I’ve been wanting to write about the recent election in Serbia but am not sure what I want to say. And who am I to say anything given I am not a citizen of that country. True, I have been there 8 times in the past 11 years, including spending a month there this fall. And I’ve been following social media posts (from varied perspectives) for the past 10 years. And we’ve spoken face to face with numerous locals when we have been there. (During this most recent trip we only encountered one person, older, who was pro Vučić). We’ve been studying the language for several years but still rely on others (or google) to translate for us anything beyond basic conversation. And, over the years we have read numerous books and articles about Serbian and Balkan history, politics and culture. So we surely know more than most Americans know about the region, history and culture. But we are in no position to claim we fully understand what Serbs have lived through, what is best for the country, or if the results of the recent election offer a realistic possibility of meaningful positive changes for Serb citizens.
But I can share some impressions based on our travels, conversations and study. I acknowledge that my picture and understanding are incomplete and subjective.
Even though voter turnout was at record levels, and the student list won handily, obviously not everyone favored the Student List. Many Serbs say that a large number of Vučić supporters were older people whose sole source of news came from the State run and tightly controlled news outlets. And that many supporters were literally bought. And that government workers and workers in large companies were forced to vote for Vučić (threatened that they would lose their jobs if they didn’t vote for him). All of these things appear to be true. But I’m sure some Vučić supporters genuinely think he has served the country well. (Statistics don’t support this in any category, however). There are also people who say there were foreign influences that gave the Student movement its success. That there were foreign influences is possible, but according to anything we have heard or read the extent was probably minimal, or minimal in comparison to the influence in favor of Vučić. The Student movement truly was and is a grassroots movement, made up of not only students but also teachers, farmers, doctors, lawyers and a diverse assortment of citizens.
This movement was born after the newly constructed canopy at the train station in Novi Sad collapsed in the fall of 2024 and killed 16 people. Nobody in the Serbian government was held accountable , nor was anyone in the Chinese company contracted to do the (faulty) work. The protests began with people gathering and standing together in silence for 16 minutes (one for each person who had been killed). This ritual spread to cities and villages all over Serbia. Every day at noon people would stand in the street in silence. (We encountered this in the small town of Banja Koviljaca on our trip in 2025). On certain occasions huge silent protests with tens of thousands took place in Belgrade. People from around the country walked or biked or drove tractors to Belgrade to join the protests. Citizens along the route would hand out food and drinks for the passing protestors.
This movement was not just a weekend movement. The students kept a permanent presence (camping and gathering) in Belgrade for nearly two years. Many (most?) schools and Universities around the country closed. High school and University students lost a year of their education. On our 2025 trip we did talk with some people who were frustrated that their kids could not complete their training as MD’s, but most people we spoke with were happy to delay their education.
This movement was/is unique in that there has never been any one leader. They have strived to include all voices in decision making. They have also insisted upon avoiding violence. They used the powerful tool of silence in their protests. Their focus has been on eradicating corruption, increasing transparency, and holding people accountable rather than focusing on foreign policy or other policy issues. There is no agreement about whether to impose sanctions on Russia, or to work toward joining the EU, for example. These and many other issues will need to be worked out over time. At the moment the focus is on placing members into government roles and positions. And most recently they are asking many high ranking people in government to resign.
Thus far I have only heard one story of this type but yesterday one of our Serbian teachers said she was finally able to enroll her young daughter in a particular preschool which she had been denied until now because she was not a member of Vičić’s party. She is thrilled. I suspect there are many more such things happening around the country. She has hope for the future, as does everyone else I’ve talked with there. They know it won’t be easy, but they believe things will improve for Serbs in Serbia.
I have hope, too, but also great skepticism. Regardless of the country, and despite good intentions and skillfulness, I believe governing any country well is difficult, maybe impossible. Issues are always complex. Choosing one policy or approach means denying other people who disagree their preferred option. Leaders cannot please everyone. But maybe, I hope, that if people feel their needs and ideas are being heard, perhaps that will go a long ways to them accepting decisions they might not like, knowing that in the future maybe they will be the ones getting to make decisions.
Serbia has many environmental, economic, health care, infrastructure, foreign policy and political needs and problems to address and tackle. I admit that after our most recent trip I was thinking I might not want to go back because the stress of traveling is high for me. And I found it depressing to see the environmental degradation happening rapidly around the country. But now, given these election results, I’m feeling renewed inspiration to possibly go again.
In any case I am cheering for Serbia and its people and land. I feel more hope for them than for my own country at the moment.
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