President Aleksandar Vučić says Serbia will hold parliamentary elections on either 18 or 25 October 2026, far earlier than originally planned. The announcement follows approximately 18 months of protests that began after the Novi Sad railway-station canopy collapse killed 16 people and developed into a broader anti-corruption movement. Critics accuse the government of corruption, media pressure and links to entrenched political interests; Vučić rejects those accusations.