Serbian Student Leaders Demand Resignations, Pledge Anti-Corruption Reforms

POLICY WIRE — Belgrade, Serbia — The newly elected student-led movement in Serbia has issued a bold demand for the ousting of top officials from the police, intelligence, and judiciary, in the wake of their electoral victory over ex-President Aleksandar Vučić’s party.

Newly minted MPs gathered in Pioneers’ Park, opposite parliament, to call for the immediate removal of police officers implicated in law violations. The heads of the police, the BIA security agency, and the anti-terror unit were specifically targeted.

This dramatic shift in power comes as a rare instance of a European country entrusting a group of political novices with the task of resetting its political landscape. The new MPs, a diverse group including intellectuals, professors, artists, athletes, and medical professionals, have taken on the monumental task.

However, the transition of power will take weeks, and the student movement is concerned about the potential destruction of evidence of alleged malfeasance during this period.

The park, which just days ago was a tent camp of Vučić’s supporters, was swiftly cleaned by volunteers following his concession on Sunday night. Marija Milovanović, 25, expressed excitement and readiness as she helped clean the park: ‘This is just the first wave of spring cleaning; the new ones are coming now.’

The student movement’s rise to prominence began with protests following the collapse of a railway station canopy in November 2024, which killed 16 people in Novi Sad. The movement vowed to bring those responsible to justice and investigate widespread corruption claims.

Their ambitious ‘Student Plan’ includes halting the siphoning of public funds, returning stolen assets to the state budget, and investing in education and the economy. This agenda has already led to the resignation of RTS state broadcaster’s director, Manja Grčić, and the movement has set its sights on the head of Telekom Srbija, Vladimir Lučić.

Acting President Ana Brnabić, a Vučić loyalist, has criticized the movement, accusing them of seeking ‘revolutionary justice’ and aiming to silence media they dislike. However, economist and newly elected MP Dejan Šoškić argues for swift implementation of key reforms, including media freedom, anti-corruption measures, and the introduction of a lustration law to ban public officeholders who violated citizens’ rights.

Strahinja Subotić of the Belgrade-based European Policy Centre warns that the new administration will face significant challenges, given the long-standing influence of Vučić and his party. He suggests that the new government will need to ‘build bridges’ to segments that have operated effectively in the past.

The 141 successful candidates, chosen through a secretive and rigorous process, are tasked with implementing the movement’s detailed 1200-page plan. Despite being newcomers to politics, they have no clear leader and will need to navigate complex domestic and international challenges.

While the EU has welcomed the Student List’s victory and offered support for reforms, the students’ manifesto only briefly mentions EU integration, focusing instead on Serbia’s role as the bloc’s ‘most important economic partner.’ The new government’s initial focus will likely be on domestic issues, including a fight against corruption and media reform.

Presidential elections are scheduled for December, with Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party vowing to fight back. Vučić himself remains optimistic, stating, ‘We will beat them much faster than they can even imagine.’

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)