After large demonstrations marking the first anniversary of the deadly collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad, the future of Serbia's student movement remains uncertain, but analysts and students agree that it is still very much alive, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported today.
The movement emerged after the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad train station on November 1, 2024, which killed 16 people, including two children. Students quickly took the lead, dissatisfied with the populist government's inaction in response to the tragedy, which is largely attributed to deep-rooted corruption.
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In just a year, students have become "one of the two most influential political groups, alongside the ruling party," said Bojan Klačar, director of the independent election monitoring center (CeSID).
"Students are currently the only group capable – unlike the opposition – of channeling citizens' dissatisfaction with the policies of the president and government," said Klačar.
According to political scientists, the movement has managed to mobilize young people, "especially Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2010), who were not very politically engaged before these demonstrations."
"We have become visible, organized and ready to fight for a better future," said Nikola Boskovic, a student at the Academy of Arts in Belgrade, the day after demonstrations that drew 39.000 people according to police and 110.000 according to an independent counting body, a number that matches estimates by AFP journalists on the ground.
Bošković said that much still needs to be done, especially "institutional changes so that those in power fulfill their duties conscientiously, honestly and with integrity."
Among the students' demands, the main one - organizing early elections - has still not been met.
"The students' greatest achievement is that they have received great support from the citizens of Serbia, whom the regime has deliberately depoliticized for years," said Maja Kovačević, rector of the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, who welcomes the resurgence of "great energy across the country."
She added that now if students want a political role, they have to change their decision-making process.
From the beginning, the students adopted an organization based on plenums, student assemblies, which are the only bodies authorized to make decisions concerning the movement, from the dates of demonstrations to who is allowed to speak to the media. They make these decisions after discussions and votes.
The issue of political role is crucial for the movement, which intends to present a list of candidates if early parliamentary elections are called - a list whose members are still unknown, reports Agence France-Presse.
"The students refuse to give names because they say they want to avoid the media close to the government attacking these people, but in politics you cannot have political power without knowing who wields it," said Maja Kovačević.
While the official announcement of candidates is awaited, rumors are circulating about the possible participation of figures known for their sometimes nationalistic rhetoric. There are also stories about the relationship of the student movement with the opposition, which has been completely absent from the protests over the past year.
When asked by local media on Sunday, President Aleksandar Vučić indicated that he intended to respond to the students' demands, stating, as he has done several times before, that early parliamentary elections would be held - without specifying a date and leaving the decision to "the competent institutions", without providing further details, Agence France-Presse reported.
Klačar believes that this time allows the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) to "consolidate its position" and added that questions are increasingly being raised about the student list's platform, "especially regarding energy and geopolitics."
However, this could also backfire on the regime.
"SNS cannot be sure that time is on its side if it fails to solve economic and energy problems. Therefore, before calling elections, it must focus on solving the accumulated problems and creating a more stable environment than the one that exists today," Klačar adds.
Student Bošković said that he himself was never particularly interested in politics.
"However, what I can say with certainty is that young people in Serbia want to live in an orderly, just and free society - in their own country. And that is what drives us," he added.
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