Serbia is heading towards a decisive election as President Aleksandar Vučić mobilises supporters in Niš while thousands of students and anti-government demonstrators prepare to converge on Belgrade. The rival campaigns have exposed deep political divisions, with controversy surrounding nationalist symbols, alleged misuse of public resources and the growing challenge to Vučić’s rule.
BELGRADE/NIŠ, Oct. 21 (BalkanView) – Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling coalition staged a major election rally in the southern city of Niš on Wednesday, drawing supporters from across the country as a student-led political movement prepared its own final campaign gathering in Belgrade ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary election.
Supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) arrived in organised groups, some accompanied by party representatives and managers of public companies and institutions, according to the Beta news agency.
The rally, held at King Milan Square under the banner “Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia,” took place amid heightened political tensions ahead of the October 25 vote.
At the same time, students and anti-government activists were marching towards Belgrade from several Serbian cities, seeking to demonstrate the strength of a movement that emerged after the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024.
The disaster killed 16 people and triggered a prolonged wave of protests over alleged corruption, institutional accountability and government transparency.
Mladić supporters chant at ruling party rally
The Niš gathering attracted attention after groups of young men wearing white shirts and caps bearing the image of convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladić appeared near the stage.
According to Beta, the men chanted slogans including “Ratko Mladić,” “Kosovo is Serbia,” and “Aco, Serb,” a reference to Vučić.
The agency described the men as possible members of football supporter groups, although their affiliations were not established.
Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb military commander, was convicted by an international tribunal of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1992–1995 Bosnian war.
His image remains a divisive symbol in Serbia and the wider Western Balkans.
The presence of demonstrators celebrating Mladić at a major ruling-party campaign event highlighted the persistence of nationalist sentiment in Serbian politics.
There was no indication in the reporting that the rally organisers had formally endorsed the chants.
Dodik joins Vučić and invokes Putin
Milorad Dodik, leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) in Bosnia’s Serb-majority Republika Srpska, also attended the rally.
Addressing supporters, Dodik praised Vučić’s leadership and his relationship with Republika Srpska.
According to Serbian media, Dodik also referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying Moscow’s support for Vučić was unquestionable.
The remarks underscored the political relationship between Vučić and Dodik, whose positions on Serbian national interests and regional affairs have frequently overlapped.
Before arriving in Niš, Vučić published a video showing himself travelling with Dodik.
He thanked the Bosnian Serb leader for his friendship and expressed confidence in victory on Sunday.
Vučić said he hoped the result would represent a victory not only for people in Serbia but also for Republika Srpska.
Dodik’s participation gave the rally a regional political dimension at a time when Serbia’s relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and the European Union remain sensitive issues.
Allegations of improper campaign arrangements
The rally was also surrounded by controversy over its organisation.
Municipal inspectors in Niš’s Medijana district had ordered the removal of the stage erected for the event, saying it had been installed without the required authorisation, according to reports by Danas and N1.
Despite the order, the stage remained in place ahead of Wednesday’s gathering.
Beta reported that large LED screens displaying Vučić’s image had been installed around the square, while a campaign billboard was placed on the walls of the historic Niš Fortress.
The billboard carried Vučić’s name and the slogan “For Prime Minister.”
Private security personnel were visible throughout the area, while other men wearing red wristbands were stationed near entrances to the stage.
The rally also disrupted traffic in central Niš, where major roads were closed and vehicles diverted.
Opposition activists called on residents to protest by banging pots and pans, while N1 reported that access to the city centre was heavily restricted.
The reported involvement of public-sector managers in organising groups of attendees raised questions about the relationship between state institutions and party campaigning, although the reports did not establish that employees had been compelled to attend.
Controversy over Novi Sad victims’ memorial
A separate dispute emerged over memorial plaques dedicated to the 16 people killed in the Novi Sad railway station disaster.
Student activists and opposition groups alleged that Serbian flags had been used to cover plaques bearing the victims’ names near the rally location.
The movement Kreni-Promeni published footage that it said showed the plaques being covered.
The allegations added to tensions surrounding the disaster, which has become a central symbol of the anti-government protest movement.
The collapse in November 2024 sparked public anger over construction standards, corruption allegations and the responsibility of state institutions.
Student groups have since organised demonstrations and blockades demanding accountability and political change.
Students march towards Belgrade
While Vučić’s supporters gathered in Niš, columns of students and citizens continued their journeys towards the Serbian capital.
Groups travelling from Novi Sad, western Serbia and other regions were approaching Belgrade, where supporters planned to welcome them before a major election rally.
The student-backed electoral list, campaigning under the slogan “Students Win,” scheduled its final gathering for Thursday, October 22, at Slavija Square in Belgrade.
Organisers called on supporters to assemble at several locations across the capital before converging on the square.
Students from Kragujevac also urged residents to join a convoy travelling to Belgrade.
The marches have become a defining feature of the movement, combining political campaigning with demonstrations of solidarity across cities and towns.
The student-led movement has emerged as a significant challenger to Vučić’s political dominance, which has shaped Serbian politics for more than a decade.
Two competing visions of Serbia
The rival events illustrated the contrasting campaign strategies ahead of Sunday’s vote.
Vučić’s coalition has emphasised political continuity, national identity and the ruling party’s record in government.
The student-backed movement has focused on institutional accountability, corruption allegations and demands for political change.
International attention has increasingly turned towards the election, with foreign media examining whether the student movement can translate nearly two years of street mobilisation into electoral support.
The European Left has publicly backed the student electoral list, calling on European institutions and governments to reassess their relationship with Vučić’s administration.
The election is also being closely watched across the Western Balkans because Serbia’s political direction affects regional stability, relations with Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the country’s stalled European integration process.
High stakes ahead of Sunday’s vote
The October 25 parliamentary election will test whether the student movement can convert public dissatisfaction into a parliamentary challenge to Vučić’s ruling coalition.
For the government, the vote represents an opportunity to demonstrate that it retains substantial popular support despite prolonged protests.
For the students and their supporters, it offers a chance to pursue political change through elections after months of demonstrations.
The final days of campaigning are expected to feature further mass gatherings, with the student movement’s Belgrade rally on Thursday providing a visible test of its mobilisation capacity.
The outcome remains uncertain, but the contrasting scenes in Niš and Belgrade illustrate the depth of Serbia’s political divisions ahead of the vote.