Serbia votes in parliamentary election as youth movement challenges ruling party

Serbians voted on Sunday in a parliamentary election described as the most competitive challenge to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in over a decade. Driven by nearly two years of protests triggered by a deadly railway station canopy collapse, a student-led opposition movement has mobilized voter turnout across the country to challenge former President Aleksandar Vučić's political dominance.

While opinion polls suggested a tight race between the SNS and the student-backed opposition list, youth activists expressed concern over potential electoral fraud and voting irregularities. The vote follows Vučić's early resignation in September ahead of scheduled parliamentary elections. Official results are expected late Sunday evening.

Sources: Balkan Insight, Bloomberg, Cyprus Mail, OCCRP, Politico Europe.