Thewesternbalkans.
At their first press conference (29.10) following a decisive victory in the snap parliamentary elections, the “Student List” stated that they had received a clear mandate from the Serbian electorate to govern the country; consequently, they are beginning to exercise this mandate even before a government has been formed. In their first public appearance since the vote, the Student List demanded the resignations of high-ranking police officials, the directors of certain security agencies, the President of the Constitutional Court, and representatives of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade. Furthermore, they called for an audit of the funds allocated to all major infrastructure projects, as well as the reopening of investigations into corrupt deals, politically motivated murders, and various other cases that have generated significant public interest.
Professor Svetlana Stanarević, a representative of the Student List (listed 139th on their electoral slate), stated that they are insisting on the immediate dismissal of all police officers who have broken the law. Specifically, they are demanding the removal of the Head of the Criminal Police Administration, Marko Kričak; the Commander of the Gendarmerie, Radoslav Repac; the Commander of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit, Igor Žmirić; the Head of the Valjevo Police Department; the Assistant Minister of Internal Affairs and Head of the Sector for Internal Control of the Police, Miroslav Paunović; and the Director of the Police, Dragan Vasiljević.
The Student List (SL) demands resignations within Serbia’s special services. It asserts that the Security Information Agency (BIA) has failed to perform its legally mandated functions, acting instead as a partisan structure used to serve the interests of the Serbian Progressive Party. The SL has demanded the resignation of BIA Director Vladimir Orlić, as well as all agency personnel who worked to discredit the SNS’s political opponents. The Student List presents similar arguments for the resignation of the Director of the Military Security Agency (VBA) within the Ministry of Defence, Major General Đuro Jovanić. The SL further demands that the VBA immediately cease the surveillance and persecution of trade unionists, journalists, students, and political dissidents.
Jovan Vujčić, a parliamentary candidate on the Student List (listed at number 63), has called on the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office to take immediate legal action regarding cases of significant public interest. He also demands that criminal liability be pursued for prosecutors suspected of abusing their official position. The Student List also calls upon the competent prosecutor’s offices to urgently resume investigations and take action regarding several cases of public interest. These include the “Krušik” case (allegations of corruption within a Serbian defense industry enterprise); the tragic incident near Doljevac (involving a high-ranking state official and an activist from the SNS); the murder of Aleksandar Nešović (involving allegations of illicit ties between a senior police official and criminal circles); the assassination of Kosovo Serb leader Oliver Ivanović (with suspicions of involvement by Serbian special services); the illegal demolition of private property to facilitate the controversial “Beograd na vodi” mega-project; and various other matters of public concern.
Furthermore, they have demanded an audit of financial flows for all major projects—specifically EXPO, Rio Tinto, the “Miloš the Great” motorway, sections of Corridor 10, and the stadiums in Leskovac and Loznica – as well as an audit of expenditures incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Student List asserts that prosecutors within the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade (VJT) have violated the principle of impartiality, thereby eroding public trust. Consequently, they are calling for the resignation of the Chief Prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, Nenad Stefanović, and the Deputy Prosecutor General at the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, Miodrag Marković.
Demands for resignation were also directed at the director of the state-owned enterprise Telekom, the program directors of the national broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), and the leadership of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM).
Comment:
A student-led list won the parliamentary elections, having focused its election platform on the fight against corruption, state capture, and the authoritarianism characterizing the rule of the Serbian Progressive Party. This created high expectations among their supporters, and immediately following the conclusion of the vote, representatives of the Student List demanded the resignations of the heads of security agencies, special services, and the Prosecutor’s Office.
It is clear that the Student List recognizes that assuming power will be a difficult process, likely to encounter strong resistance from the Serbian Progressive Party, which still retains influence over state institutions. These demands for resignation are intended both to address public expectations and to create more favorable conditions for assuming and exercising the mandate to govern. They target the leadership of all state institutions that the student movement – during its protests following the autumn of 2024 – accused of engaging in irregular actions to serve the interests of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. In this regard, the Student List has called on citizens to report – via a dedicated email address – any attempts to erase evidence of wrongdoing within state institutions that occurred during the SNS administration.
While these demands for resignation are unlikely to be met before the new legislative and executive branches are formally constituted, they nonetheless outline the priorities and primary tasks that the new Student List cabinet will undertake. Personnel changes are a natural consequence of a transition of power following elections; it is likely that professionals loyal to the Student List will be appointed to key positions within the state administration. More significant issues, such as the restoration of the fundamental principles governing the functioning of state institutions, are expected to be included in the governance program of the Student List, which will be presented following the constitution of the parliament.
