Serbia’s long-standing leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat to the student-led protest movement in snap parliamentary elections. Speaking late on Sunday, the right-wing populist said, “We still do not have final results… it is clear that we have lost these elections.”
Crowds celebrated on the streets of Belgrade after the announcement. Vučić had called the early vote after two years of protests that began with the 2024 collapse of a train station canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad. The collapse killed 16 people and was widely seen as a symbol of corruption and negligence in Serbia.
Record turnout and Vučić’s political position
Preliminary figures from the election commission pointed to a record high turnout, something commentators had suggested would favour the student movement. The commission said 64.9% of voters had cast their ballots by 18:00 local time, two hours before polls were due to close.
Also read: Serbia student movement challenges Vučić ahead of Sunday vote · Serbia opposition holds final rally before Sunday election
Vučić had served two terms as president and was not able to seek a third. He led his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the campaign, aiming to return to the prime minister’s post he had left in 2017. He backs Serbia’s bid to join the European Union, but has refused to impose sanctions on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Student List’s campaign and its manifesto
The Student List has no obvious leaders, and its members are not used to politics. Still, it attracted anti-government voters across Serbia. It fielded candidates for the 250-member parliament from across society, including doctors, actors, academics and sports personalities.
The movement campaigned on a manifesto that called for purging officials who broke rules while cracking down on protesters. It also proposed stopping party loyalists from leading public enterprises and freeing the public broadcaster from political control. Vučić and the SNS have repeatedly denied corruption.
The Student List’s lead candidate, Ilija Srdanović, said, “This will be a free state.” He added that the movement hoped to free the country from tyranny. He made his announcement at the SNS headquarters in Belgrade.
Celebrations, queues abroad and tensions on polling day
In Belgrade, people danced and chanted “victory” while cars honked and fireworks were set off. One student said, “Serbia is free. It’s a miracle.” In Novi Sad, the city centre was crowded, and David Vasić, one of those celebrating, said, “Everything is going to get better now.”
Earlier in the day, long queues had formed outside polling stations in cities and towns across Serbia. Similar lines were seen at booths in countries with sizeable Serbian communities, including Ljubljana in Slovenia, Munich in Germany, and Los Angeles and Chicago in the United States. In Paris, Serbian voters waited in heavy rain.
The vote took place amid high tensions. Police sealed off streets around the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) in Belgrade.
