Serbian students challenge Vucic in most exciting parliamentary elections in years
Are students in Serbia putting an end to twelve years of rule by the autocratic leader Aleksandar Vucic? That is the question at the heart of today's parliamentary elections in the Balkan country. These are the most exciting elections since Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) came to power, because the Student List has a serious chance.
According to polls, the two camps are neck and neck. Vucic resigned as president in September and now wants to become prime minister, thereby bringing power with him. But never before has he wavered like he does now.
The Student List emerged from two years of massive protests against Vucic. They began when part of the station in the city of Novi Sad collapsed. Sixteen people died. And that while the station had just been festively reopened after a renovation. Poorly executed by companies with close ties to the SNS, was the immediate criticism.
Smear campaign
"Corruption kills!" the students shout, and they start occupying their universities. Initially to demand prosecution of those responsible, but soon they call for an end to corruption and the blockades turn into mass protests. Then they want elections to end the rule of the man who calls all the shots in their country.
They have those now, and they are participating with their own list. That it will be exciting today is already a major achievement. Vucic has dealt with demonstrations before. They are almost always more or less directed against his increasingly suffocating power.
Think, for example, of his grip on prosecutors and judges, media, state institutions, and the economy. But he always weathers those protests or manages to discredit his opponents through a smear campaign before they can politically capitalize on their protest.
Until now. It is clear that the Student List will achieve a formidable result. Especially a high turnout can help the students to victory. Part of their success is that their mass demonstrations are always peaceful and they do not respond to provocations, even when the police intervene forcefully several times.
Government under scrutiny
In addition, they have no open leaders but decide by majorities in public meetings. All this makes it difficult for Vucic to get a grip on them with his propaganda machine. He tries by portraying the students in the media as foreign-paid agitators who want to overthrow the Serbian state.
But the students are not deterred: their persistence, enthusiasm, and positivity are contagious and more and more other Serbians join them along the way. They do not have access to major media, so the students rely on social media and take to the country en masse.
The big question is: what will they do if they actually come to power? That is then up to the scientists and other experts on the list – the students themselves are not on it. The main program point is that all government institutions and contracts will be scrutinized.
Those found corrupt will be prosecuted. Those who have enriched themselves with public money will be stripped. There are ideas about, for example, better education, but these come only second. Also, the question of whether Serbia should quickly join the EU or rather maintain better ties with Russia is postponed by the students.
There is no predetermined prime minister; the number one on the list is a fairly unknown cardiologist. Due to the complete lack of political experience, chaos threatens, and that is immediately the biggest Achilles' heel of the Student List.
Fear of fraud
Meanwhile, Vucic can count on many votes from civil servants. Also in recent weeks, stories have surfaced again of government employees being pressured to prove they vote for the SNS, and with them a part of their friends and family.
If not, they lose their jobs. In addition, the relentless propaganda in the media does its work. But there are also Serbians who are not so affected by Vucic's suffocating grip. Especially in the villages, where they are happy with economic growth, road construction, and the stability Vucic brings to a country with a turbulent recent history.
He goes into the battle with full confidence and says he will accept a possible defeat. But the students doubt that: they fear that if necessary he will try to stay in power through fraud. To prevent that, they call on their supporters to cast their votes already at 7 a.m. Long lines at that time should show that even Vucic can no longer ignore the students.