Thousands rally in Serbia's north to demand early elections

Thousands marched in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, to demand snap general elections following the 2024 railway station awning collapse that killed 16 people. Student-led protests spread nationwide amid concerns about government mismanagement, corruption, and threats to media freedom as President Aleksandar Vučić and his SNS party maintain power after 13 years. Demonstrators pressed for free elections, signaling challenges to the 2027 electoral timeline, with some activists calling for early polls in the coming months. Vučić told supporters to gather under the Serbian flag on June 27, framing the protests as a broader appeal for democratic reforms ahead of EU accession talks.