NOVI SAD, Serbia (AP) — Serbia 's populist leader Aleksandar Vucic on Friday staged a preelection rally in Novi Sad, the northern city where 16 people died in a train station tragedy almost two years ago setting off a wave of mass anti-government protests.

Thousands of flag-waving supporters attended the gathering at a central square in Novi Sad, many bused in from other parts of the country. It was Vucic’s first big rally in the city since the protests started in November 2024.

The former Serbian president and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, are facing a major test in the Oct. 25 election after 14 years in power in the Balkan country. The main challenger is the Students’ List candidates supported by Serbia’s protesting university students.

Serbia’s youth led the mass demonstrations demanding accountability for the concrete canopy collapse at the Novi Sad train station that many in Serbia believed was the result of bad construction work during renovation and of corruption-fueled negligence.

Near daily protests rattled Vucic more than ever and protesters forced a government collapse as student rallies drew hundreds of thousands of people.

Vucic's return to Novi Sad was seen as a show of confidence ahead of the Oct. 25 vote that he said his party will win. Without providing evidence, Vucic in a speech said that the student-led protests were organized and financed by unspecified foreign powers.

“A lot of money came from abroad, billions were brought in to destroy Serbia," he told the crowd. "They used the tragedy and moved against our Serbia ... they hate everything that is Serbian.”

A special guest at the rally was Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who praised Vucic in a speech he held in the Serbian language.

Critics accuse Vucic and his party of clamping down on democratic freedoms, rampant corruption and ties to organized crime, which they have denied. Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership but the effort has stalled under Vucic, who has close ties with Russia and China.

No one has been held responsible for the train station tragedy despite the protests, and the issue remains highly sensitive for Novi Sad. Students have urged residents to stay away on Friday to avoid confrontation with Vucic's supporters.

In his speech, Vucic promised justice for the Novi Sad tragedy. Pro-government media reported that he arrived in Novi Sad by train and then walked through the city flanked by chanting supporters.

Many in the crowd waved flags with the image of the former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic, who was convicted of genocide by a U.N. war crimes court for atrocities during Bosnia's 1992-95 conflict. Mladic was buried as a hero in Belgrade in September following his death in the The Hague, Netherlands.

Vucic is looking to return as prime minister after the vote on Oct. 25. He resigned as president last month to lead his SNS party's campaign and boost its chances at the parliamentary ballot.

Novi Sad was the scene of clashes with police and Vucic’s supporters on several occasions during protests. No major incidents were reported Friday.