Thousands rally in Serbia as students continue fight against corruption

University students have proposed banning corrupt officials from politics and investigating their wealth.Published On 18 Jan 2026Thousands of people have rallied in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, as university students who have led more than a year of mass demonstrations pledged to continue fighting against endemic corruption during the tenure of right-wing nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic.Protesters, chanting “thieves”, accused the government of rampant corruption. University students told the crowd on Saturday that they had drawn up a plan on how to rid Serbia of corruption and restore the rule of law. They proposed banning corrupt officials from politics and investigating their wealth as first steps for a post-Vucic government.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Serbia’s Vucic warns oil refinery faces shutdown as US sanctions bitelist 2 of 3Bosnia’s war, 30 years on: How did the atrocities happen?list 3 of 3Serbia’s Vucic angers Russia with comments about selling ammo to EUend of listThe protest was dubbed “What victory will mean”. Last month, students said they had collected about 400,000 signatures in support of their election bid.The next protest rally is planned for January 27 in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, organisers said.Regular student-led protests have gripped Serbia since a November 2024 train station disaster in the northern city killed 16 people, becoming a symbol of entrenched corruption.Thirteen people, including former Construction Minister Goran Vesic, were charged in a criminal case over the collapse. The Novi Sad High Court dropped the charges against Vesic last month, citing a lack of evidence.A separate anticorruption inquiry continues alongside a European Union-backed investigation into the possible misuse of EU funds in the project.Tens of thousands of people marked the first anniversary of the train station roof collapse in Novi Sad in November, observing 16 minutes of silence for the 16 victims of the tragedy.