includes university professors, teachers, experts and others from throughout the political spectrum. Vucic accused those behind the movement of seeking to "bring Serbia to a halt" and asserted, without providing evidence, that it is backed by unspecified foreign agents.

On Saturday, Vucic informed his supporters: "Absent an intervention of some service, we will defeat them. And they know that."

For now, serbian populist leader Vucic launches campaign for prime minister remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.