Serbia’s new parliament session scheduled for November
The first session of Serbia’s new Parliament, dominated by a student-led movement following its election triumph last month, will be held on Nov. 17, reports BritPanorama.
Outgoing parliament speaker Ana Brnabic announced the inaugural meeting after the final results of the Oct. 25 vote were declared last week by Serbia’s election authorities.
The Students’ List secured 140 seats in the 250-member assembly, while the Serbian Progressive Party won 103. The remaining seats are allocated to parties representing ethnic minorities in Serbia.
The students, who led two years of street protests to unseat strongman Aleksandar Vucic, mobilised after a train station canopy collapse resulted in 16 deaths in northern Serbia in November 2024, which many attributed to corruption in state infrastructure projects.
The Students’ List campaign featured candidates primarily consisting of professors, teachers, and other professionals with limited political experience. Their agenda includes a commitment to restoring the rule of law and curbing the corruption that flourished under Vucic’s administration.
The new parliament will first select a speaker and other parliamentary bodies, with a government to be formed within 90 days. Additionally, Serbia must conduct an early presidential election by the end of the year, following Vucic’s resignation from the position on Sept. 27 after a failed bid to assume the role of prime minister.
Despite the election winners not yet assuming office, a shift in the political landscape has prompted several detentions related to suspected election fraud and corruption, as well as assaults on student protesters. Vucic has accused his opponents of “revolutionary terror,” yet his party, still in power, continues to face longstanding accusations of corruption and links to organized crime, which it rejects.
The Serbian Progressive Party had been dominant in national politics for nearly 14 years, controlling various state institutions and mechanisms of governance. The success of the student movement extends beyond Serbia, resonating with youth-led protests across Europe. As Serbia aspires to join the European Union, the accession process has stagnated under Vucic, who has fostered close ties with Russia and China.
The coming weeks will be pivotal as Serbia navigates this transition, highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing the new political landscape.
