By Islam El-Sakka
Serbia's grassroots Student List movement, which secured an improbable election victory on Sunday, held a press conference in Belgrade's Pioneers Park on Thursday to outline its immediate priorities: the dismissal of senior law enforcement and intelligence officials accused of corruption and the reopening of investigations into a deadly railway station canopy collapse.
Calls for Dismissal of Senior Officials
Student List candidate Svetlana Stanarević demanded the removal of the chiefs of the criminal police, the paramilitary gendarmerie, and an anti-terrorism unit, accusing them of violating the law. She also called for the resignation of the director of Serbia's internal intelligence agency, alleging he ran it as "a party security service, not a state security service."
Anniversary of Novi Sad Canopy Collapse
The movement also urged the reopening or expediting of cases related to the November 2024 canopy collapse at a renovated railway station in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. No convictions have been secured in the two years since the disaster, which sparked the student protests that evolved into the Student List.
Movement's Unconventional Structure
The Student List operates without a formal hierarchy or leader. Its candidates were selected by student assemblies but will act independently once sworn in as MPs. Candidate Iva Marković, a political ecologist, said the shared commitment forged during the protest movement would prevent individualism from undermining their anti-corruption agenda. "When you dream together with some people, it's very hard to forget this dream, even if you are in parliament," she said.
Analysts and Supporters React
Political analyst Borko Stefanović, a veteran of the 2000 democratic uprising against Slobodan Milošević, endorsed the focus on swift justice and institutional reform, warning against repeating the failure to consolidate democratic gains after Milošević's ouster. Student activist Tara Blagojević expressed confidence that the elected MPs recognize each other's strengths and can form a government. Political scientist Slobodan Tomić noted the movement's unique structure, including a pledge by MPs to follow the Student List programme, limits drift. The organizers of the Exit music festival confirmed the event will return to Novi Sad next year after relocating in protest against the previous government.
