Serbia Election: Vucic Faces Opposition As Voter Data Gaps Surface
Two days before the October 25 vote, investigators found 500,000 voter records missing street details, while international observers monitor the contest.
By Malik Salazar ·
Aleksandar Vucic will run for prime minister in Serbia’s parliamentary election on October 25. The former president, who has led Serbian politics for fourteen years, resigned his top role in late September to avoid a third term. He now seeks the premiership, a post he previously held from 2014 to 2017.
The race pits Vucic’s ruling party against an opposition movement born from student protests. Polls indicate the electorate is split between these two groups. Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, called this the first vote in over a decade with a genuinely uncertain outcome.
Scrutiny of the electoral process has intensified due to data gaps. An investigation by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service identified approximately 500,000 registered voters without complete addresses. Many of these records lack specific street names or house numbers.
The investigation also found hundreds of voters listed at public facilities like social welfare centers. Others were assigned to residential addresses that could not logically hold so many people. These findings echo suspicions from the 2023 election, where international observers reported irregularities including voter transport from Bosnia-Hercegovina and intimidation.
The election occurs just days before the second anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy. On November 1, 2024, a canopy at the city’s railway station collapsed, killing sixteen people. The disaster triggered nationwide protests alleging corruption in a flagship project led by Chinese businesses. The government denied wrongdoing but responded with police force and arrests. On March 15, 2025, authorities allegedly used a sonic weapon against peaceful demonstrators.
The student opposition lacks formal leaders. Their candidate list includes nonpartisan figures such as university professors. Cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic heads the list, though the movement clarified his position does not guarantee a premiership if they win.
The Serbian government claims it implemented all recommendations from the OSCE’s observation mission following criticism of the 2023 vote. An interim report by the OSCE contradicted this assertion. The organization deployed 300 observers to Serbia for the current election. RFE/RL also noted an increase in eligible voters in Bosnia and Kosovo, regions that support Vucic’s Progressive Party among ethnic Serbs. Four employees of Serbia-funded institutions in Kosovo told RFE/RL they faced pressure to vote for the ruling party.
Allegations of illegal surveillance have complicated the political climate. A statement from the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee on October 21 cited reports of illegal monitoring of opposition members. Research by the Serbian nonprofit SHARE and Toronto University researchers alleged that at least sixteen cases of the illegal Pegasus surveillance software were used in 2026. Government officials denied targeting political rivals.
International observers have noted a decline in freedoms in Serbia over the past decade. The European Parliament has raised concerns about Russian influence operations. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson stated that Russia is deploying resources to monitor Serbian citizens and the student movement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally expressed support for Vucic.
Vucic pledged to maintain his foreign policy course, including refusing EU calls for sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. The student movement focused on fighting corruption while opposing sanctions. It reiterated support for Belgrade’s stance of not recognizing Kosovo’s independence. Serbia’s EU integration progress has stalled, with no new accession chapter opened since late 2021.
