Thousands of demonstrators marched in cities across Serbia again this weekend, demanding early parliamentary elections amid simmering public anger over corruption.

In the capital Belgrade, protesters gathered on May 25 under the slogan “Be careful who you choose”, continuing a student-led movement that has grown into one of the country’s largest waves of civil unrest in over two decades. Parallel demonstrations took place in Zaječar on Saturday and in Novi Sad and Kragujevac on Sunday.

The student-led protests were ignited by the collapse of a canopy roof at Novi Sad’s newly-renovated train station in November 2024, which killed 16 people. The incident was widely attributed to corruption and cronyism in the awarding of public contracts, sparking outrage and demands for accountability.

The movement builds on years of growing frustration with the government, following the mass shootings of May 2023, contested parliamentary and local elections in December 2023 and mass environmental protests against lithium mining between 2021 and 2024.

Despite the government’s recent efforts to mollify dissent through various arrests, a cabinet reshuffle and promises of public sector wage and pension increases, demonstrators have remained defiant. Student organisers have called for snap elections, saying the current administration lacks legitimacy, and have elected a university rector, Vladan Đokić, to head their electoral list.

Former Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned in January amid mounting protests. His successor, Djuro Macut—an endocrinologist with no prior political experience—retained most members of the previous cabinet, in a move widely interpreted as an effort by President Aleksandar Vucic to maintain control without conceding to protest demands.

Several senior officials have dismissed the idea of early elections. However, if protests continue, Vucic may ultimately see early polls as a means to re-legitimise his government and sap the momentum of the protest movement. No parliamentary elections are currently scheduled until 2027.

While the size of the protests has declined from their peak earlier this year, student groups continue to deploy new tactics to maintain public interest. Whether Vucic will risk an early vote remains uncertain. But with crowds continuing to take to the streets, Serbia’s volatile political climate shows little sign of calming.