Vucic Targets Premiership as Audit Finds Half Million Incomplete Voter Files

An audit of the Serbian voter register revealed that approximately 500,000 registered citizens lack complete residential addresses, with many records missing specific street names or house numbers. This data gap emerged just two days before the parliamentary election on October 25, which positions Aleksandar Vucic to run for the office of prime minister. Vucic, who resigned as president in late September to avoid a third consecutive term, previously held the premiership from 2014 to 2017. His campaign now competes directly with a student-led opposition movement that gained momentum during widespread protests in 2024 and 2025.

The path to this election was shaped by a sequence of crises and political maneuvers. The Novi Sad tragedy on November 1, 2024, served as a primary catalyst, in which the collapse of a railway station canopy killed sixteen people. The disaster exposed alleged corruption in a construction project led by Chinese firms, triggering nationwide demonstrations. When police responded to a protest on March 15, 2025, using what authorities described as an unlawful sonic weapon, public frustration peaked. Following further student actions in June, Vucic announced his resignation and scheduled the early vote.

Scrutiny of the electoral process has intensified in the final week. Investigators found hundreds of voters listed at public facilities, such as social welfare centers, and at residential addresses that could not logically accommodate the number of residents. These findings mirror irregularities cited by international observers during the 2023 election, which included reports of voter intimidation and the transportation of voters from Bosnia-Hercegovina. The Serbian government asserts that it has implemented all recommendations from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE, following the 2023 mission. However, an interim report from the OSCE contradicted this claim, with the body deploying 300 observers to monitor the current campaign.

Additional complications arise from the status of ethnic Serb voters abroad. Data indicates an increase in eligible voters registered in Bosnia and Kosovo, regions considered strongholds for Vucic’s Progressive Party. Four employees of Serbia-funded institutions in Kosovo reported facing pressure to support the ruling party, a practice documented in several domestic municipalities. Simultaneously, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a statement on October 21 citing reports of illegal monitoring of opposition members. Researchers from the Serbian nonprofit SHARE and Toronto University alleged that the Pegasus surveillance software, which is banned in Serbia, was used in at least sixteen cases during 2026. Government officials deny that political rivals were targeted.

The opposition list is headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, a nonpartisan figure, though the movement has stated his role does not guarantee a premiership. Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, described the upcoming vote as the first in over a decade with a genuinely uncertain outcome. Current polling reflects a deep division between the ruling coalition and the student movement.

On the foreign policy front, Vucic pledged to maintain Serbia’s current course, including its refusal to join European Union sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. The student movement has also opposed sanctions and reaffirmed Belgrade’s stance of not recognizing Kosovo’s independence. Serbia’s EU integration process has stalled since late 2021, with no new accession chapters opened during that period. The impasse is attributed to democratic backsliding, unresolved relations with Kosovo, and the divergence on Russian sanctions.

The election takes place against a backdrop of international concern. Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly expressed support for Vucic. Some US lawmakers warned that Moscow may play an active role in the vote, while the European Parliament raised concerns about Russian influence operations. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson stated that Russia is deploying resources to monitor and disrupt Serbian citizens and the student movement. The OSCE and Freedom House have both noted a decline in democratic freedoms in Serbia over the past decade.