Key facts
- New Serbian leaders face challenges including Kosovo's status, EU relations, Russia ties, and corruption.
- The Student List movement won Sunday's parliamentary election, ending Aleksandar Vucic's rule.
- The movement aims to reintegrate Kosovo peacefully and strengthen Serb institutions there.
- EU accession talks are stalled due to a lack of reforms and Kosovo policy.
- Serbia relies on US sanctions waivers for crude imports amid NIS sale to MOL.
- Anti-corruption plans include an independent police unit and asset origin law.
Serbia's new leaders, emerging from a student-led protest movement, face a daunting list of challenges including the status of Kosovo, strained EU relations, a complex relationship with Russia, and deep-seated corruption. The Student List, which won parliamentary elections on Sunday, must also navigate economic issues and US sanctions on the NIS oil firm.
The movement believes Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, remains an integral part of Serbia and aims to reintegrate it peacefully while strengthening Serb institutions there. However, this stance conflicts with EU membership requirements, which necessitate normalized relations with Pristina.
EU accession talks are largely stalled due to a lack of reforms, and the Student List has indicated no plans to impose sanctions on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Serbia relies on US sanctions waivers for crude imports while awaiting the sale of Russia's stake in the NIS energy company to Hungary's MOL. Gazprom remains Serbia's largest gas supplier.
Domestically, the Student List's anti-corruption program centers on institutional overhauls, including an independent police unit and a strict asset origin law to recover illegally acquired wealth. Economically, the movement plans to shift away from state-backed projects towards domestic market security and labor rights, including campaigns against retail monopolies and tax reforms benefiting lower-income groups.