Serbia votes in election pitting longtime leader against student movement

Serbians are voting in snap parliamentary elections pitting longtime populist leader Aleksandar Vucic against a student movement that has protested for nearly two years over perceived corruption and creeping authoritarianism. The demonstrations were triggered by the 2024 collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people, and students have since gained widespread support. Vucic resigned as president in September to run again for prime minister and has promised higher pensions and public-sector salaries, alongside investment in healthcare. His defeat would mark a profound political shift in the country of about six million people.