Ilija Srdanović entered Serbian politics from cardiology, not from party headquarters. The professor from the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad was placed first in the list "Student List - Students Win", which is running in the early parliamentary elections in Serbia on October 25. This is what made him one of the people associated with a possible change of power of Aleksandar Vučić.
Srdanović has not been officially announced as the only candidate for Prime Minister. In an interview with Radio Television Vojvodina, he stated that the list has "more than one candidate for all positions" in the future government. Previously, in front of "Danas" said that he never had political ambitions and that he remained a doctor first and foremost.
Medical career in Novi Sad
Srdanović was born in 1970 in Novi Sad, but grew up in Vrbas, where he completed primary and secondary education. He graduated in medicine in Novi Sad in 1995. In 2001, he specialized in internal medicine, and three years later completed a subspecialization in cardiology.
In 2010, he received a master's degree in cardiology at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, and in 2012, he defended his doctoral thesis in Novi Sad. Since 1997, he has been working at the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica. Since 2018, he has been teaching emergency medicine at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, and since 2025, he has been a full professor.
His professional profile is related to cardiology and emergency medicine. Among his areas of work are interventional procedures for congenital heart defects, including closure of the hole between the atria and the persistent foramen ovale. His name also appears as an author or co-author of scientific publications in the field of cardiovascular diseases.
From protests to the electoral list
His public political activity began with the student protests that followed the collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad train station on November 1, 2024, which killed 16 people. Srdanović has supported the blockades since their inception and has spoken at protests in Belgrade and Novi Sad.
On 14 September 2026, he was placed first among the 250 candidates of the “Student List“. Srdanović himself does not present his position as a personal leadership project. In public appearances, he defines himself as “first among equals“, and the movement emphasizes that it was created and led by students.
Until 2026, there is no confirmed data that he has held elected office, been an MP, or led a political party. Thus, the election campaign is his first major political experience at the national level.
What are his political positions
According to his public appearances, Srdanović and the “Student List“ can hardly be placed entirely within the traditional left-right division. Their main emphasis is on the rule of law, independent institutions, media freedom, equality before the law and the investigation of corruption.
Srdanović defines the internal restructuring of the state as the first task. Regarding relations with the European Union, he states that the final decision should be made by the citizens after a public debate. On the issue of Kosovo, he refers to the Serbian constitution and states that Kosovo and Metohija are part of Serbia.
These positions outline a combination of a civic, anti-corruption program and a national-constitutional approach to Kosovo.
Sources: 021.rs, rtv.rs, danas.rs