Tens of thousands of students and their supporters filled central Belgrade on the evening of October 22 in a final show of strength before the October 25 parliamentary election, as the ruling party staged its own rally across the city.

The atmosphere at Slavija Square was jubilant. Flags and banners supporting the student movement waved above the crowd, music played and people sang together, raising the torches on their mobile phones.

Long columns of students and supporters had set off from different parts of the Serbian capital, converging on the central roundabout. They cheered, whistled and waved as they made their way through the streets, drawing residents to their balconies to watch or join the procession.

By the evening, tens of thousands had gathered at Slavija for the final rally of the Student List, the movement’s electoral vehicle, under the slogan “Victory Is Calling”.

The euphoric scenes offered another illustration of the movement’s ability to mobilise people across Serbia after nearly two years of regular student-led protests, street blockades and demonstrations. Supporters have travelled to Belgrade on foot from towns and cities across the country in the days leading up to the rally.

The question is whether that enthusiasm can translate into votes on Sunday, when Serbs elect a new parliament.

A tale of two cities

Across the city, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) held its own final campaign rally at a sports hall in New Belgrade, where former president and candidate for prime minister Aleksandar Vucic addressed supporters.

Outside the venue, buses brought in party supporters as patriotic music played over loudspeakers and pleskavica (Serbian burgers) were prepared.

Vucic, who has dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade, delivered his five-point programme, promising improvements in living standards, wages, pensions, healthcare, energy and education.

He accused the student-backed list of lacking answers to the country’s problems. When some members of the audience began chanting insults directed at the students, calling them ‘Ustashe’ (Croatian fascists), Vucic intervened from the stage to quieten them before urging supporters to vote for his list, United Serbia, on Sunday.

The two gatherings presented contrasting images of the campaign’s final hours: an established political party relying on its organisation and a grassroots students movement seeking to turn a mass protest movement into an electoral force.

The rallies came as the campaign entered its final hours before the start of the pre-election silence at midnight.

From protests to the ballot box

The student movement emerged after a concrete canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, killing 16 people. The disaster prompted widespread anger over alleged corruption, government accountability and failures of public institutions.

The movement has since attracted support well beyond university campuses, with students taking their message to smaller towns and villages, including areas where the ruling party has traditionally enjoyed strong backing.

Its campaign has also made extensive use of social media to reach voters, organise events and build a sense of collective purpose.

According to data reported by BBC Serbian, the SNS spent about €105,000 on advertising on Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, between 16 September and 15 October. The Student List spent around €122,000, the highest amount among election participants.

But the movement faces a formidable opponent. The SNS has extensive local networks, greater access to traditional media and the support of many older voters and public-sector employees. The campaign has also been marked by allegations of pressure on public-sector workers and concerns about the fairness of media coverage.

The Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) found that government representatives accounted for 69% of political airtime on national television during extended prime-time broadcasts between 9 and 30 September, compared with 31% for the opposition. Of coverage devoted to the Student List, 88% was negative in tone, the organisation reported.

The student movement, meanwhile, has yet to establish the same kind of nationwide political organisation as the ruling party. Its electoral challenge will depend in part on whether the enthusiasm seen at rallies can bring undecided voters and those who rarely vote to the polls.

Despite the odds stacked against the opposition, opinion polls published during the campaign have suggested a close contest. A survey by NSPM published on October 20 even put the Student List ahead on 44.4% and United Serbia on 42.7%.

Whether the energy of the streets can withstand the advantages of an entrenched political machine will become clearer when polling stations close on Sunday.