Vucic Pledges Political Comeback as Calls for Investigations Grow in Serbia

Aleksandar Vucic is promising to rebuild his political strength after Serbia's October 25 parliamentary election ended his time in power, while opposition figures and analysts raise the prospect of legal proceedings. Vucic, who served as prime minister and then president from 2014, faces a transition shaped by demands for investigations and stronger independent institutions.

In a 72-second video shared on his X account on October 31, Vucic appeared alongside Viktor Orban, whose tenure as Hungary's prime minister lasted from 2010 until his election defeat in April. Smiling beside Orban, Vucic declared: "We'll be back!" In another video on November 1, he acknowledged that a quick return was impossible but pledged to defeat his opponents, apparently referring to the victorious Student List.

Vucic remains the central figure in the Serbian Progressive Party, known as SNS, and has announced plans to overhaul its leadership for opposition. Belgrade University politics professor Dusan Spasojevic told RFE/RL's Balkan Service that Vucic was trying to reassure supporters and keep his political organization from falling apart. The period before a new government takes office would be particularly important, he said.

Student List secured 140 of parliament's 250 seats, although its lack of a clear leadership structure could delay the formation of a government. Its lead candidate, cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, told RFE/RL after the election that Vucic had "passed into political history." The movement campaigned heavily on combating corruption and reinforcing independent institutions.

The movement emerged from protests over the deadly railway station collapse in Novi Sad in November 2024. Students alleged that poor construction work resulting from government corruption caused the disaster. Corruption allegations also brought down a $500 million Belgrade hotel construction project in 2025 that was linked to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Kushner himself was not accused of wrongdoing.

Demands for senior officials to resign and for institutions to be cleaned up have intensified since the vote. Two senior police chiefs were arrested on November 1, though prosecutors said the arrests were unrelated to the election outcome. Speaking to Croatian public broadcaster HRT on October 27, Student List representative Jovo Bakic alleged criminal activity by Vucic and called for a thorough investigation of his alleged connections to organized crime.

Spasojevic said Vucic's subordinates would probably face legal proceedings first. He also argued that sufficient evidence existed for Vucic to face trial over allegedly rushing work on the Novi Sad station, a flagship government project involving Chinese investment. Dragan Popovic, who heads the Belgrade think tank Policy Center, told RFE/RL that he expected prosecutors to pursue Vucic, but cautioned that provable charges could fall short of public expectations and that any court case would be complex and lengthy.