Serbia’s longstanding leader Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat to protest movement Student List in a historic election on Sunday night.
The snap elections came after almost two years of student-led demonstrations against perceived corruption and creeping authoritarianism, triggered by the deaths of 16 people when a train station canopy collapsed in the city of Novi Sad in 2024.
Turnout in the election was nearly 70%, the highest since the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992. Lines snaked from polling stations in cities and towns across Serbia on Sunday, in a sign of widespread desire for change.
“It is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won, they will have between 135 and 140 seats and we will have 105, no one else has entered parliament,” Vučić said, basing his projection off preliminary results. However he went on to blame the country’s independent media as well as unnamed European countries for interfering.
A representative sample by the CESID-IPSPS pollsters showed the student’s candidate list will have 138 deputies, while Vučić’s SNS party garnered 104 seats in the 250-seat parliament. Remaining seats will be shared between ethnic national minority parties.
Vučić said his party won around 1.7 million votes but Student List took around 2.2 million.
Radomir Sajcic, a professor at Belgrade University, spoke on behalf of the students at their headquarters, saying: “Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard. Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future.”
The streets of Belgrade erupted in celebration after Vučić’s announcement, with cars honking and students shouting “victory” and “he’s done”.
“Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard,” said Radomir Sajcic, a professor at Belgrade University speaking on behalf of the students at their headquarters. “Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future.”
“Unbelievable happiness and joy and we have finally got rid of this mafia. I am so happy I cannot speak,” said a woman named Tanja who was celebrating on the streets of Belgrade.
Vučić and his party repeatedly denied accusations of repression, corruption and spying on their opponents. He said the students are funded by foreign agents in Croatia and Montenegro, a charge the students dismiss.
He sought to become Serbia’s prime minister after nearly two terms as the country’s president, and Vučić the presidency and announced the snap election just last month amidst mounting pressure from the students.
However, they took the opportunity to contest each of the 250 seats available with previously unknown candidates that ranged from academics to farmers. It is still unclear who the prime minister will be.
The students’ domestic agenda aims to root out graft and improve schooling. Political analysts predict some kind of purge of Vučić allies in the police, security services and ministries. But the students have been quieter on their international ambitions.
They will have to juggle relations with China, a major investor, Russia, Serbia’s traditional ally and principal supplier of natural gas, and the European Union, Serbia’s largest trading partner.