Serbia entered a new political era Monday, October 26, after a student-backed movement defeated Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling alliance in a parliamentary election that international and Serbian media described as a major political turning point, ending nearly 14 years of dominance by the Serbian Progressive Party.
According to the latest figures released by Serbia’s Republic Electoral Commission, the Student List received 52.65% of the vote, compared with 39.22% for Vučić’s United Serbia coalition. Preliminary projections indicate that the student-backed movement will control approximately 139 to 140 seats in the 250-member parliament, exceeding the 126 required for a majority.
Voter turnout reached 68.78%, with more than 4.2 million citizens casting ballots. Vučić conceded defeat Sunday evening, triggering celebrations across Belgrade and other Serbian cities.
International and Serbian Media See Major Political Realignment
Reuters described the outcome as a historic defeat for Vučić, emphasizing that the movement responsible for ending his political dominance emerged outside Serbia’s traditional opposition parties.
Euronews went further, characterizing the result as the collapse of the political order established in 2012. Its analysis highlighted the weakening of the alliances between Vučić’s party and smaller political organizations that had helped sustain his rule.
Serbian media focused particularly on the geographical scale of the defeat.
According to Nova.rs, the student-backed list defeated Vučić’s coalition in 26 of Serbia’s 29 cities, with the ruling party prevailing only in Vranje, Leskovac and Prokuplje.
In Belgrade, the independent newspaper Danas reported that the Student List won all 17 municipalities, securing more than 70% in the central districts of Stari Grad and Vračar.
The BBC’s Serbian service examined the broader implications for Serbia’s political system, quoting political scientist Nebojša Vladisavljević, who described the result as an electoral landslide that fundamentally reshaped the country’s political landscape.
The collapse of support for established parties was another notable development. The Socialist Party, founded by former President Slobodan Milošević, failed to cross the 3% parliamentary threshold.
The result followed nearly two years of demonstrations sparked by the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people and prompted widespread allegations of corruption and government negligence.
Who Will Govern Serbia After the Student Movement’s Victory?
Despite securing a parliamentary majority, the Student List has not announced its choice for prime minister, creating uncertainty over the composition of the next government.
Reuters and Al Jazeera emphasized that the movement deliberately avoided traditional political leadership structures, selecting academics, professionals and public figures rather than student activists as parliamentary candidates.
Among them are former basketball star Dejan Bodiroga, actor Tihomir Stanić and former central bank governor Dejan Šoškić, whose name has been discussed in connection with the premiership.
Ilija Srđanović, a medical professor who headed the electoral list, has not been formally designated for the position.
The movement has pledged to fight corruption, reform public institutions, protect media independence and investigate abuses connected to the previous administration.
Analysts at the Italian Institute of International Affairs warned that translating the election victory into durable institutional reform could prove more difficult than defeating Vučić, particularly given resistance within state institutions and unresolved foreign policy questions involving the European Union, Kosovo, Russia and China.
European Union officials welcomed the result, with Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressing readiness to work with Serbia’s incoming leadership on democratic reforms and European integration.
The Student List must now select a prime minister and establish a functioning administration before pursuing its promised institutional changes
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