Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who resigned last\nSeptember to run for prime minister, conceded defeat in a historic\nelection on Sunday (25 October 2026). The result marks a victory for the\nstudent movement, which has staged protests for nearly two years against\nalleged corruption and what it says is the government\u2019s increasingly\nauthoritarian direction.<\/p>\n
Vucic\u2019s defeat also ends his dominance of Serbian politics for more\nthan a decade and opens a new chapter for the Balkan country, which has\na population of about six million.<\/p>\n
A populist and nationalist politician, Vucic has dominated Serbia\u2019s\npolitical scene since 2014, serving as both prime minister and\npresident.<\/p>\n
Growing pressure from student demonstrations led him to call an early\nelection in September. The protests began after the canopy at a railway\nstation in the city of Novi Sad collapsed in 2024, killing 16 people.\nThe tragedy fuelled public anger over alleged corruption and poor\ngovernance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is clear that we have lost this election; the Student List has\nwon,\u201d Vucic said in a televised address, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
Soon after the announcement, streets in the Serbian capital,\nBelgrade, filled with people celebrating the student movement\u2019s victory.\nThe crowds grew to tens of thousands. Cars honked, people danced, and\nstudents chanted \u201cvictory\u201d and \u201che\u2019s finished\u201d.<\/p>\n
The students\u2019 win marks a major political shift in Serbia and recalls\nViktor Orban\u2019s defeat in Hungary last April. The result could also\ninspire student movements in other European countries, where protests\nhave recently focused on poor education and limited prospects for the\nfuture.<\/p>\n
According to preliminary results, Vucic said the student group was\nexpected to win between 135 and 140 of the 250 parliamentary seats. His\nSerbian Progressive Party (SNS), meanwhile, was expected to secure only\n105 seats.<\/p>\n
\u201cDear Serbia, tonight the people\u2019s voice has been heard,\u201d said\nRadomir Sajcic, a professor at the University of Belgrade, speaking on\nbehalf of the students at their movement\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight we celebrate victory; tomorrow we build the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Highest voter turnout between generations<\/strong><\/p>\n The students\u2019 victory was bolstered by high voter turnout. Long\nqueues were seen at polling stations across Serbian cities from early\nmorning. Vucic himself had to wait nearly two hours to cast his ballot\nin Belgrade.<\/p>\n Polling organisations and the election commission estimated turnout\nat close to 70 per cent, the highest since the break-up of Yugoslavia in\n1992.<\/p>\n \u201c[The turnout] does not surprise me, because over the past two years\na large and strong mass movement has taken shape,\u201d said voter Katarina\nPetrovic.<\/p>\n Vucic had previously resigned during his second presidential term to\nrun for prime minister again. As an incumbent with substantial influence\nover Serbian politics, his defeat and swift concession had initially\nseemed difficult for some supporters of the student movement to\nimagine.<\/p>\n Vucic\u2019s supporters have praised his efforts to modernise Serbia\u2019s\neconomy. Under his leadership, the government also built infrastructure\nincluding motorways, railway lines, schools and hospitals.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, Vucic sought to show that his party remained united\ndespite its defeat.<\/p>\n \u201cSome businesspeople, some people will leave us, but our structure is\nsolid. We are very united, very strong, and we are used to being in\nopposition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Future of the new government remains unclear<\/strong><\/p>\n Although the student movement defeated Vucic\u2019s camp, the make-up of\nthe government it will form remains uncertain.<\/p>\n Its candidate list contained 250 names, most of them not widely known\nto the public. They include university professors, actors and\nfarmers.<\/p>\n The list is headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, but it is not yet\nclear who will become prime minister.<\/p>\n The movement\u2019s main domestic priorities include tackling corruption\nand improving the education system. Some political analysts expect the\nnew government to replace figures close to Vucic in the police, security\nservices and ministries.<\/p>\n However, the students have revealed little about the direction of\nSerbia\u2019s foreign policy.<\/p>\n The incoming government will have to balance relations with China, a\nmajor investor in Serbia; Russia, a traditional ally and key natural gas\nsupplier; and the European Union, the country\u2019s largest trading\npartner.<\/p>\n Vucic faced the same challenge for years as he sought to maintain\nrelations with international powers that have competing interests in\nSerbia.<\/p>\n Student protests put pressure on Vucic\u2019s\ngovernment<\/strong><\/p>\n The student-led protest movement began on a small scale after the\nNovi Sad railway station canopy collapsed. It grew into the biggest wave\nof demonstrations in a generation, with protesters demanding Vucic leave\npower.<\/p>\n Human rights groups and activists said the authorities\u2019 repression of\nopponents worsened during this period.<\/p>\n \u201cFor years, people have been waiting for this moment, for something\nthat can bring hope that we can live freely and according to democratic\nrules,\u201d said 48-year-old actress Jelena Stupljanin after voting at a\npolling station in Belgrade.<\/p>\n Vucic and the SNS have repeatedly denied allegations of repression,\ncorruption and spying on political opponents. Vucic also accused the\nstudent movement of receiving funding from foreign agents in Croatia and\nMontenegro. The students denied the allegation.<\/p>\n Celebrations in Belgrade continued late into the night. A traditional\nbrass band played as a group of people released balloons shaped like the\nnumber three, representing the student candidates\u2019 position on the\nballot.<\/p>\n A student named Andjela, celebrating with friends, said she was\noverjoyed by the result.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to drink beer to celebrate; we\u2019ll get drunk. We\u2019re so\nhappy. I have no words to describe how happy we are,\u201d she said.<\/p>",
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