The shift in Serbia originated in November 2024 when a fatal railway canopy collapse in Novi Sad catalyzed widespread marches, university blockades, and demands for official transparency. These demonstrations quickly incorporated broader public frustrations surrounding state corruption and controversial lithium mining projects into a unified push for early elections. Ultimately, the student-backed coalition managed to secure an outright legislative majority against the entrenched Serbian Progressive Party, though observers warn that transitioning from public protest to practical governance remains a formidable challenge.
Key points
Student-led movements demonstrated the capability to transition from decentralized street…: Student-led movements demonstrated the capability to transition from decentralized street protests into organized and dominant electoral coalitions.
Pre-existing public grievances regarding corruption and environmental concerns can succes…: Pre-existing public grievances regarding corruption and environmental concerns can successfully coalesce around single tragic events to threaten entrenched leaders.
Newly elected protest movements must now prove they can successfully manage institutional…: Newly elected protest movements must now prove they can successfully manage institutional governance beyond their initial opposing posture.
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When students take to the streets, they are often dismissed as inexperienced, idealistic or easily mobilised. But when demonstrations persist, attract people beyond university campuses and begin challenging those in power, they can become a force that political leaders cannot ignore.
The recent elections in Brazil and Serbia offer two different examples of how public dissent can reshape a political contest. In Brazil, student and youth mobilisation helped President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recover from a first-round setback and defeat Flávio Bolsonaro in the presidential runoff. In Serbia, a student-led movement that began with demands for accountability following a deadly infrastructure disaster developed into an electoral challenge to the ruling establishment.
Both outcomes can be described as victories for dissent, at least for now. But they also raise a harder question: can movements that mobilise people against those in power sustain their influence after the votes have been counted?
Sudhir Kumar Suthar, a professor in political science at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), sees the results as part of a wider crisis of confidence in established political actors. “In the…
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