Serbia’s student-led protest movement has formally entered national politics by submitting its candidate list for the country’s early parliamentary election, scheduled for 25 October.

Thousands of supporters marched through central Belgrade on Monday, accompanying representatives of the movement to the Republic Electoral Commission. Participants carried Serbian flags and boxes containing the signatures collected to register the “Student List – Students Win” electoral ticket.

The move marks a significant transformation for a movement that began with demonstrations demanding accountability and stronger public institutions. Its candidates include university professors, teachers, experts, artists and former athletes rather than prominent members of Serbia’s established political parties.

Doctor Ilija Srđanović heads the list, which also includes former basketball star Dejan Bodiroga, former central bank governor Dejan Šoškić, musician Feđa Dimović, former decathlete Mihail Dudaš and philosophy professor Aleksandar Baucal.

The student movement emerged following the collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad railway station on 1 November 2024. Sixteen people were killed in the disaster, which protesters came to regard as a symbol of alleged corruption, poor oversight and a lack of transparency surrounding public construction projects.

The demonstrations have since grown into the most serious challenge to President Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party since he first came to power. At their height, the protests brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets of Serbian cities.

Students have accused the authorities of failing to investigate political responsibility for the Novi Sad disaster and have demanded that Serbia’s institutions be allowed to operate independently. The government denies allegations of systemic corruption, political violence and control over the media.

Vučić dissolved parliament and called the snap election more than a year before the next regular vote was due. He has announced that he will resign as president on 27 September and seek the premiership as the leading candidate of the “Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia” list.

Vučić has dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade, serving as either prime minister or president for the past 12 years. His decision to return to the premiership is widely seen as an attempt to maintain political control after reaching the constitutional limit on further presidential terms.

Several opposition groups, including the Democratic Party and the Kreni–Promeni movement, have backed the students and decided not to field their own candidates. This could allow the student list to consolidate a significant part of Serbia’s anti-government electorate.

The October election will test whether the movement can convert the enormous public energy generated by nearly two years of protests into electoral support. It will also determine whether Serbia’s young activists can transform a decentralised street movement into a lasting political force capable of challenging the country’s dominant party.