Serbia Student Winners Demand Purge of Officials and Arms Review

Serbia's incoming student-backed government has begun outlining a sweeping political overhaul after defeating Aleksandar Vučić's ruling party in a landmark election. The newly elected representatives are demanding changes across the police, intelligence services and judiciary while preparing investigations into alleged corruption and previous government contracts.

Speaking in Pioneers' Park opposite parliament, Student List representatives called for the immediate dismissal of police officers who had broken the law, specifically targeting the leadership of the police, the BIA security agency and the anti-terrorism unit, according to the BBC on October 30, 2026.

The transition could take several weeks, raising concerns among the incoming representatives that evidence of alleged wrongdoing might disappear before investigations begin. The movement emerged from protests following the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people.

The Student List secured its victory by approximately half a million votes, ending Vučić's 12-year political dominance, according to Defense News. Its 141 successful candidates were selected through a university-led process and include professors, intellectuals, artists, athletes and medical professionals.

The movement's economic and institutional program promises to address corruption and recover public assets. Its Student Plan pledges to:

"halt the plunder, return stolen goods to the state budget, and invest directly in education and the economy".

Changes have already reached Serbia's state broadcaster RTS, where director Manja Grčić resigned. Newly elected representative Mirjana Nikolić argued that citizens deserved independent information after years of government influence over the broadcaster.

Another target is Telekom Srbija chief Vladimir Lučić. Meanwhile, acting president Ana Brnabić criticized the opposition's approach to political change.

Brnabić accused the incoming administration of choosing "revolutionary justice, not rule of law," and attempting to close "all of the media they dislike".

Economist Dejan Šoškić, a prominent incoming representative who governed Serbia's central bank from 2010 to 2012, wants institutional reforms introduced quickly.

"In the first six months, I would like to see the media scene liberated, fighting against corruption on the way, the institutions operating as prescribed by laws and a lustration law introduced," Šoškić said.

The proposed lustration legislation would prevent members of Vučić's government or party apparatus found responsible for violating citizens' rights from holding public office.

Šoškić also addressed the country's foreign policy, indicating that the incoming government might maintain Serbia's existing position on international sanctions.

"Serbia had it own experience with sanctions in the 1990s and we know that they mostly harm ordinary people and do not affect policies of a state," Šoškić said.

Strahinja Subotić of the Belgrade-based European Policy Centre cautioned that dismantling established political structures would require time and cooperation.

He argued that the incoming administration would ultimately need to "build bridges to the segments that have been operating well in the past".

Professor Radomir Saičić of the University of Belgrade, another prominent Student List representative, said the new parliament would follow the movement's detailed 1,200-page program.

"While the practical mechanisms will be developed on the go, the new MPs will stick to the students' 1200-page long and detailed plan," Saičić told the BBC.

He also emphasized the continuing relationship between elected representatives and the student movement.

"Parliament is making decisions, but since this change was led by students' efforts, we would highly value their opinion and work closely with them," Saičić said.

The political transition also places Serbia's substantial military procurement program under scrutiny. According to Defense News, the country spent approximately 1.12 billion euros on arms procurement in 2025 and nearly 3.65 billion euros between 2021 and 2025.

Under Vučić, Serbia purchased 12 Rafale fighter jets from France, FK-3 and HQ-17A air defense systems and CH-92 and CH-95 drones from China. It also acquired Hermes drones from Israel and agreed to assemble drones domestically with Elbit.

Vučić had announced in January that Serbia would double its military capabilities within 18 months. However, Katarina Djokic, a researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), expects domestic political priorities to take precedence.

"The new government will have other priorities — prominently, delivering on anti-corruption policies and reestablishing functioning political institutions, which will be challenging enough. Under such conditions, there could be less resources and less political consensus for major defense projects," Djokic told Defense News.

She outlined the likely implications for military spending under the incoming administration.

"What could reasonably be expected is a slowdown in armament expenditures in the couple of years to come," Djokic added.

Although the Student List manifesto supports continued development of layered air defense and modernization of the air force, it also prioritizes military personnel and improvements to their compensation.

The document identifies a "scarcity of qualified personnel" as a problem facing the armed forces.

It also proposes an independent government commission to investigate previous military procurement and export agreements.

"A new commission is being formed – an independent, interdepartmental government commission for irregularities, abuses and corruption in the production, procurement and export of weapons, as part of a general audit of the previous regime's contracts," the manifesto states.

Further defense proposals include modernizing domestic production facilities and strengthening military technology capabilities.

"We will modernize defense industry factories and turn them into smart factories, establish a National Center for Military Electronics in cooperation with technical faculties, and launch a defense software program," the manifesto states.

Relations with Israel could also face greater scrutiny because the manifesto explicitly criticizes its military campaign in Gaza.

"We will not be complicit in the systematic attempt to destroy the Palestinian people that Israel is carrying out in the Gaza Strip," the document states.

Djokic also highlighted the possibility that regional tensions could become less influential in future procurement decisions.

"Depending on the new government's regional relations, there may be less incentive to use regional tensions and 'arms races' as a pretext for ordering more arms, and more advanced arms," Djokic said.

However, the incoming administration's position on Kosovo remains consistent with Serbia's longstanding territorial claims. Its manifesto states: "We will fight for the preservation of Kosovo … as part of Serbia," leaving another major foreign policy issue unresolved as the new government prepares to take office.